Hawk attack, just wanting to vent a little

[Folly's place]

So sorry! Netting will work over your run to keep the raptors out. Plan to keep your birds in for a week or three, until that hawk gives up and moves on.
The only good thing about hawk attacks, is that it's one bird, not the whole group at once. Faint comfort, I know. It's always a favorite who goes first.
Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

So sorry. Hawks are evil creatures who have lost all natural fear.

 

[NoNameHomestead]

So sorry for your loss. My wife thinks I'm just paranoid when it comes to hawks getting our chickens. I swear sometimes I can hear em a mile away, and then I'm out by the coop waiting to see one. 3 out of the last 4 times I have seen one fly over and land in the neighbor's yard across the field.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So sorry! Netting will work over your run to keep the raptors out. Plan to keep your birds in for a week or three, until that hawk gives up and moves on.

I have some short term netting up now. I kept the bird netting I'd used in my garden over summer but didn't have enough to cover the whole run so I sectioned off about 100 sq ft directly in front of the coop and completely netted the top plus wrapped around the coop. This way the birds won't have to stay cooped up while the netting I bought gets shipped.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So sorry. Hawks are evil creatures who have lost all natural fear.

I can't be mad at the hawk, it's only doing what nature intended. If it weren't for predators around here I would be completely overrun with rabbits in a few months.

 

[Below frigid]

No roo here yet but have a skinny little black hen that sounds the alarm and they all go running for cover. The Hawks for the most part are just flying over while hunting ground squirrels. If they get too interested l just take them out!

 

[strawberricatt]

That's so sad. Sorry to hear it. Have had plenty of losses to hawks. My poor bantam Stinky, died protecting her chicks. A hawk once grabbed my duckling fluffy, and punctured her lung, her best friend Vanilla Creamy (A little muscovy) sounded the alarm. I threw a large stone at the nasty hawk. Fluffy was bleeding at the mouth and had a small ( but very deep puncture wound) To top that off every time she breathed, she made a popping noise. I couldn't kill her, so I put her and her best friend in a cage together. The little muscovy preened her and kept her company, and she's now made a full recovery. I'm sorry for your loss, really sad losing a beloved pet to hawks.

 

[Below frigid]

Wonder if Hawks have any meat on them?

 

[turtlelaura67]

When Flurry and Frosty were young we had them in our dogs' yard for a day. It was a Sunday and I was waiting for John to get home since we were going to pick up fencing for their run. I was upstairs with the door open and heard a commotion from outside. I knew something was wrong so I ran out onto the deck yelling "S**T, S**T!" Got out there and saw a hawk flying away out of the yard but with no chicken. Flurry had been grabbed and had puncture wounds, and we weren't sure if he'd live, but he survived and is about 2 years old now.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Sometimes I feel like I can't adequately protect them. I got stuck at work until 8 tonight and had an hour drive home and was really panicking. John was out someplace and wasn't there to get the birds in either. I felt sick pulling up to the house (we had a possum kill one a little over a week ago and I've really made the run as safe as I can make it but I still worry). They aren't free range for that reason. Everyone was fine and sleeping and OK but what if there's a next time? I don't think I can handle it.

 

[cavemanrich]

Wonder if Hawks have any meat on them?

Federal Offense. Unless you live in the middle of the Amazon Jungle.