!!!~@#$%!!!......!!!~@#$%!!! Chicken Hawk

[Khommet's Koop]

This past sat. was my first full week with my first flock of hens...3RIRs & 3BOs. Yesterday morning got a call from my good wife who was frantic cause she just saw a huge brown bird fly off from the coop. She went out and none of the girls were around. Dummy me let them free-range at 6wks old. I got home and 5 out of the 6 were huddled under the coop. #1 was gone

Construction of the run is currently underway.

THE LORD'LL PROVIDE by Larry Reynolds
Big ol' buzzard sittin' on a fence
Watchin' them chickens play.
He sit with his old friend chicken hawk;
Chicken hawk jump up and say,
"We ought to invite us a chicken home to supper today."

And the buzzard looks at him with a baleful eye,
Take a few seconds 'fore he give a reply;
He turn his neck nearly all away 'round
And he points to the sky and says with a frown,
"The Lord'll provide, the Lord'll provide,
Just be patient, brother and the Lord'll provide.

The chicken hawk said, "But I'm hungry.
My stomach's startin' to rumble like a train."
He spies a fat chicken in the barn yard;
The chicken hawk jump up and scream,
"I hear the lord helps them that helps themselves my friend."

"No, the Lord'll provide, you know the Lord'll provide."
And that's all brother buzzard said, "The Lord'll provide."

Chicken hawk starts to chase the chicken,
Chicken starts squawkin' and run;
The farmer comes out of the farm house;
Farmer got a big shot gun.
The farmer he blows the chicken hawk to Kingdom Come.

And the buzzard looks at him with a baleful eye,
Take a few seconds 'fore he give a reply;
He turn his neck nearly all away 'round
And he looks at the chicken hawk a-layin' on the ground
"I knew the Lord would provide, I knew the Lord would provide."
And that's what brother buzzard said, "The Lord'll provide"

"Yes, the Lord'll provide, children you know the Lord'll provide."
That's what brother buzzard said, "The Lord'll provide."

 

[fancbrd4me02]

You're right - Free ranging little guys like that is just asking for a hawk to eat them. I never free range chicks that are not full sized or nearly grown. Keep them in a covered run or ark and you will have no problems.

 

[Esteri]

OK. I was thinking about letting our 5 week olds free range out of the covered tractor for a day or two here and there. Guess I have my answer. Because I KNOW that we've got hawks in the area.

I'm sorry for your loss, but glad you posted it so that I could learn from you.

When are they considered big enough? These are my first batch and I'm amazed by how fast they seem to grow!
.

 

[Jen71]

Yes, thanks for posting this. I am so sorry for your loss.

I just posted a thread about security and chicks outside. Not sure if we have chicken hawks here in Australia, but I don't want to find out the hard way.

If I take my babies outside, I will be sure they are fully covered in.

 

[trilyn]

Well, first off, I'm so sorry this happened to you! Yeah, it's bad enough when they're full sized, let alone babies like that, covered is better. There's a million ways to make a temp pen, and just be sure to cover it. Love the ditty by the way, very cool!