First hawk attack!

[Airyaman]

I have some reflective gadgets spread throughout my "free range" area, and it seems to have kept the hawks at bay. But I have a couple of Marek's inflicted birds with leg problems and I had them sitting in the grass away from area (I try to get them outside a few hours a day to get sun), and a hawk attacked the least mobile of the two pullets. The other has good use of one leg so she was able to hop to safety but the other was basically a "sitting duck" so to speak. Fortunately I heard the others raising a ruckus and I was able to chase the hawk away before it did much harm. She did suffer some small cuts to her wattles, but she is otherwise fine.

The weirdest thing is that the hawk just flew up to a branch and stood there watching us. I thought for sure it would hightail it with me out there, but no way, it looked ready to pounce again. I tossed a piece of wood at it and it flew off.

Fortunately I have a free run that they can get sun in, but it doesn't have grass, so they can't get any fresh greens. Guess it's back to chopping some alfalfa!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Sorry to hear that, but glad she’s OK. Hawks suck, I only free range when I’m home and can run out and chase them off. Then they sit it the trees and mock me as you said.
I’d leave them in the run for a week, that hawk will be back. After that I’ll let my girls back out. I have one girl blind in one eye due to a hawk attack

 

[Airyaman]

Sorry to hear that, but glad she’s OK. Hawks suck, I only free range when I’m home and can run out and chase them off. Then they sit it the trees and mock me as you said.
I’d leave them in the run for a week, that hawk will be back. After that I’ll let my girls back out. I have one girl blind in one eye due to a hawk attack

The one that hopped away is a BA and the one attacked is a Bielefelder. The BA hopped over to the edge of the fenced in area with my other flocks and there were two BJG cockerels next to her. I don't think the hawk was ready to tangle with those two.