My wife just got home and told me I better go check on my chickens because she saw a huge bird with claws like an eagle. The egg layer chickens were freeranging so I went out and rounded them back into their pen with cracked corn..... one Barred Rock and one RIR was missing.
As I was counting and recounting (while they were running all over the place eating cracked corn) the Barred Rock came up to the gate. I finally got her in and still no sign of the missing RIR.
I walked the property near where my wife saw the bird and sure enough, the RIR was there missing her head and insides and feathers were everywhere......
This has been our first enounter with a predator... I guess the bird was eating the chicken when my wife drove up. She described is as being a brownish, huge bird that was so big she could see the muscles on the legs and huge claws. She knew it was up to no good. It was probably a huge hawk.
Now everything will have to be locked up for a long time until it moves on...... It was so cool to watch the chickens have so much fun running free..... I'm also scared for my two chihuahua's now!
As I was counting and recounting (while they were running all over the place eating cracked corn) the Barred Rock came up to the gate. I finally got her in and still no sign of the missing RIR.
I walked the property near where my wife saw the bird and sure enough, the RIR was there missing her head and insides and feathers were everywhere......
This has been our first enounter with a predator... I guess the bird was eating the chicken when my wife drove up. She described is as being a brownish, huge bird that was so big she could see the muscles on the legs and huge claws. She knew it was up to no good. It was probably a huge hawk.
Now everything will have to be locked up for a long time until it moves on...... It was so cool to watch the chickens have so much fun running free..... I'm also scared for my two chihuahua's now!
I'm so sorry Zunibee!
