My absolute favorite pullet ever, Uno, was killed by a hawk yesterday. I saw Hannibal the Cooper's hawk hanging out watching them yesterday, when I was leaving on a way to a meeting. It was the first nice day we've had for a while; record temps here; and Uno decided to go out and explore; I had to laugh as she trotted up to me through the snow earlier in the day. I chased Hannibal away and watched til I saw him heading towards the swamp at the extreme rear of our property, then I figured it was safe to leave(didn't have much choice anyway) as Uno was in the barn. I worried about her all day,but didn't get back til after dark. My son found her feathers outside the barn this morning. She was the prettiest, and tamest pullet we had; Jack Frost was her dad and he has Whitey blood, which we have been desparately trying to keep the Whitey line going...she would've been able to help do that...just two months old. All of Whitey's babies have been killed by predators except Jack Frost. We have had problems with Hannibal in the past; but he has never preyed on our flock this much; he is very distinctive because he is huge; larger than most Cooper's hawks I've seen. I know the logical solution would be to pen them up; but I just hate to do that after they have been free range so long. Usually they are hawk-wise and stay under cover when the hawk's aroud, but she was just a baby and had no rooster to hang with and tell her what to do...Just looking for a shoulder to cry on. We are hoping Thing One will still hatch something, because the chances are good she'd have some Jack Frost babies too, but she is a day past the estimated due date..Anyway, thanks for listening.
