Big bird advice needed!

[wawasmama]

2 of my Buff Orpingtons have gone missing out of my flock of 3 chickens and 3 guineas. I believe the culpriet is a hawk that I've seen a few times. The guineas are sturdy and alert, and not threatened by the hawk. I would like to get more chickens, but need some advice on a larger breed. Would a larger breed solve my problem or just give the hawk more to eat? Has anyone found that raising a larger chicken breed solved this particular problem? If so, which breed is best? I live in South Texas so nothing too exotic, please. My lone chicken must feel like a sitting duck right now!

 

[silkiechicken]

I've never lost a standard to a hawk... did you see any evidence of air predator getting the girls? Like feather piles? Of course, I do hear everything is bigger in TX, so perhaps your hawks are huge.

 

[rcentner]

I have read that dominiques are good for hawks...their coloring is supposed to be hard for hawks to see. If your flock is free range when no one is home then it could be anything. hawks, dogs, fox

 

[dawg53]

I recently lost one of my big Barred Rock hens (9lbs) to a hawk. We came home from shopping and when I went to check on my chickens, the hawk flew off the top of the hen as soon as it saw me. There were feathers everywhere and she had been almost entirely eaten.

 

[wawasmama]

Thanks for the sympathy and help. When we are sure the freezes are over (maybe 30 days) then I'll try again with a few more 12-week-olds hens - Dominiques, Red Stars and . BTW, yes, everything is bigger in Texas! The Copper's Hawk is quite the predator and has been known to take small dogs. Yikes!

 

[elmo]

You also need a breed that can handle the heat. Here's a thread on the same subject:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=79894

My sense would be you want to pick a breed that hasn't been so domesticated that the instinct for survival has been bred right out of them. I have game bantams and I notice they always have one eye up to the sky all the time, and they pick their way around the yard looking for cover.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
I don't think a Coopers could fly away with even a small dog or a chicken. They don't even weigh as much as 2 lbs themselves.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/lifehistory

Red Tail hawks are bigger, 2-4 lbs, but again it's not likely they could fly away with something as big as a Buff Orpington. Usually they'd kill and eat it on site and you'd see feathers, etc.

Are you sure you don't have another predator on the prowl, like a dog or a coyote? Did the chickens go missing in the daytime?

 

[brandislee]

I don't know if this is a practical solution for your situation, but I heard that keeping a goose can help deter aerial predators like hawks. I've never kept a goose, so I don't know from experience, it's just something I read somewhere.