"Chicken-Hawks"

[zazouse]

Quote:
Yea like the chicken snake is just slang.

 

[Heidi R]

I don't see a separate chat for Chickens. So - I will ask.... I just came back from putting my 3 chickens and a duck in the chicken tractor. I had let them out to free roam for a while. Maybe 3 hours they were out there. I found large - I repeat LARGE birds flying overhead. They had red on their beaks or close to their beaks. They were low in the trees. I found my birds nestled down low in leaves under a bush and had to coach them out. I assume they were chicken hawks flying overhead. Would these big birds have actually carried off my chickens? They aren't laying yet and somewhere between 2-3 months old. Maybe a little older. Does this mean I can't let them out??? How do you free-range chickens with flying predators??? My birds were certainly aware of their presence. Duck kept looking up before taking steps out into the open.

I don't believe the hawks fly in numbers. You most likely have vultures which do fly and glide in numbers. They will not bother live birds in my experience. We have flying predators and they are unique in that the pair will fly alone. When they begin their hunt, they call out. Happens every time. I get my tiny dog and the others into the house as well as the birds. The red I think identifies the large birds as vultures that nest and inhabit more congested areas, not just rural.