Hawk killed all 47 chickens in an hour!

[Opa]

I agree with the others that this doesn't sound like a hawk attack. Hawk are opportunistic and will often feed on the carcass of something killed by another predator. With that many being killed outdoors during daylight hours I would be more inclined to suspect a dog or two.

 

[Tvanbui]

about three of the chicks were missing their heads. I found talent marks in some. Others were in tack just squeezed to death !!!
I'll try to take some photos.
The children are in a state!
OMG!! this has never happened before.
Could a neighbor's dog do it?

 

[shelleyd2008]

It sounds like a dog, the only time I've ever had a hawk leave a kill was when the bird killed was too heavy for it to carry off. The dogs ran the hawk off or it would have stayed and eaten the bird.

 

[Tvanbui]

Chicks were still shy so they would go out and eat for little while and then go right back into the coop.
It looks like the animal came after them one by one in the coop killed them and dragged them out.

 

[silkiechicken]

47 birds

1 hr

talon = teeth

squished = bite

I say some domestic dog came in and did all the damage. The hawk saw an easy meal of dead birds.

Hawk kills are characteristic of one or two missing birds here and there, and a pile of feathers. They don't mass kill and save for later.


ETA: Dragged out one by one or scatted outside dead = someone's pet dog. 99% sure of it.

 

[Tvanbui]

Must have been the neighbor's dog then!!!
We've seen him on our land a few months ago and the kids nailed him with some rocks and we never saw him again.
I thought he would never come back.

 

[GiddyMoon]

We have seen hawks grab a pigeon right out of the sky and eat in the middle of the road with other pigeons around..this was not a hawk..I think it was canine too..I am so sorry.

 

[Tvanbui]

We are dog lovers, but I think the kid will shoot him if they see him again.
Are are any laws against that?
where live is rural farm area. We have 2.5 acres so we couldn't hear the chaos. the chicken coops are at the far end of the land.

 

[Palmer Farm]

i am very sorry for your loss... we just lost a delaware to a dog, so i cant imagine losing that many chickens in one hour.

 

[memiller123]

Sorry for your loss. We just lost one of our beloved silver laced wyandottes. She is missing, so I assume a predator got her. Makes us all worried that whatever got her will come back!