*GASP* My Poor Girls!

[meriruka]

I lived 10 ft from a major highway. The traffic whizzes by all day and night, stones kicked up from the road hit my house and a few months ago a car smashed the cinder block wall that protects my garage. Nevertheless, I lost two chickens to a hawk.And had to fence in my chickens and put bird netting over everything. Looks like nowhere is safe.....

 

[Jacky'sMamma]

Wow, I thought all I had to worry about was a feral cat or two...

Last night they wouldn't go in the coop for bed time, I went out to close 'em up and they were no where to be found. Looked high and low and they were hiding behind the coop, under the extra straw SLEEPING!!! Funny thing is, when I went to pick them up to put them in the coop, I expected to have to chase them. It was almost if they were playing DEAD! I just scooped them up, one at a time and plopped them in the coop. Is that a defensive mechanism?

 

[silkiechicken]

They were probably "hiding" from you. Which really does put them at a disadvantage as when a coon comes by to pick them off, their couch and "hide" = easy meal.

 

[rebbetzin]

We have plenty of Red Tail Hawks here in Tucson. They are quite beautiful!! I had a huge one come to my backyard bird bath. He sat on a fence, not three feet from me! No fear. (I wish I had my camera with me that day!) We just looked at each other, he went from the fence to the bird bath got a drink, got back on the fence, looked at me a while longer, then flew off. Funny I have lots of birds in the yard. But when the Hawk was here, complete silence in the backyard! Not a bird to be heard!

My husband says I am running a "buffet" for the neighborhood cats and the hawks!

 

[SpottedCrow]

When the juvenile Redtail killed Penny his was inches away from my back stairs...And when he took off without his breakfast, I got a faceful of hawkfeathers....that's how close they can come when they're after something...

 

[Cetawin]

Oh my goodness I am glad the girls got inside safely. Yay girls!

City dwellers birds of prey include hawks, falcons, merlins and owls so....beware for sure.

I was sitting in the drive-thru at the electric company one day and this pigeon came racing by my van and right behind her a redtail hawk. She never stood a chance. Bless her heart the hawk snatched her right out of the air.

The most important thing to remember about hawks and why they are so lethal for chickens is an old story my grandfather told me as a child that I have come to watch and see the truth of.

The eagle will soar a mile high and see a mouse in a field and dive....he sees the field, the mouse, the house, the pond and the man on the tractor. They see the full picture.

The hawk in that same scenario only sees the mouse and they rarely miss. That is why they dive into fences and such...they never see them until the last possible second. They see only their target.

So, if it was perching there, it will be back because it missed its chance. As it is a juvenile, it may actually get lost and get sidetracked but watch for him to come back and keep your girls safe.

 

[gumpsgirl]

I bet your heart did stop! That would be a terrible feeling. I'm glad to hear that all is well though.

 

[Jacky'sMamma]

Quote:
Coulda been a Millineum Falcon fer all DH and I know!

He he.. I KILL me!
(Sorry, it's been a slow day @ work)

 

[ZooMummzy]

I am so glad your girls are safe too! I can just imagine how you felt because I have 8 12 week old girls, "the girlies", that I love dearly and would just be sick if something happened to them.

I'm a first time chicken momma too. I keep hoping the stress gets less as I get more used to this, lol just like with the second kid and stuff...but I'm not so sure.