FALL MIGRATION = MORE CHICKEN DEATHS?

[boochaces]

Curious.
Experienced chicken owners.
Have you noticed your flock is disrupted more in the Fall by hawks, raptors, falcons, eagles, etc.?

 

[Kevin565]

I'm aware that many people here have their flocks stalked more readily by due to the migration of birds of prey but I personally have not had much of a difference.

 

[centrarchid]

I am pretty sure thier is a seasonal pattern to hawks targeting my birds. Starting late September and ending roughly November I have increased presence of juvenile Coopers hawks that appear to be flying south. For me they seem only to go after juvenile chickens and a rooster seems to put a stop to losses, as does dog. During winter months when most of flock is confined I have had red-tailed and even a Feruginous hawk, latter normally has a more westerly range, go after free-ranging red jungle fowl hybrids and American dominique hens. Deep snow for several days usually before hawks visit. Hawks involved appear to be local at least that time of year and may actually be targeting rodents with chickens being targets of opportunity. Heavy cover greatly helps reduce such losses and dog stops them. Spring migration appears to involve fewer Coopers and vulnerable birds (chicks and juveniles) effectively protected by adults (and now dog). Sharp-shinned and re-shouldered hawks not threats.

 

[boochaces]

.. thank you for that. it is nice to hear others' experiences.

 

[zazouse]

We have had some random migrations but nothing like back in 2009 when broad shouldered hawks came over my place by the 100's for a week, they were off their normal migration path , we think it was due to the hurrican.

It was an awesome site but very scary for me and the 100's of free rangers because the migration had the local hawks in a tizzy and they were flying around all over the place .

 

[7L Farm]

Winter is bad time of the year for me because the leaves are gone which eliminates the chickens cover. Last, winter was really bad because Texas was on fire from the drought & it seemed to push the hawks or concentrated the hawks in my area. That was what I noticed. Hawks were thick as thieves. I cut down free ranging time. There wasn't much for them to forage on anyway so I thought why loose my flock. I have veggie gardens so I just fed the chooks veggies all winter. I let them free range to get needed exercise when I could supervise.
I had an attack from a hawk trying to tear through the wire on the chickens run. The hawk was trying to get at a single chicken I had in the run at the time. My other birds were ranging I went inside for a minute & that was when the attack happened. Yes, its that fast. It scared the you know what out of the flock & they hid in the woods the entire day. They finally came back to their coop right before dark to roost.

 

[jeancordelia]

My mother lived in rural Arizona. She said the hawks came in out of the desert in the winter. During the summer they were not around much. In the winter they were there for the season.