Can a hawk lift a 6-7 pound chicken?

babsh

Songster
11 Years
Apr 30, 2008
138
1
129
Minnesota
I'm gathering others' opinions on this. One person witnessed a hawk trying, unsuccessfully to carry off one of her silkies, so that sounds like a "no". But I know there are different sized hawks. Anyone else see a hawk carrying something 6+ pounds? What do you think?

Barb
 
A large hawk,like a redtail for example only weighs around 3-4 lbs. If I remember correctly they can usually only carry approximately 1/3 of their body weight at the most so I would say no. A lot of it depends on the type of bird and its wings. Owls and Redtails for example have larger, wide wings and can usually lift heavier prey objects compared to a falcon which has more narrow wings designed more for speed.
 
A Red Tail got one of my Barred Rocks 2 weeks ago. It carried her a good 25 feet away. I know because I saw the pile of feathers then saw it, umm you know, her.
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I agree. A hawk can swoop a hen right out of her pants. It is not uncommon for them to eat and then fly away with the rest. Not only that, but a Eagle that has a 6' wing span will have enough umph to life a turkey hen up and away.
There are larger hawks in my area that are larger then the red tailed.
If you have a hawk in your skies, there is atleast another near by...so put a cover on your pen- not just the plastic net type either, they can slice through them.
 
The bigger hawks around here are Ferruginous hawks, and since birds of prey are known to be able to take prey half-again their own weight, I'm not at all surprised that chickens are reported to be snagged here and there. A normal Ferruginous female can be up to 5#.

Their main prey is the prairie hare, and they weigh up to 6+ #, so why not grab a chicken dinner that size?

If they can defend themselves against the prairie dogs and ferrets they eat, why not a domestic chicken?

I'm thinking cultivating a relationship with the crows around here is a really good move...
 
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