Hawk killed all 47 chickens in an hour!

[Tvanbui]

We have a flock of 50 dark and white cornish chicks. They've been cooped up until yesterday when we thought they were big enough to run away from predators, they were all about 2lbs. So opened the door to the coop to let them free range...things seemed ok and we left them for an hour this morning. When we came out to check on them all were killed except for 3!

the poor little babies were still warm when we picked them up.
Everyone in my house is distraught.
How do we keep these birds of prey away effectively? Please help!!!

 

[redhen]

I've never heard of a hawk doing that much damage all at once..
You sure it isnt a dog or racoon or weasel?

 

[MetalSmitten]

you sure it was a hawk? hawks don't normally kill so many and leave the bodies =/ i'm so sorry about the loss, though.

this is why we don't let ours free range unsupervised... they have a very large run with netting on top to prevent hawks, and a tractor also with a top.

 

[GiddyMoon]

This isn't like a hawk. A hawk kills and eats. I agree with the others..something else was most likely there.

 

[LAseramas KP]

Quote:
sorry for your lost but their is nothing you can do to keep them away for good

 

[Tvanbui]

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Well when we came out we saw one of of the hawks took off. Maybe he was there after the fact.
Maybe a racoon, but this is during the day time.
OMG!!!
This is so terrible! makes no sense at all.

 

[sourland]

Such carnage is not the least bit typical of a hawk attack. Sounds like a four legged pred.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Can you show us the wounds?

 

[jadasmith99]

that is absolutely not the typical behavior of a bird of prey. they eat their kill. i'm so sorry you lost so many birds...i can't imagine it. i lost two to hound dogs and it broke my heart.

 

[blefky]

A hawk didn't kill 47 birds in an hour - that would be close to a chicken a minute. Sounds like multiples of something - maybe dogs? So sorry, whatever did it, that's a terrible loss.