Today around 5:30 PM the yard flock of one adult rooster and hen, one juvenile almost young adult rooster and three juveniles was in garage avoiding heat. All of a sudden a big commotion could be herd in garage and dogs bolted out door to investigate. I was shortly behind dogs approaching front door and could see an adult female Coopers Hawk flying out of garage to a tree a couple hundred jars away. When it landed it turned around and looked at garage for the next couple of minutes. Juvenile chickens were hiding under chair with rooster standing out in open near their location. Hen and younger rooster hid behind riding mower. Dogs were sniffing about and looking into direction hawk left in. Hawk was really trying to take on a lot as rooster was quite willing to take her on and dogs would easily have finished job. This was the first time all production season that a hawk made a sortie on any of my birds. Juveniles are very much still vulnerable but are already to heavy for hawk to fly away with if chicks alive. TIme and effort required to dispatch a chick would be too long at the mercy of the rooster so as long as he is close no Coopers will get them.
