Hawk kill (not for young or faint of heart)

[Faverolle]

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She was quite a bit bigger, I would say at least double the size.

 

[Faverolle]

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yeah, if you have a rooster that is worth anything...mines a sissy!

...i think with my last weasel attack my white rock hen went after it.(shes my dominate hen in the flock...)..she was bitten on her wattle..but she survived....i REALLY have to get a REAL roo....really...

Unfortunatley it looks like the hawk got one of my roos as well. She didn't kill it but he is hurting. Trying to protect the girls...

 

[amazondoc]

As Faverolle mentioned, it's a Coopers Hawk.

What breed was the chicken?

Beautiful pic, sorry you had a chance to take it!


And for those who are insisting on a respectful attitude -- remember, respect goes BOTH directions. If one person says that the bird should be shot, it's only natural for a second person to reply that the bird should NOT be shot. If you want to leave value judgments out of the discussion, then leave them ALL out.

 

[Faverolle]

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Thanks, its upsetting to loose birds sometimes but it happens occasionally. The worst one I had was last year just before Christmas when probably the same hawk killed my barred rock hen aka "peep". This was both of my childrens favorite bird and one of my favorites as well. They loved that birds so much they even had a Christmas present for it! That was a tough one to get over..

 

[CityClucks]

A family of Cooper's hawks nested behind my place last spring (above the family of 4 foxes...great). One of the hawks got my Australorp pullet before she started laying, and later in the fall a hawk buzzed my Minorca when I AND my dog were both in the backyard....it flew below the 5' privacy fence line right over my poor girl and scared the bejeesus out of her.

I've watched the hawks perch down back with my binoculars, and I always wondered because they are obviously raptors but don't seem to be very big, so seeing your photo reminds me (again) that I can't let my new little flock free range unattended in my backyard no matter how much they complain about being in their run. (When the peeps that will make it get here next week from Ideal!)

Like I said in another post, I really think it's neat that I can see wildlife like foxes, raccoons, possums and hawks in the city, but I sure don't like them as much now that I have clucks!

(And I have to say it again...GREAT photo. Sorry you had to take it....and at least for me, why is it the predators always seem to take our favorites?)

 

[Faverolle]

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Well put!
It was a RI red. I'm pretty big into wildlife photography so I always have a camera handy.

 

[amazondoc]

Wow, I'm impressed. I never really thought seriously about a small hawk like a Cooper's taking a hen as big as a RIR!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Sorry for your loss, but what a beautiful pic.

I don't know exactly what it is, but if a raptor killed one of my chickens I wouldn't be 1/4 as bothered and mad as I am with coons (ooh I hate coons). Maybe because the coons will go in and kill everything and it seems sneaky for them to do it at night vs. a hawk or eagle that picks off a single bird and does it during the day.

 

[halo]

I had a pen of chicks out last week in a make shift run. I had chicken wired all around it, over the top of it, but there was one small opening from the dog crate that the chicks were in. I just put the crate at the run opening and opened the door so they could play in the dirt, but have their kennel for protection. Imagine my surprise when I went to check on them, and a hawk had somehow, someway, gottin thru that small opening, and killed a chick. He couldnt figure out how to get back out. Geez, he was gorgeous!! I still havent figured out what kind he was, he was a slate blue. I opened up the opening more so he could figure his way out. I secured the run better, and he hasnt taken any more.

We have a LOT of hawks around here. But my yard is also just full of bluebirds, cardinals, gold finches. I think theres plenty of food for the raptors here. Its nothing to see bald eagles floating over my house. I havent lost a full grown chicken to any (yet), but I try and protect them the best I can.

 

[Faverolle]

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She was just under 5 lbs when I weighed her late last year. There was no way for the hawk to even try to carry her away .