Do buzzards take chickens?

[Johnn]

I'm in the UK and a Buzzard took 2 of my girls, killed one and attacked another .

 

[KentuckyMom]

I do know that the Black buzzard is not nearly as shy as the turkey vulture. I had about a dozen of them sitting in the driveway! Our ornery RIR rooster "Elvis" was out there posturing and raising hell at them. I came out of the house to see what the ruckus was, and got within about 10 feet from the buzzards before they flew across the street into the trees. I was hollering and waving at them as I headed towards them, and it didn't seem to bother them in the least.

It's a shame I've lost so many birds this year, and now am afraid to let my birds loose. There's no way I can let the youngsters out, let alon the grown hens.

I'll be looking at options to keep them safe.

Rotor

We have had them in our driveway in front of the house and in our field as well. My daughter's Black Lab gets great joy out of chasing them away! They haven't been back in awhile.

 

[animals1981]

turkey vultures do not exist in the uk what you have are common buzzards related to red tail hawks.

 

[animals1981]

there is a bird called a caracara that is always around black vultures like in the picture its a real killer, it can easily do the killing and get blamed on the black vultures. Its always with black vultures. Its a big bird the size of a red tail. Look up crested caracara.


They will do things like attack lambs etc..


Black vultures have feet like a turkey they can't grab a chicken. Caracaras are related to falcons they can grab the chicken.

Also black vultures suck at stooping. The prey needs to be at a serious disadvantage to be killed by a black vulture. They aren't fast enough to chase a chicken down hold onto it then kill it. THey were built for walking and running not stooping and killing. They usually have to wait for a stronger animal to break into the flesh.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Black buzzards are somewhat weak birds. The turkey vulture is larger and is a true vulture. The black buzzard shadows them because the turkey vulture is able to find and open the body cavity of large dead animals. I doubt that a turkey vulture will take a live chicken because their hunting strategy is built around their sense of smell.

I don't know about the black buzzard.

 

[MamaDoodle]

I have 200 vultures, both black and red headed one's, that roost beside my house at night. They have never bothered my chickens, and the black one's are smaller than red one's from what I can tell. However, while I would blame a hawk before the vulture for your losses, I wouldn't rule it out. I have seen and heard of freak vulture attacks. Though very rare.

You cannot shoot a vulture legally, but you can scare them away with loud noises such as fireworks. It won't work the first night you do it, you have to be patient.

Good luck!

 

[Baymule]

Get a Great Pyrenees. BTW, she hates buzzards.

 

[20736]

Buzzard Season - Open
From sunup January 1 to sundown December 31.
No field limit. No possession limit.

Protect your chickens.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If you want to protect you chickens from buzzards I have a brother-in-law that you need to meet. Just tell him that buzzards are a threatened species. Then mention that the open season closed last weekend. Then say that the bag limit is only one buzzard per year. And finally tell him that fried buzzard nuggets tastes just like chicken,

 

[Rotorranch]

If you want to protect you chickens from buzzards I have a brother-in-law that you need to meet. Just tell him that buzzards are a threatened species. Then mention that the open season closed last weekend. Then say that the bag limit is only one buzzard per year. And finally tell him that fried buzzard nuggets tastes just like chicken,