Cooper's Hawk Checking Out Free-Range Chickens

[McChooky]

I'm impressed you haven't lost any so far! It can't be easy for your dogs to protect your chickens so well from aerial predators!

 

[AutumnSol]

I lost both Blue Plymouth to Red Tail Hawks. One was a positive attack because I saw it and the other is unsure because what ever killed her took her body. I just had another Chicken attacked yesterday, a BO. She survived but has bad injuries on her back. I cleaned her with an antiseptic/disinfectant . If she is still alive in the morning I will clean again and add Neosporin on a gauze to cover the wound. I can’t let them free range anymore. The first two attacks have been very spread out. Months apart. This one was only weeks since that last one.

Update on my BO that was injured by the Red Tail Hawk. She is still alive and eating. I cleaned her wound again and put a honey "patch" on her open back. I read that it would help Her pain and help keep clean and heal. She wasn't as active this morning as she was after the attack. I will be checking Her again at lunch time

 

[centrarchid]

I'm impressed you haven't lost any so far! It can't be easy for your dogs to protect your chickens so well from aerial predators!

My patch is not ideal for aerial predators of concern, even without considering dogs. Red-shouldered Hawks work the area a lot and run off Coopers Hawks and even Red-tailed Hawks that come in from time to time. Cover patches are excellent for chickens and I have adult game roosters that will take on Coopers Hawks without hesitation. Dogs are best now against the owls, especially with chickens in the barn. A lone American Dominique cock lives with sheep in pasture where he roosts in a Russian Olive over area the sheep sleep in the most.

 

[McChooky]

My patch is not ideal for aerial predators of concern, even without considering dogs. Red-shouldered Hawks work the area a lot and run off Coopers Hawks and even Red-tailed Hawks that come in from time to time. Cover patches are excellent for chickens and I have adult game roosters that will take on Coopers Hawks without hesitation. Dogs are best now against the owls, especially with chickens in the barn. A lone American Dominique cock lives with sheep in pasture where he roosts in a Russian Olive over area the sheep sleep in the most.

My friends family have guineas and dogs that alert their chickens to predators and their rooster is a Dominique game. Their worst predators are bob cats and owls that come out at night but all his chickens prefer to roost in trees (they won't use anything that closes them in)

 

[centrarchid]

Cooper's Hawks appear to be on move. A non-resident adult male Cooper's Hawk was causing concern for the chickens in the pens shown. About 20 juvenile chickens were also in the clump of wild plumb used as a cover patch. Hawk was chasing after songbirds, mostly English House Sparrows, that were hiding deep in plumb trees and the taller Bradford pear.