Eagle or Hawk killed and ate 1/2 my 10 lb Plymouth Rock Rooster!

[Half-a-dozen]

The vultures look aweful as they too circle our home

We have so many I had a cable guy hesitate to walk outside my door. He looked up and asked "is it alright to go outside"

poor guy. anyway, They swarm and circle but have never seen them eat anything alive.
The red-tails on the other hand swarm, circle and DIVE right for our chickens.........even the baby red-tails take a shot at the lil ones out at play!!

Needless to say.....our range is all covered now....we had a hawk attack that killed and ate part of our barred rocks....Pics of the hawk below incase you catch a glimpse

and apparently he was a baby one....

p

edited for spelling

 

[seminolewind]

It's horrible to hear all these hawk stories. I used to see one now and then, but then a bunch of crows moved into the area, then a bunch of blue jays, and I don't see hawks anymore.

 

[jessica117]

I'm sorry for your loss. Hawks are no fun.

I had a red tail haul off my 10 lb barred rock roo as well as 5 pullets. That was last fall just as the chickens lost the cover of our huge boxelder. They got put up till this spring, and only get to go out when we're there to supervise. It drives me crazy to keep them cooped up but it was the only thing that saved them. My neighbor lost literally all his chickens.

On the note of crows. We have them and have seen them dive bomb the hawks, but I worry about them too cause I've heard stories of them eating baby chicks. May just be an old wives tale... don't really know.

 

[rsrollercoasterboy13]

I know we have the same problems because saturday i was outside and some hawks flew over top of our house and this past sunday 2 chickens have been missing so if anyone has a way to get rid o hawks post a message for me.

 

[rsrollercoasterboy13]

i am srry i have been informed that it is illeagle to get rid of them.

 

[Half-a-dozen]

Yes, they are protected species......which explains why a cop is holding the one that killed our hen in the pic.....someone had to do something to get it out of the coop.....so we called the police!

 

[shaky]

Hawks can easily take poultry their own size. Their talons are extremely powerful. All roosters have are wings and spurs, which don't do much good against a feathered animal.
Vultures are highly unlikely to attack anything, but will gladly devour dead or dying animals.

 

[greyfields]

It may not be possible to verify the bird killed your rooster, or was just being a scavenger.

If you were in the PNW, I'd say a Great Horned Owl can take down most chickens. I am ont sure you have those in FLA though.