Cooper's Hawk - will it eat a full grown chicken?

[heaven1]

Wow! I didn't realize that coopers were as dangerous as I thought red tails would be. We actually had a cooper's hawk swoop down 10 feet from us to grab one of our 11 week old hens yesterday. We have been letting them out in our yard in the evening. We usually hang out there while they are out and thank goodness we were nearby this time. The cooper came down at the edge of the trees and was just a few feet away from a hen when we screamed in shock and jumped out of our chairs. It turned and flew away. It took quite a while to find all the hens that scattered into the bushes and under trees. Now the girls will stay in their fort knox run.

 

[Willie647]

I will be spending today putting net up after losing a 1 yr old rir hen yesterday. I don't know what kind of hawk but he took her away and just left a pile of feathers. Had one taken in the spring but nothing else till now. #@$$%#@& hawk. Lets repeal that stupid law and kill all the hawks in the sky! I am tired of working so hard to have chickens when all I am really doing is raising hawk food. My wife and I love our chickens so this really hurts.
Willie

 

[crazyhen]

Lets not over-react. I don't like them either. They serve a very usefull purpose though. They eat snakes, rodents, and other nasties as well. I cover long runs and that seems to do the job. I would like to let the chicks roam, but realistically I would have dog trouble if I did along with the other preditors. Also disease would be a problem in the mtns where i live. There were some roos that a neighbor let run free and they all got disease and he had to kill them all. He has his hens in a fence and they stayed well. The hawks are a nuisance though. Gloria jean

 

[copefarms]

coopers hawks will indeed attack a full grow chicken
they kill it then just eat the neck.
They pluck the feathers off the chest and neck and eat the neck mostly.
and leave the rest as trash.
its quite a waste and I have lost alot of birds from them last spring

 

[Happy Chooks]

I just lost my gold sex link to one Wed. She was one of my largest. I think it was a cooper's hawk by the patterns on the wing. (it definitely was NOT a red tailed hawk) It couldn't carry her off, but it came back yesterday and tried to get another one.

 

[clucks-r-us]

I was so hoping to hear how to rid my yard of the **** Cooper's hawks. We have a large kennel and will now cover it. If anyone comes up with other answers, I'm listening.

 

[pride&joy]

I live in South Florida and have routinely seen coopers hawks hunting in my yard. Most of my neighbors have chickens and other animals. There is always lots of doves and other wild birds around on power lines that startle our fence lines where the lots meet in the back. Up to now it has not bothered my flock of 5-7 almost completely free range chickens. I have recently added a Turkey (a rescued Tom) and I am increasing the flock almost exponentially soon (Have prob got 50 chicks in brooder now and more coming in Feb).

Does any one know how effective the poultry netting is at keeping the hawks out and chickens in. I live in Hurricane Country and we could have intense wind and rain on a reg basis. I was thinking in close a lg fenced in are? Any suggestions I am afraid I could be rearing hawk food?

 

[AHappychick]

as others said Coppers will eat a chook and if it cant carry it off oit will dine right there in your yard. They have very little fear and a good memory of where they find a food source. personally where I live they are the enemy

 

[CMV]

pride&joy :

Does any one know how effective the poultry netting is at keeping the hawks out and chickens in. I live in Hurricane Country and we could have intense wind and rain on a reg basis. I was thinking in close a lg fenced in are? Any suggestions I am afraid I could be rearing hawk food?

Netting over the top of your run is effective at keeping hawks out. In fact, a covered run is really the only way of keeping hawks out. Fake owls, CDs and fishing line don't work that well. Good luck.​

 

[Wanda]

pride&joy - if you are talking about netting over the top of a run, deer netting works great. Wind and rain won't be a problem as long as it is secure but heavy snow can weigh it down. If you are talking about electric poultry netting you would still need something over top it to keep the hawks from flying into the fenced in area, also I know someone who has the 48 inch (uncovered) and a couple of her chickens fly out.

Wanda