Holy cow!
I just had a very brazen hawk attack my hens in the daylight around 3:30 in the afternoon.... with me standing less than 3 feet away.
Since it was finally a warmer day ( in the 40s here in Iowa), I let my girls out of their protected run, to free range in their uncovered, fenced area of the yard that is connected to covered run. They're allowed out in this area when we are home and usually outside. My husband, son and our dog were outside all day just a couple hundred feet away. We even had 3 bald eagles circling that we were watching closely and they moved on. I went down with our 3 year old daughter to give them some treats, and within 10 minutes of me being INSIDE the fencing with them, a hawk flew in and had Edith pinned within feet of me. I flung the treat container at it and scared it off. My husband ran over to help me get them in their safe enclosure. This ballsy little hawk ( I believe it was a Coopers Hawk) flew to the top of then fence and watched us. It then flew up to a nearby treeuntil we got everyone inside. Edith is okay, just shooken up.
WTH?!? I was totally caught off guard as I would never expect a hawk attack literally right in front of me. Now, I'm not sure if and when I can ever let them out in the fenced in grassy area again. There is tree coverage on one side and then out back yard on the other three sides. In 4 years of keeping chickens, this is the 1st time we had a hawk try this.
If they aren't even safe when we're outside with them, I don't know what to do. They love being able to free range in the area.
I just had a very brazen hawk attack my hens in the daylight around 3:30 in the afternoon.... with me standing less than 3 feet away.
Since it was finally a warmer day ( in the 40s here in Iowa), I let my girls out of their protected run, to free range in their uncovered, fenced area of the yard that is connected to covered run. They're allowed out in this area when we are home and usually outside. My husband, son and our dog were outside all day just a couple hundred feet away. We even had 3 bald eagles circling that we were watching closely and they moved on. I went down with our 3 year old daughter to give them some treats, and within 10 minutes of me being INSIDE the fencing with them, a hawk flew in and had Edith pinned within feet of me. I flung the treat container at it and scared it off. My husband ran over to help me get them in their safe enclosure. This ballsy little hawk ( I believe it was a Coopers Hawk) flew to the top of then fence and watched us. It then flew up to a nearby treeuntil we got everyone inside. Edith is okay, just shooken up.
WTH?!? I was totally caught off guard as I would never expect a hawk attack literally right in front of me. Now, I'm not sure if and when I can ever let them out in the fenced in grassy area again. There is tree coverage on one side and then out back yard on the other three sides. In 4 years of keeping chickens, this is the 1st time we had a hawk try this.
If they aren't even safe when we're outside with them, I don't know what to do. They love being able to free range in the area.
I would keep them inside for a couple of days to a week before letting them out again. Hawks will be persistent until the food source is exhausted or gone. Thank goodness you were there to protect them!
