Hawk tried to get my Girls.

[LoneCowboy]

I now have 4 coops full of upset chickens. 56 chickens in all. Ever hear 56 upset chickens all at the same time?

They are just bawking their fool heads off. I heard all the commotion and ran out to see what was wrong. Got there just in time to see the hawk swooping down and hitting the chicken wire. This must have been his 2nd attempt, because I got to watch the whole thing and the girls were already upset.

In one of the small coops, I found 4 girls smashed into one nesting box. I got them all shoo'ed out and tried to calm the others. No luck. They are all in a tizzy.

Lucky for them I had not let any of them out this morning. Usually one of the coops would have been free ranging but I had them all in their own coops with covered runs.

Now I'm afraid to let them out. They go all over the yard and have never had anything try to get them before. Guess I'll have to load the shotgun. Don't want to hurt anything, but I can't have something tormenting the girls either.

 

[ScrambledAcresFarm]

You blastim' good! Conservation Dept in Missouri says if you have a wild animal damaging your property, you blastim'!

 

[Opa]

Better check your states conservation laws before blasting anything.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Are you kidding, I live in Boulder county. They are going to pay $400 per praire dog to re-home them because they are just so cute and all the Boulderites are having fits about harming these cute little critters that totally distroy pastures and cause holes to break animals legs in etc.

I can shoot on my own property though. But you still want to be careful incase a boulderite finds out and start picketing my house or something.

I'll just go with shoot, shovel and shut up.

 

[MayberrySaint]

If it is a hawk, it will be protected under the Migratory Bird Law and it is illegal to shoot it. Federal law trumps any state or local ordinances.
With that said, when my birds are threatened by any predator, the shotgun comes out...SSS.

 

[WriterofWords]

No witnesses,,, no problem.

 

[ChickaD]

Lonecowboy, you can come over here and use our hawks for target practice any time you want!

Just bring a box of Hawk Helper for supper...just kidding.

I had a near miss the other day when our gals were out free ranging and a hawk was right behind one...she dove under our forsythia jungle and was safe. Boy, talk about mad as a wet (from sweat, I'd guess!) hen! She kept squawking and complaining for ages under that bush.

Never had a hawk try to pull that before, so now I have to be so careful when I let them out........for a good week I kept them in their run, just to confuse and frustrate Mr. Hawk.

 

[ScrambledAcresFarm]

This is what my rooster looks like since we've been getting visits from a coon. This is a free range rooster!

 

[ScrambledAcresFarm]

P.S. Notice the missing tail feathers?

 

[ChickaD]

Oh my gosh, looks like that racoon just left one feather to mark his spot...where he left off. Looks like some mighty close calls. Hope you don't go out and discover a coon with a handful of feathers.