Hawk attack

[hennylover]

It may take a week or two, they are traumatized. They will recover with time, but don't be surprised if they are skitish and alert on all kinds of things for a while. Even a leaf blowing by can set off a panic sometimes after an event like this. Just make sure they have food and water and give them time.

Thank you so much..I will spoil them and let them tell me when they're ready to leave their Coop...

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Thank you..any suggestions?

Well free ranging isn't ideal in hawk territory. If they weren't free ranger's I'd have plenty. Just make sure to watch them when they are free ranging. Perhaps get a shotgun. I know you can't shoot hawks but (I may be wrong) I think you can if they come for your livestock. Make sure the run they have (if any) has a roof. Perhaps put poles up around their free ranging area and put plastic netting above it.

 

[hennylover]

I live in maine,we can't shoot hawks, they're protected,I always supervise them,this one time I wasn't able to save her..plastic isn't an option for me.. I'll just have to reschedule their time Free ranging without denying them their joy..than you very much!

 

[mviera101]

So sorry.. for your loss. I've lost a few to hawks, the feeling is awful. Chickens being prey animals tend towards nervousness and skittish behavior. Witnessing one of their flock mates being killed is traumatic.
Be watchful of the survivor, I had a hawk in my yard and my gals ran it off, however 2 weeks later, one gal passed mysteriously. I now believe she may have been clawed by the hawk and died from an infection.
They will hopefully be more mind as mentioned. Extra loving and treats always helps.

 

[coach723]

Free ranging comes with risk, those that free range feel it's an acceptable risk. Making sure that they have places to hide while ranging can help. Bushes they can dive into, pallets raised up on blocks, etc. Think out of the box for ways to give them more cover. I have bushes in my open run, and a sun shade stretched across one corner fairly low to the ground that they can get under.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thank you..any suggestions?

Thank you..any suggestions?

Treats, especially meal worms might help them get over it quicker. I only have about a half an acre, but I cut all my fruit trees short and they sort of resemble large umbrellas. The hawks have tried to get my chickens quite a few times, but they know to stay under the trees and the hawks don’t like to go onto the ground, so my chickens just run from cover to cover and hang out underneath the low trees and bushes. When all nine of my girls start screaming, I know something is going on and I have been at home and able to run outside and scare the hawk away. There have been a few occasions where the hawk is on top of the tree or bush and my girls are screaming underneath of it. Hopefully the hawks will never get my chickens, but I know it can happen as it unfortunately happened to you. Try keeping lots of low cover for them. I try to have the bottoms of the trees and bushes only about a foot high off the ground. I try to make sure everything is within a few feet of each other and when they are out they just go from cover to cover. Hawks usually won’t leave themselves vulnerable by going onto the ground to get their prey and they sort of need flight room so if you have lots of obstacles up that makes it more difficult for them. There are a lot of hawks in my area and there is actually a nest a few doors away were some large hawks reside and raise their young.

 

[hennylover]

So sorry.. for your loss. I've lost a few to hawks, the feeling is awful. Chickens being prey animals tend towards nervousness and skittish behavior. Witnessing one of their flock mates being killed is traumatic.
Be watchful of the survivor, I had a hawk in my yard and my gals ran it off, however 2 weeks later, one gal passed mysteriously. I now believe she may have been clawed by the hawk and died from an infection.
They will hopefully be more mind as mentioned. Extra loving and treats always helps.

Thank you so much, They already get more loving and more treats than any chicken I know haha but I plan to spoil them extra and make sure they know that they're loved and protected

 

[hennylover]

Treats, especially meal worms might help them get over it quicker. I only have about a half an acre, but I cut all my fruit trees short and they sort of resemble large umbrellas. The hawks have tried to get my chickens quite a few times, but they know to stay under the trees and the hawks don’t like to go onto the ground, so my chickens just run from cover to cover and hang out underneath the low trees and bushes. When all nine of my girls start screaming, I know something is going on and I have been at home and able to run outside and scare the hawk away. There have been a few occasions where the hawk is on top of the tree or bush and my girls are screaming underneath of it. Hopefully the hawks will never get my chickens, but I know it can happen as it unfortunately happened to you. Try keeping lots of low cover for them. I try to have the bottoms of the trees and bushes only about a foot high off the ground. I try to make sure everything is within a few feet of each other and when they are out they just go from cover to cover. Hawks usually won’t leave themselves vulnerable by going onto the ground to get their prey and they sort of need flight room so if you have lots of obstacles up that makes it more difficult for them. There are a lot of hawks in my area and there is actually a nest a few doors away were some large hawks reside and raise their young.

there must be something wrong with the hawk that I have in my yard, because he is always on the ground, I caught him on the ground peering into the shed where the girls are, he also was standing a few feet away on the ground at another time looking at the coop! I have lots and lots of mealworms and I will make sure that they get them, I have a lot of area for the girls to graze in, they also have many outlets for them to run and hide

 

[SurferchickinSB]

there must be something wrong with the hawk that I have in my yard, because he is always on the ground, I caught him on the ground peering into the shed where the girls are, he also was standing a few feet away on the ground at another time looking at the coop! I have lots and lots of mealworms and I will make sure that they get them, I have a lot of area for the girls to graze in, they also have many outlets for them to run and hide

Hmm...That’s not a good sign, sounds like the hawk is pretty comfortable in your territory.

 

[hennylover]

Hmm...That’s not a good sign, sounds like the hawk is pretty comfortable in your territory.

He is very aggressive! He waits until I'm very close to him to fly away he has demonstrated aggressive behavior towards the girls before and I know it's the same hawk, I just don't know how to get rid of him