Hawk!!!

[mountainchickens]

I'm pretty shocked right now. A hawk (or a falcon, it was kind of a blur) just swooped down and attempted to kill 2 of our hens. 2 chicks were also out and instantly flattened themselves against the side of the run, completely still. Thankfully it didn't notice them. The first hen was just behind the second. The second hen (Esta) leapt up to meet the hawk in mid-air with her talons outstretched. By some miracle, she wasn't hurt; I'm pretty sure she saved the lives of the other hens and chicks.
Everybody is safe but I didn't know a hawk would divebomb our chickens when we were standing a few feet away!! I'm definitely going to be more cautious about their supervised free-ranging now...

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have deer netting covering my Barred Rocks pen and a large tree in the Golden Comets pen.
I do free range an hour before sunset daily weather permitting.
I let my Chickens out a couple of weeks ago and within 5 to 10 minutes a Coopers Hawk flew a few inches above my head and disappeared. Well needless to say I stayed out with my chickens till sunset that day and the next two or three days when I let them out.
I haven't seen it since at free range time.
Usually they are hungry and hunting in the morning/early afternoon. My guess is it was a bad day for hunting and the reason it was still hunting so late in the day. GC

 

[Folly's place]

When we have a hawk visitation, our flock is locked in their safe coop and run for two weeks or so, until that bird moves on elsewhere.
Your hen is very impressive!
Mary

 

[Shezadandy]

I'm pretty shocked right now. A hawk (or a falcon, it was kind of a blur) just swooped down and attempted to kill 2 of our hens. 2 chicks were also out and instantly flattened themselves against the side of the run, completely still. Thankfully it didn't notice them. The first hen was just behind the second. The second hen (Esta) leapt up to meet the hawk in mid-air with her talons outstretched. By some miracle, she wasn't hurt; I'm pretty sure she saved the lives of the other hens and chicks.
Everybody is safe but I didn't know a hawk would divebomb our chickens when we were standing a few feet away!! I'm definitely going to be more cautious about their supervised free-ranging now...

Yes, they absolutely will. It happened to me not more than a month or so ago - Hen with her 9 babies- swooped right down with me 10 feet away. Tight, well-secured aviary net is what saved them. Hawk tried to dive bomb 2 more times in other spots on the run and finally figured out that it was just going to bounce off every. single. time. Unless you're looking straight up, it's very, very hard to see, so it doesn't mess with aesthetics, as you can see on the 2nd picture.

 

[Folly's place]

I've lost young birds and bantams to hawks, and had one standard hen severely injured. Our visitors have been Cooper's hawks, and probably a Red tailed hawk. Other larger raptors are around, but much less common here.
Mary

 

[mountainchickens]

Aviary net is a great idea! Our run is covered, thankfully. And it does seem like had our hens been any smaller, the hawk would have been able to grab them. If we ever get bantams here, we'll have to keep a close eye on them. We live on the side of a steep small hill and at the top are bears, cougars, coyotes, and plenty of raptors. We have an electric fence that gets switched on at night. I wonder if it was a falcon; it looked a little like a peregrine. Red-tailed hawks swoop by pretty frequently.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Hawk swooped down right in front of my daughter, took her hen up then dropped it. They are very naughty bold predators.

 

[mountainchickens]

Hawk swooped down right in front of my daughter, took her hen up then dropped it. They are very naughty bold predators.

Was your hen OK? They are very bold indeed.

 

[slordaz]

was it the mom to the babies, they are extremely aggr3essive after having been broody or raising chicks. but the buggers will dive bomb anything , keep em secured inside like the others already suggested until it don't show up anymore. some are quite persistent especially seems how my neighbors have a bunch of yippie little things and kiteens and cats get dropped off here frequently, they took off but now an eagle has moved into the area,

Glad your birds are all ok

 

[mountainchickens]

was it the mom to the babies, they are extremely aggr3essive after having been broody or raising chicks. but the buggers will dive bomb anything , keep em secured inside like the others already suggested until it don't show up anymore. some are quite persistent especially seems how my neighbors have a bunch of yippie little things and kiteens and cats get dropped off here frequently, they took off but now an eagle has moved into the area,

Glad your birds are all ok

Thanks! surprisingly it wasn't the mom, it was the other hen (the only one who isn't currently being a mom.) The hen has been amazing with the chicks though, never pecks them, etc.