Hawks

[real_redhead]

Dang Coopers Hawk, heard my girls clucking like crazy which they normally don't do unless someone laid an egg and even then there are only 2 that really let you know. I am waiting on my 23 week olds to start laying so I was all excited. I looked out the upstairs window at the coop trying to figure out who might have laid when a Cooper's hawk flew thru the yard. No wonder they were making a ruckus! Dang hawk. My girls were ok because they have a secure coop/ run but I think a little bird may have lost its life! And I was gonna let them out for a little while today...don't think so!

 

[aoxa]

Dang Coopers Hawk, heard my girls clucking like crazy which they normally don't do unless someone laid an egg and even then there are only 2 that really let you know. I am waiting on my 23 week olds to start laying so I was all excited. I looked out the upstairs window at the coop trying to figure out who might have laid when a Cooper's hawk flew thru the yard. No wonder they were making a ruckus! Dang hawk. My girls were ok because they have a secure coop/ run but I think a little bird may have lost its life! And I was gonna let them out for a little while today...don't think so!

It's that time of year... Better keep them safe until summer Sad I know.. If you are there to supervise, there shouldn't be any issues. Just let them out an hour or two before dark and watch chicken TV. They won't stray far from the coop so close to dark.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was standing in the yard one day watching the wild birds coming to the feeder when this hawk swooped down and caught one of those birds in mid air so fast I barely got to see it, it was amazing how fast they are. It must have been sitting in a tree nearby and watching.

 

[aoxa]

I was standing in the yard one day watching the wild birds coming to the feeder when this hawk swooped down and caught one of those birds  in mid air so fast I barely got to see it, it was amazing how fast they are. It must have been sitting in a tree nearby and watching. 

Scary!!!

 

[Chick1043]

My hens never cared about the hawks in my area. All I have seen them eat are doves. I wasn't ever worried about those hawks. A couple weeks ago a bigger hawk killed my 8 POUND Cayuga Drake. :/ Now, the chickens see hawks and all run in the coop or under something! LOL

 

[Miss Lydia]

My hens never cared about the hawks in my area. All I have seen them eat are doves. I wasn't ever worried about those hawks. A couple weeks ago a bigger hawk killed my 8 POUND Cayuga Drake. :/ Now, the chickens see hawks and all run in the coop or under something! LOL

So sorry for your loss. My ducks are completely different than my chickens, chickens see something rooster sounds alarm they all run for cover, my ducks just stand there watching.

 

[aoxa]

My hens never cared about the hawks in my area. All I have seen them eat are doves. I wasn't ever worried about those hawks. A couple weeks ago a bigger hawk killed my 8 POUND Cayuga Drake. :/ Now, the chickens see hawks and all run in the coop or under something! LOL

So sorry for your loss. My ducks are completely different than my chickens, chickens see something rooster sounds alarm they all run for cover, my ducks just stand there watching.  

What about your geese?

 

[Chick1043]

So sorry for your loss. My ducks are completely different than my chickens, chickens see something rooster sounds alarm they all run for cover, my ducks just stand there watching.

I wish I could have a rooster but I like in a neighborhood. :/ And no roosters within city limits.

 

[Summer Rose]

Thank you Lydia for the kind words. No they didn't get all three in one day, but did get them before I realized what had happened. I am brand new to all of this, never had any farm animals because I grew up in the city of Detroit. Yesterday and today, I have only let them out for an hour before they roost and I am staying down there armed with a BB Gun and a water hose. I'm ready for
that Hawk now. Grrrrrr LOL I like to feed them their treat of meal worms every afternoon, unfortunately I have not timed it perfect yet cause some already were roosting and would not come out.
Thanks again, this site is WONDERFUL!

 

[Miss Lydia]

What about your geese?

My geese don't run for cover either, they just stand around. I really don't think a hawk would mess with the geese. But sometimes when the ducks and chickens are out foraging my geese aren't with them so they wouldn't be much of a deterrent I opened the gate today while I was outside trimming some perennials back and they would not go out side of the gate, so i have drained their stock tank and brought the small kiddy pool into the back yard for the ducks and geese to bath in till it's too cold to keep it going. Most of the chickens staid inside the fenced area today also. Which is okay with me if the hawk is hanging around I sure don't want them out foraging. plus not much to eat anyway this time of year.They are sure turning over the leaves inside their fence though.