eagles

[lilshadow]

My husband and I are having a serious debate. He doesn't think that I should put wiring over my run, I say yes. I tell him that that big eagle that hangs out back will carry off my hens, and rooster. He say I am fool of it, and that they only carry of small rodents, and rabbit. Which one of us is right?

 

[arlee453]

Cover your run....

All you have to have him do is to read through a few of the thread under 'predators and pests' to see that birds of prey will most definately eat your chickens.

If the birds are too heavy to carry away, they will still swoop down and make the kill and eat what they can.

Cover the run.

 

[Ang]

They will carry off a chicken no doubt! Golden Eagles especially would dine on your chickens. Bald Eagles are fishing eagles and would be less likely to but I would trust them either. I say cover the top of the run!

 

[redchicken]

I agree with arlee we have had hawks take our birds so many times cover the run

 

[Hotwings]

I am assuming that a coopers hawk could kill a chicken a bird as big as an eagle could easily kill one too. Since you are from Minn. I am guessing you are talking about a bald eagle. This is just me but I have never seen a bald eagle in the wild and I would love to see one. I have seen nature shows where alot of bald eagles in Yellowstone feed on other animals kill. By the way it is illegal to shoot a eagle. It could be lurking about because the waters have frozen up. I would batten down the hatches just to be on the safe side.

 

[Ang]

lilshadow, do you live by the Mississippi? Is this just a seasonal visitor or is it one the is always around? I live near the Mississippi so we have tons of eagles this time of year. Luckily I live just far enough from the river we don't get eagle visitors very often.

 

[lilshadow]

I told him...yes it is a bald eagle. He hangs out in the back somewhere, but there are a lot of them here, and yes they are a beautiful bird, also there is red tail hawks that hang out too.

 

[lilshadow]

Quote:
I live close to the rum river, I don't have eagles right now, but do have hawks, we were just talking about them, and I had to prove him wrong...lol....however, the eagle does hang out here in the summer time actually there are two that hang out here.

 

[bills]

I too have a fair share of Bald eagles frequenting the neighborhood, and have thought of the fishing line and dangling reflectors as a line of defense. I saw one thread where a person used the shiny computer Cd's as reflectors. I thought about trying strips of aluminum foil to the line every few feet, as it is light.

I keep thinking about those used car lots and their colorful ropes of shining flags. Be nice to get 50' of that to use, although the chickens may think they're in a circus

..

If a person lived near a commercial fishing area, one might be able to get used lightweight monofiliment netting. The snow wouldn't build up on it, and it's strong. It wouldn't stop a coon from getting through it I'm sure, but it would stop birds of prey. There is the chance that if reflectors weren't used they met get tangled in it mind you, so you still would need flagging tape or something fluttering from it.

Last summer my neighbor came out to his large, uncovered chicken run, to see a bald eagle sitting one of the fence posts, with one of his chickens crouched down on the ground directly under it. May have been the eagles dinner if he hadn't been there.

 

[Ang]

For as many raptors as we have here, they haven't bothered my chickens at all. Thankfully! Its just those darn fox that I want to torment.