Bald Eagles

[redneckrabbitry]

i can say i wish i had problems with coon, dogs, EXT.... but i have a pair of Bald eagles lurking around my place. we have seen them in the past but they have always stayed a good distance like you would see in the wild but they have started to get closer. now there cruising tree top level and generally too close for comfort. we have 2 pair of geese one pair is Africans and the other is White Chinese when the eagles are around the geese start honking and the chickens and ducks haul booty for cover. The question is will an eagle munch on geese/chickens/ducks?

 

[Imp]

Yes, they will.
Lots of cover helps. My yard has lots of trees/shrubs/deck etc. When the eagles come by, the chickens disappear. Haven't had the eagles come into the yard.

Imp

 

[redneckrabbitry]

the birds have plenty of cover but eagles are smart so i wanted to see if anyone else had problems

 

[Oregon Blues]

They are capable of it.

Bald eagles prefer to take prey out of the air or off of water. They prefer fish, but will take ducks off of water. They are large enough and powerful enough to take a Canada Goose, so probably would not have any problems with a domestic goose.

I have a lot of bald eagles. They are over my house every day, and they have flown over my birds no higher that the top of the fence. They fly over and don't even turn their heads to look at my birds. So, until they actually cause me trouble, I am not going to worry about them.

If the eagles in your area are interested in eating your birds, the best thing you can do is to keep your birds under cover. A lot of it has to do with how much food is available. Their behavior will change if they get hungry enough. I am located at the junction of 2 rivers and near a huge lake, so it appears that there are plenty of fish to keep my eagles well fed and not interested in hunting prey that might fight back.

 

[ChristineR]

Yes, they will eat them. I lost my favorite duck, a big Pekin drake, to a bald eagle. The 3 ducks were inside a 8' x 6' chain link dog kennel at the time. I had the cover off and hadn't gotten around to putting it back on. The eagle dropped down in there to get him. I covered the kennel and the eagle was back a couple days later for more. We caught him on the ground, SHAKING THE DOOR TO THE KENNEL, trying to get it open to get the other 2 ducks.

I tried to get a pic, but when he saw us through the window, he flew up on the arbor. This is a crummy pic I took on my phone, through the window:

 

[liz9910]

Yes, they will eat them. I lost my favorite duck, a big Pekin drake, to a bald eagle. The 3 ducks were inside a 8' x 6' chain link dog kennel at the time. I had the cover off and hadn't gotten around to putting it back on. The eagle dropped down in there to get him. I covered the kennel and the eagle was back a couple days later for more. We caught him on the ground, SHAKING THE DOOR TO THE KENNEL, trying to get it open to get the other 2 ducks.

I tried to get a pic, but when he saw us through the window, he flew up on the arbor. This is a crummy pic I took on my phone, through the window:

Wow that is crazy!! I have red tailed hawks in my neighborhood but a Bald Eagle! That thing is huge!

 

[Moosetails]

If an eagle can carry away a seal, they can surely carry away a chicken. My husband and I saw a bald eagle fighting a golden eagle over a body of a seal this summer. The golden won. It was amazing!

I was given a tip from the guy I bought my chicks from. He said to tie multiple lines of twine over the top or near the coop, then tie 6" strips of colorful vinyl marking tape every foot or so. He said the eagles would be confused by the tape fluttering in the wind. I decided not to use his idea and built a covered run instead. I've been in the house and through the window heard an eagle cry. I ran outside and a pair of eagles were circling about my house. I stayed outside until they flew away. I'm not sure if they were after the chicken or the dogs, but I wasn't about to find out.

 

[finnfur]

At my last house, tree canopy covered the whole 6 acres and a Bald eagle came down in the yard and took a wild rabbit away . I was within 30 yards and didn't realize the rabbit or Eagle were there . So they will come into trees and do it with ease. This was during spring and feel sure it was one of a pair raising young . I wasn't concerned but was not raising chickens then LOL

 

[serama hen]

call in some ppl to help or eltra sonic sound to keep them away

 

[redneckrabbitry]

There has been more crows in the area due to the crop farmer drying his grain so the eagles have not been around