Do Black Vultures take Chickens? HELP!

[SirFarmAlot]

If a black vulture is what we call a buzzard in Virginia I would say no. I would look elsewhere. Good Luck!

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I have had a few disappear like that and I found out we have a pair of nesting eagles a couple miles down the road. I had full grown year old BOs and an EE taken. I'm sure a hawk could not have taken off with a chicken that big. It always happened around noon.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Could it be a hawk?

Most of the time a hawk will pluck feathers and start to eat at the site of the kill.

They seldom carry away a whole growm chicken.

I'd suspect a fox

I found out we have a pair of nesting eagles a couple miles down the road.

We have eagles nesting nearby, and they have never bothered the chickens.

I've seen them in my pasture eating dead possums while the chickens were walking around in the yard not 50 yds away​

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yes, black vultures WILL kill chickens, it got two of my speckled Sussex pullets and ate all of one except her legs! It ate some of the other one as well. Between the hawks and the vultures, I am scared to let my birds out unless I am right there with them. Really, it gets old with all these predators. I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it. Predators beware!

 

[LeezyBeezy]

I'd guess fox. They will come out in daylight. They will come close to your house. They are smart and sneaky. I had 4 taken this spring in exactly the same way. One of the hens we saw all day, and when we went inside for supper, the fox snatched it.

 

[chikinwing]

Quote:
I am not certain if you have seen any black vultures (Coragyps Atratus) that is the other name for them, but you can google it, or look it up if you like. They are definitely a different species than the turkey buzzard (Cathartes Aura). We have an over population of them in my area. I have walked outside to see 50 of them sitting among the trees during the winter months. I have NEVER seen turkey buzzards (by the way they have red heads, hince the name turkey) in large groups such as that. The black vultures have black heads not red.

I know that black vultures (not turkey buzzards) have killed newborn calves in my area, from local cattle farmers.

 

[chikinwing]

Quote:
I agree that was my first suspect. I just wish I could find evidence of where it would be coming from, so I can set a trap. If it is a fox it has to be very brave because my favorite rooster was taken just 10 feet from my front porch during the day. I hate it, that is where he would stand frequently so he could keep an eye on who was coming up the driveway.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Wow! Did you witness them killing them? How did you know it was them that did it? I had 2 black vultures around here a few months back.

Quote:

 

[goldeneggtees]

I wonder if the calves were already dead or dying? How did they kill it, didn't think they were that strong.

Quote:
I am not certain if you have seen any black vultures (Coragyps Atratus) that is the other name for them, but you can google it, or look it up if you like. They are definitely a different species than the turkey buzzard (Cathartes Aura). We have an over population of them in my area. I have walked outside to see 50 of them sitting among the trees during the winter months. I have NEVER seen turkey buzzards (by the way they have red heads, hince the name turkey) in large groups such as that. The black vultures have black heads not red.

I know that black vultures (not turkey buzzards) have killed newborn calves in my area, from local cattle farmers.

 

[chikinwing]

They smell the afterbirth and if the mother is not protective enough they come down and peck at the calf's eyes. I have not witnessed this, but my neighbor has lossed several calf's this way. Sometimes the cow gives birth at night in the field, so the farmers have to keep checking on them to make sure the baby and mother move from the area of the afterbirth. The vultures will attack a healthy baby.

Here is a link: http://lib.colostate.edu/research/agnic/vultures-livestock.html