Hawk attack and roosters

[bobbi-j]

How old is the BA roo? As stated previously, this one is young. He may not know all of his roosterly duties yet.

 

[centrarchid]

I understand that every rooster is different. Some of my hens went up the coop along with my other rooster so they know that their safe spot. What really has me concerned is why he let other hens be in the run. But maybe they were waiting for the gate to open so they could run out in the yard and escape. It's still really concerning that he acted that way though. I at least would've thought he would've taken them up to the coop for safety like my silkies and BA roo did.

I have seen roosters do their bit many times. They tend to be more vigilant and are more likely to produce alarm calls. They do not direct retreat of flock members. Harem masters will distract predator by behavior and gaudiness and will sometimes attack a predator, especially if risk relatively low for doing it. My adult roosters will take on a hawk that is on the ground when the rooster has offspring. If predator is something small like a Cooper's Hawk my roosters do not even bother to seek cover, they get out and take hawk head on. I have seen roosters chase hawks on ground with at least one contact event where hawk immediately backed off ( could not see but could hear activity). More recently had similar with hens actually attacking hawk going after their chicks and not losing any chicks as a result. In one instance I had to intervene to save hawk from being flogged to death. See below for account on that on page 5.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1139715/coopers-hawk-working-barn-area-hard/40

With some looking you can find video examples of chickens attacking Cooper's or similar hawks. Some in other countries and many under conditions not legal here.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Everything you just said is exactly what I thought my roosters would do centrarchid. I comepletely understand they won't attack a coyote but I expect them to do something about a hawk. After my RIR cockerels behavior do you think I should rehome him since he completely failed protecting my hens?

 

[centrarchid]

Everything you just said is exactly what I thought my roosters would do centrarchid. I comepletely understand they won't attack a coyote but I expect them to do something about a hawk. After my RIR cockerels behavior do you think I should rehome him since he completely failed protecting my hens?

I would give him another month or two for additional maturation and photoperiod to increase. Losses to hawks are not every day occurrences by any means and you can invest in other methods to protect your birds even from hawks. In reality, I do all sorts of things to protect my birds. No single method used and occasional failures do not mean a system does not work. In the end it is an odds game where you strive to keep losses down to tolerable levels.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Ok well I'll give him until the end of winter I guess. Now I know the hawk knows my chickens are food to him. And he knows where their at.

 

[centrarchid]

Cover run. Deer netting is cheap and effective.

 

[bobbi-j]

Ok well I'll give him until the end of winter I guess. Now I know the hawk knows my chickens are food to him. And he knows where their at.

And it will be back now that it has found food. I hope you follow Centrarchid's advice and cover that run ASAP.

 

[Wyatt0224]

I think that's what I'm going to do. My neighbor has had multiple chickens killed by an unknown predator in recent months. I had been thinking it was a hawk and now he's found my flock.

 

[big bouncer]

I tried all of the hawk deterents to no avail. Our coop has no run, but our chickens free range our farm. They stay about 150yards max away from coop when they feel adventurous. We lost one pullet hen to a hawk. It is illegal, but i now shoot at any low-flying "ducks". They now fly very quickly away from any people they find. Now that we have more chicks about 1 month old and soon to be included with the real chicks in the coop, i am counting on my JG and WL roosters to take out any cooper hawks. They do make distress calls whenever a hawk or a crow flies anywhere in their sight. They stay out from cover as all the hens run to cover. When the bird gets very close, they also run to cover. If a hawk comes down on ground i hope bouncer will put it out of commission

 

[Wyatt0224]

Bouncer sounds like a good rooster. I'm considering putting netting over my entire coop and run. I won't be able to shoot the hawks because we have close neighbors. That hawk was back again going from tree to tree this morning until he flew off where I couldn't see it.