Does this sound like a hawk attack? UPDATED: CONFIRMED!!

[poseygrace]

Thank you for the fantastic information! I have learned so much about hawks in the last few days. So today I let them out while I sat amongst them, just to see if I could see a hawk scoping the out. Sure enough, after 30 min or so, a massive red tailed hawk came swooping toward my lavender orpington, the biggest one I've got! I was only 10 feet away! I yelled and waved my arms, but that only slightly deterred it, it was still circling. I quickly lured all the girls back to their coop by offering treats.

The Buckeye's carcass was nowhere to be seen, but there was a delay between when I heard the commotion and when I found the feathers. One of my cats or a raccoon could have dragged it off.

That must be one hungry hawk to go after such big chickens. They won't be going out again, ever!

 

[HappyHazel]

I am glad you found out what is was even though the loss is still sad.

 

[centrarchid]

You have not found predator yet, just a suspect with motive.

 

[poseygrace]

Centarchid, that's really funny you said that because my husband is a criminal defense attorney and he was arguing the same point. I've pretty much tried and convicted that hawk, though! Thanks so much for the informative post earlier. I'm just glad I didn't witness the carnage or the after effects, she was my favorite chicken.

 

[poseygrace]

Centarchid, that's really funny you said that because my husband is a criminal defense attorney and he was arguing the same point. I've pretty much tried and convicted that hawk, though! Thanks so much for the informative post earlier. I'm just glad I didn't witness the carnage or the after effects, she was my favorite chicken.

 

[Oregon Blues]

You've got a redtail and he has shown interest in your chickens. So keep them covered and keep them safe.

If you think a raccoon could have dragged off the body, then a raccoon could have easily been the killer. But you know you've got a local hawk checking your birds out, so it is time to cover them.

My theory is that I don't care what predator. My birds are protected from anything and everything that might want to eat them. That way, I don't have a problem.

If you know there is a raccoon, then you also need a raccoon-proof pen.

 

[cluckingoodtime]

We lost one our speckled girls this week to a large bird. The kids were home when the attack happened and saw the bird pick her up and carried her a short distance until our shepherd tried an air retrieval. We went on line and the only bird that remotely looked like it was a Golden Eagle. There were only 5 or 6 feathers at the kill site and no visible blood or sign of a struggle. Thankfully it appears she died instantly. At this time, we have not seen any sign of the culprit. We are keeping a cautious eye open.

 

[coinheadz]

Thanks! This is a really morbid question, but how does a hawk kill a chicken? Does he eat it on the ground or tear it up and fly off with chunks? Sorry, just trying to imagine how a 2 or 3 lb hawk would make off with a 6 lb chicken!

Raccoons normally will attacks very late at night and will leave the feet, wings, a full grown chicken hawk wil immobilize the chick with his hugh claws, retreats to a private area and eats, he will come back for another meal again, my best trick was to get free recording on you tube and watch their reaction, if they run and seem scared they have encountered them before, after playing hawk recordings for several days they will know to run and hide when they hear one, I've killed a hugh chicken hawk after it carried away 3 of my baby's, it could have easily carried a full size chicken once immobilized with its claws, broad daylight, nothing left, chicken hawk I would say, train them to the sound and have a place they can hide, mine goes under my porch or in the coop, hope this helps