Crap. Lost a leghorn to a Cooper's hawk.

[leochickenmama]

Hi, haven't posted in a while. We bought 8 new Leghorns at the end of Sept. and now only have 6. Lost both to a Cooper's hawk.

I had problems with a hawk before; that one might have been a red-tail. That one had to have migrated. I haven't seen it in a long time. This thing was half the size of the Leghorn, but still got her good with those talons.

I hate hawks. Hate hate HATE them. I've lost 6 or 7 total to them this year.

 

[leochickenmama]

I've been letting them free-range for a few months now. My big Jersey Giant roo is a great deterrent. My chicks also know to run and hide underneath our huge holly bush if anything comes around (those leaves are sharp). This one was under my deck; wrong place, wrong time. Hawks are opportunists, as all predators. Sigh.

 

[CMV]

I lost my first bird to a Cooper's Hawk. That vicious little bugger flayed my hen. A year later I lost a duck to a migrating Red-Tailed Hawk. Hawks have been some of my most successful predators. They can be tough.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Ole rooster]

I'm supprised a white leghorn got caught by a hawk. The ones I've seen were so flighty light couldn't catch one. Sad to hear it anyway.