Hawk attack

[fourandnomore]

I am new at raising chickens. We have twelve 13 week old chickens that we received at 2 days old. They stay mostly out in the coop and enclosed run. As they have gotten bigger we have been letting them out of the run to roam the yard a little. We have no issues with them all going back into the coop as the night begins to fall. Yesterday I walked out to find my smallest white Delaware on her back. At first I thought she was rolling in the dirt because she was flapping her wings. Then, I saw the hawk take flight off from her. Thankfully when I got to her she was not dead but stunned. She received puncture wounds under her wings and a small one just under her eye. We cleaned her wounds with vetericyn and ointment. I've started her with some antibiotics and elctrolytes in her water and she is inside away from the rest of the flock. The other 11 were all spooked and stayed under the back trees between two fences. Its obvious they new something had happened and were hiding from the hawk. This one Delaware seems to be out alone away from the others a lot of the time which makes her a target. I am totally afraid to let them out now. Just this morning I saw 4 more large birds flying over my yard. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Is there a way to get this one small Delaware to the point where she stays with the rest of the flock when they are roaming the yard??

 

[beetandsteet]

This hawk attack will definitely make her and her friends more wary. I would say to supervise young chickens like that in the yard--they are not as aware of their surroundings as older chickens, and are a much easier target for birds of prey. I have never had a full-size chicken be attacked by a hawk, but have had several juveniles, and a bantam get attacked. They are much more vulnerable. I am not sure how to make your girl stay closer to her friends. Maybe this experience will teach her.
Some people hang scare holographic tape, old cd's, scare blow-up balls, and strips of sheet out in the yard to frighten off birds of prey. Also, when your girls get bigger, they can wear saddles to help prevent injury from hawk attacks. Make sure the birds have plenty of cover to run for when they see a bird flying overhead. Hope this helps. Hawks are certainly a nuisance :/

 

[aart]

I'd keep them confined for a week or so.
A predator that finds a meal, stymied or not, will probably be back to try again until they have multiple failures.

Chickens were all hiding, very quietly, under coop building.
Hawk came back several times over a few days until it gave up.