Hawk spotted and now I have 2 hens and a rooster missing....

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I live in Virginia and today has been a wintery mix. My chickens/guineas free-range during the day and are in a coop at night. I went out around 1:30pm today to put my horses in the barn and the guineas were screaming like crazy. I walked behind the barn and a hawk flew away with nothing in it's mouth. My daughter and I started gathering up the the guineas and chickens to put them in their coops. Well, we now have an Americauna Rooster, a barred rock hen and a buff orpington hen gone. We did find a few feathers from the buff but nothing from the rooster or barred rock. Is it possible that a hawk would take a hen somewhere and come back and get more the same day? We also found a pile of guinea feathers, but fortunately they are all accounted for. This occurred between 10am-1:30pm today. My barn is a good distance from the house so I never heard the commotion until I went outside to get my horses out of the weather. Anybody else had this happen? I can't believe a hawk would snatch up my rooster-he's pretty big!

 

[Louieandthecrew]

I've had a hawk problem once before, but I don't know what to say! I hope someone else can help you out!

 

[Cackling Hen]

Hi I just watch a hawk take my sweet roo

Then about 20 min there was the hawk again sitting on top of coop. I am missing 2 hens. Im so sorry it really sucks I dont let mine free range for this reason and some how they got out this morning I am waiting for the hawk to come back

 

[savannahchickmom]

Sorry about your chickens! Yes - one hawk will take more than 1 chicken a day sometimes. I lost several before I realized it was the darn hawk. True story though... I was in the barn & heard my chickens start having a fit. I had a pitcher in my hand that I had been using to carry water in. The hawk swooped down & was grabbing a chicken just feet from me. I didn't even think, I just yelled & threw the pitcher. The pitcher hit & the chicken dropped. I have not seen the hawk since. One in a million chance that he/she was that close to me. I doubt I actually hit the hawk - I was so mad I cannot tell you for sure. I'm sure the water splash in the cold weather wasn't much fun for it, and must have done some good! My chickens spend most of their day under the giant hedge tree in our fence row. Hawks won't fly into it. They have been venturing out into the yard again recently - no more hawk sitings yet.

 

[Cackling Hen]

Oh yours might be hiding out somewhere A couple of my girls came running out of the bushes about an hr after it happend Ran strait for the coop and they havent let the inside of coop at all Poor things are scared to death

 

[chickortreat]

Does anyone happen to know how hawks came to be "protected"? Seems foolish to enact a law protecting something that is causing harm or damage.

 

[desertdarlene]

Quote:
It's probably because they were heading towards extinction due to too many people shooting them plus the use of DDT which made it hard to hatch eggs. In the past, people would shoot raptors on sight even if they didn't do anything wrong.

Hawks are actually good at keeping the population of rodents and other pests down. It's just that some do take a chicken/duck now and then that makes them a problem to some people.

 

[chickortreat]

Just because one doesn't see a raptor in the park on Fridays doesn't mean they're near extinction. I would think it was more an area-specific issue. Most rural areas are overrun with them, at least around here. It's nothing to see several hawks and an owl or two every week.

 

[desertdarlene]

Quote:
Deciding on what species are near extinction has nothing to do with whether or not the average person sees them or not. There are scientists that actually go out and count and observe these species as a whole. Some areas may have more of a species than other areas. Many raptors have been long extinct or endangered from their original range.

ETA: Many species have also made a comeback in many areas or have "strongholds" where they've always been more common than other areas.

 

[chickortreat]

Quote:
Deciding on what species are near extinction has nothing to do with whether or not the average person sees them or not. There are scientists that actually go out and count and observe these species as a whole. Some areas may have more of a species than other areas. Many raptors have been long extinct or endangered from their original range.

ETA: Many species have also made a comeback in many areas or have "strongholds" where they've always been more common than other areas.

I understand this concept, I was merely oversimplifying for the sake of discussion. Unfortunately in this country, the "endagered species" list is much like taxes......once in effect, always in effect. For example, how just can it be that a citizen must sit by and watch an "endangered" bird kill his/her chickens over and over, while being constantly reminded that said predator is "protected"? I think that if we are going to have such monstrosities as an endangered list, it should be reviewed regularly, and amended as needed. Someone who is having trouble with a hawk killing their chickens should not have to think twice about tending to the problem. Just my .02.