Hawks in the air not 1 but 4....things that make you go Hmmmmm

[winekntrychicks]

Friday I am sitting at my desk. I work from home. I am full on concentrating at my work before me. Then out of no where I hear the tale tale screetch of what I believe to be a Hawk. I set down my Red pen and proceed out the slider and head down to see. As I look to the air I see 2 Hawks circling above the kids coop. I watch in amazement. They are so low I can see the sun shining off their beeks. As I watch them, aproaching from the south comes another smaller Hawk. They all have red tails. Roosty crows, then Banjo. I can see the Hawk moving their heads to get a better look. Cirlcling lower. I see one begin a slight dive decent. I hear them screetch. As I stand there watching to see what happens next from the north comes a fourth to join the other three. I am just in total amazement. I have had my girls and two Roos since May. I knew that Hawks live here but had not had a sighting until today. As I watch in amazement they cirlcle on final time and fly off back to the north. I think to myself we could have potentially lost 4 Chickens to 4 Hawks today as I had been considering letting them free range out of their covered run without me to watch over them..................

 

[HenJo]

wow!
I'm glad you didn't let them go free range.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

You're in my neck of the woods! We've got mostly red-tailed hawks where I am and have always felt that they won't go after our big fat girls (I hope they don't read this).

I hear the red-tailed can kill even larger hens, but since I've not seen / had any problems, so for now I'm going to continue to let my girls free range.

 

[Wildsky]

I had a hawk do a fly by a few months ago - landed in my apple tree (RIGHT next to the barn with the goat and horse!)

I ran outside and threw my shoe

 

[winekntrychicks]

We have a friend who lives in West Sebastopol. He saw a housecat with collar and bell in the talons of a Hawk flying over his head.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Get a few BIG roosters.... We have a sizable hawk population, and free range unattended every day. Our beloved Chester is a smallish black sex link roo, but he has one confirmed hawk kill to his name, and I have personally seen him fight off one hawk that was easily 3 times his size! had a 5-6 foot wing span! I have also seen him alert and charge at other smaller swooping hawks that he scares off! Amazes me every time!

The big one should have had him, but between the 3 young roos hoping into the melee, and my dogs charging at them, and DH and I charging across the yard, the hawk choose to take a higher road! Never saw him come back either!

Chester may be small, but he takes his job seriously, and I feel bad for any hawk that comes here, He may not be a Nugget, but he thinks he is!

put up some defenses, cause that family of hawks has scoped your crew, and will be back, they are not dumb!

 

[winekntrychicks]

Quote:
Yeh, they were back today. I heard them. That's what prompted me to share. We already have two Roo, both Bantam. We live on 3 acres. Neighbors are close-Might consider it though.....

 

[speckledhen]

A hawk came screaming across the yard today, probably at coop level. The voice circled the area then got further away.

 

[winekntrychicks]

Quote:
Even though they are predators to my babies; They are beautiful magestic creatures
The coop and run is a Fortress. These Hawks knew they couldn't get in. They are hoping or they would not have come back.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Yeah, I wouldnt leave it up to a bantam roo to protect a flock. Chester does ok on his own, but I think he was glad to see the reinforcments coming, I actually thought he was chasing one of the young Roos again (out of the corner of my eye) until I saw the wings open up and Chester collided with the hawk head first! It took my breath away! Then I saw the whole scene, and noted the young roos, two BIG blue cochins, and a hefty Blue laced Wyandotte charging in! Not a sound out of any of them tho, just the hens screaming as they ran in all directions! The Roos where QUIET! It was creepy!

Or maybe I just didnt hear them over all the noise I was making? I set the dogs out on them, and they exploded out the door! I set the DH out the door, and he exploded out too! (chester is his buddy) and I was right on everyones tail! (I was on the phone linked to my desk, so I had to hang up)

That hawk didnt stand a chance if he had stayed a moment longer, but with 4 roos on him, he wasnt sticking around!

I will never forget the image of those huge wings spreading out to hide from my startled view little Chester running right into the arms of possible death! What a champion! It took us a couple hours to find all the hens, they had dove for cover and some of them were actually stuck under a wood pile nearby, one in a pipe, we had to pull her out by her tail feathers! Goofy girls!

Get a couple BIG roos! I wonder if Nugget is available for rent? I love that bird, cracks me up!