Bald Eagle is watching our chickens!!!!!

[77horses]

There's a HUGE Bald Eagle sitting up in a tall pine tree out back of our neighbor's house!

Our neighbor's chickens are out walking around because they always get out of their run somehow. Our chickens are out, too, ad it's making me nervous.

Although I am fascinated by Bald Eagles and I find them amazing and I wish I had a better camera to take a picture besides my cell phone (

), I'm worried about it getting one of our chickens. Of course I know that our chickens know better than to just stand there if it tries to get them, it still makes me worried. I hope he's just passing through and not planning on a chicken meal.

He's huge though and beautiful! I wish he wasn't so high up so I could get a picture.

 

[sourland]

When it comes to birds of prey, federal law supersedes state law. If you doubt that threads like this are being monitored, I would suggest that you do a search on "operation high roller-pigeons." These guys thought that they may have been within their rights to protect their pigeons. They weren't and paid the price. Regardless of what your local game warden may have told you, you can not legally harass or kill protected species. If you feel the need to do so and talk about it, accept the possibility of consequences similar to what these guys incurred.

 

[77horses]

UPDATE: The Bald Eagle flew away, finally.

Hopefully he doesn't come back! If he does we would only be able to lock our chickens up temporarily, since of course we can't harm him (it's illegal and we wouldn't hurt such a beautiful, majestic bird anyway...) But at least we haven't had any problems with Bald Eagles yet...Are they known to attack chickens at all? Has anyone ever had it happen before? We've only had worries about hawks lately, but none have succeeded in getting any of our chickens yet.

 

[lildinkem]

I got hit by a hawk two days ago. Ate all the neck and back meat off the dead pullet. A week ago he tried and successfully killed a Copper Black Marans hen, but my two Roo's ran him off. They stood there and guarded their dead sis. It is a common site now at a whisper of a Roo crowing or makin a fuss I go runnin out with my rifle.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I've seen a couple of them staking out my barn twice now. Makes me nervous.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
I am thinkin of gettin some tuff fishin line and tie lines of it across the top of my pens in a grid, in hopes my dive bomber wipes out and the chickens kick his butt. my friend had a Coopers Hawk do that and his chickens killed it. It couldn't take off and in 5 mins it was dead.

 

[77horses]

Quote:
Yep...I see them as beautiful and majestic, yet they are clever and can be deadly.....

 

[usschicago1]

I have a falcons nest over my chicken coop

Never bothers them!
Hope the same for you !

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Just don't USE the rifle except for a shot waaaaay away from the bird. And make sure you know where the bullet ends up, my neighbors are kinda casual that way........................

Seriously sorry for the loss, but it's a Federal offense to injure or kill a bird of prey. Not worth it.

I wish I had seen the eagle, such majestic birds. My chickens will be on permanant lockdown if I ever see one here!

 

[77horses]

Quote:
Just don't USE the rifle except for a shot waaaaay away from the bird. And make sure you know where the bullet ends up, my neighbors are kinda casual that way........................

Seriously sorry for the loss, but it's a Federal offense to injure or kill a bird of prey. Not worth it.

I wish I had seen the eagle, such majestic birds. My chickens will be on permanant lockdown if I ever see one here!

I agree. Bald Eagles and some hawks are endangered and it's just illegal to kill or harm them. But you can use your rifle to shoot AWAY from the bird to scare it off. That usually works without harming it.

I know, I just love seeing them! They are so beautiful and fascinating. But should I seriously be worried? We've had them around before, but I've never seen one in a nearby tree before. Usually we just see one or two once in a while flying way up in the sky. And it's usually in the Summer that we see them. One time we were amazed to be able to watch a low-flying Bald Eagle at the local beach and two hawks were chasing it for some reason. We could hear the eagle screeching as it flew overhead away from the hawks and a few times they clashed into each other as they were flying. I'm guessing the two hawks were parents and the eagle was in their nesting region. Eventually they drove it away, but it was just amazing to watch.