chicken not ruuning from hawk

[RedJungleFowl]

i was out side yesterday and a cooper hawk was flying over my yard and my baby chicks did not went in to hiding so will they be like that even when they grown up more cause all they do is they will just look at it

 

[centrarchid]

i was out side yesterday and a cooper hawk was flying over my yard and my baby chicks did not went in to hiding so will they be like that even when they grown up more cause all they do is they will just look at it

Chicks are hardwired to be scared of hawks but sometimes running for cover is not best option, especially if hawk does not see you. My birds will simply freeze when a hawk flys over but will run for cover if hawk appears to be coming at them. When chicks are part of harem with their father and mother, the chicks bunch up around mom and dad gets between group and Coopers hawk. Both parents get all riled up displaying and if Coopers, even a female, would press in it might actually get hurt pretty quickly by adult chickens defending chicks. I have Coopers Hawks out the wazoo but very seldom loose chicks so long as adult rooster is close by. If chicks were to run with rooster present, then it would be harder for rooster to protect them. I do not think the defense of chicks from hawks is derived characteristic of red jungle fowl since my red jungle fowl roosters would not stand ground against Coopers hawk.

 

[RedJungleFowl]

they won't because they are meant to run not fight and my chicks have no mother they are hand raised

 

[centrarchid]

they won't because they are meant to run not fight and my chicks have no mother they are hand raised

Red, I am having trouble following what your are trying to convey.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I think what you mean is, will they learn to run? Maybe. Sometimes, they do the freeze, as chicks, or if the threat isn't immediate. I have hand reared hatchery pullets that have learned to run, and fast, and hide....i don't know if they learned it from the games or not....but, it's usually when they hear the hawk call. The rest will hide from an airplane. The pullets do not hang out in the open anymore, but run from place to place. I think the only ones that like a fight are the broodies with chicks, even my roos when faced with a predator tend to draw it away and fly into trees..rather than directly confrount it...but then maybe they are just brains over brawn types.

 

[RedJungleFowl]

yea u got it

 

[RedJungleFowl]

if u don't its ok i sometimes do that to and what i meant is they are chicks i got at a farm so they had no monther to teach them that hawk are a danger so when they grow up will they learn by them self

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Yeah, that's a nice looking roo! On your avitar - is he yours?

 

[RedJungleFowl]

no i can't have big one like these only chicks u know y u might be sock but im just a teen so i can't have big chicken yet

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Ha ha...so when your chicks grow up and get bigger, will you no longer be a teen? What if you hatched out a roo like that!!!