Hawk in less than an hour

[Stonerowfarm]

Today was the first day I let out the older hens to do a little free ranging. We were right there next to their run and they were wandering around the garden and next to the barn.

After about an hour, or less I saw a hawk swoop just behind the barn. Smart chickens though. They never saw him but when I told them to go to the coop, the ran. I guess they could hear the panic in my voice.

So much for free ranging. We have a total of 30 and were hoping that they could wander around during the day. Now it's obvious they can only be out with strict supervision.

I have to say that something seems to be going on around my neck of the woods. I have seen more hawks this spring than I have in the whole five years I've lived here combined.

 

[erinm]

i lost two in 3 weeks this past month. I do free range some days andthey get them. But, they love to go out and I feel a happy chicken is better than stuck in the coop/kennel allday. It is mercifully quick but I do wish the pair would go someplace else! ErinM

 

[aubreyt78]

My favorite sultan, Beretta, was taken by a hawk this past fall. I heard a commotion and went out and there goes the hawk, but beretta was dead. usually one of the roosters alerts, then they all go in however- he was a BOLD fighter and I think was being stubborn!

 

[Peeplperson]

Question - Are all hawks dangerous to full grown chickens, or just certain ones? Is there such a thing as a 'chicken hawk'?

 

[lisahaschickens]

I learned that same lesson - I always let my birds out with supervision only, but I got lax... I walk a few dozen yards away into the house for a minute, all the while watching them out the window, and then I came back out a couple of minutes later. As I was walking toward the coop, I looked and saw a hawk on the ground with one of my girls. I was about 75 feet away and in direct line-of-sight. It didn't matter. I screamed and ran at it and it flew away and my pullet stumbled and started coughing blood. She did survive, amazingly, but now we know that we have to be RIGHT THERE with them at all times when they are not closed in their very secure run (surrounded by a concrete trench and covered with 1/2 inch wire mesh).

 

[colby318]

We have 54 birds and we let them free range during the morning/early afternoon until we go to work. Unfortunately, hawks happen. We have 3 good chicken dogs that mosey with the birds. They're a great deterrent. So is our rooster. We've only lost 2 hens to hawks so far.

Colby in KY

 

[lisahaschickens]

p.s. there is no true "chicken hawk," but it is a common nickname for the red-tailed hawk as they often trouble chicken owners. And my birds are still young, but I have read many, many stories on here about hawks that have attacked and killed full-grown chickens, unfortunately.

 

[chicky gal1]

we have seen a huge increase in hawks this spring! I think we have cooper hawks so now we can only let them out weith supervison. It's such a shame because I know they love to be out

 

[windtryst]

Same thing happened to me last night! It was a beautiful evening and we thought we would let the hens out for their first evening on the lawn and 15 min. later my husband saw a hawk! He chased it away, and we had to scramble to get them back in. We'll wait till the trees leaf out and try again...

 

[chicky gal1]

lisahaschickens do have have 1/2" wire on the top of your run? I was planning to use a "net" instead of wire, but want them to be safe. Can a hawk get thought net of a plastic fence wire?