Hawk Help Needed

[yukotx]

Most of our predator problems seems to come from stray dogs and snakes. Last year a stray dog killed 8 out of 11 of our chickens. Dog was shot a week later by hubby as he was stalking the chicken coop. Lost 2 baby chicks to a 5' rat snake - I relocated the snake since it was still in the coop.

 

[Ginger78]

Most of our predator problems seems to come from stray dogs and snakes. Last year a stray dog killed 8 out of 11 of our chickens. Dog was shot a week later by hubby as he was stalking the chicken coop. Lost 2 baby chicks to a 5' rat snake - I relocated the snake since it was still in the coop.

That is awful! We have a fenced in yard and 2 dogs that help watch the chickens in the day. The reason we think hawk or bird is because the pile of feathers on the lawn and a trail of feathers then nothing. Almost like signs of a struggle then she was carried off. I am thinking that early in the morning it could have been an owl too. I would think if it was a dog, fox etc we would find the carcass and see signs of blood in the yard.

 

[keesmom]

That is awful! We have a fenced in yard and 2 dogs that help watch the chickens in the day. The reason we think hawk or bird is because the pile of feathers on the lawn and a trail of feathers then nothing. Almost like signs of a struggle then she was carried off. I am thinking that early in the morning it could have been an owl too. I would think if it was a dog, fox etc we would find the carcass and see signs of blood in the yard.

A hawk would have eaten her on the ground. Fox or coyote would carry her off.

 

[Ginger78]

A hawk would have eaten her on the ground. Fox or coyote would carry her off.

Even over a 10' cement wall? It was a rainy day and we saw no signs of the mud or anything that climbed the wall. I would love to be able to let them out at least for a few hours with our dogs in the afternoon.

 

[centrarchid]

Even over a 10' cement wall? It was a rainy day and we saw no signs of the mud or anything that climbed the wall. I would love to be able to let them out at least for a few hours with our dogs in the afternoon.

Absolutely. Especially if lots of neighbors have similar walls. Fox runs up wall following a leap at least half way up.

 

[centrarchid]

https://www.naturepl.com/blog/2019/03/27/clip-of-the-week-red-fox-jumping-fence-and-taking-food/

Coyotes can jump to.

 

[Ginger78]

Absolutely. Especially if lots of neighbors have similar walls. Fox runs up wall following a leap at least half way up.

Thank you, we won't let them out again without the dogs or us out there.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

That is a funny idea!

The picture was really funny, too. An overhead shot of their house and the big red waving man.

 

[kubotafoot]

Unless you SAW the hawk take the chicken, I wouldn't be "pretty sure" about anything. I had to put up chain link pens with aviary cloth on top of them. No hawk problems as they can't get through the cloth, but they still circle as they can see the flock. If I am outside, I sometimes let them out into the main back yard which has no cloth ceiling, but lots of shrubs and trees for them to run under when we yell' Hawk!" or the rooster sounds the alarm for hawk. Fortunately, we have not lost a bird since the aviary cloth ceiling on the runs.

 

[TexOil]

I would set a steel trap on a post and get the hawk.