Had my first experience with a hawk yesterday. I went out to check on my young Australorps to see that the glutinous squirrel was not in their coop, eating their food. Of course, he was and the chickens were not to be seen, as usual. I went to see where they were and a huge hawk flew off the top of my house, above the pen, with a loud flapping of wings. Scared the tar out of me. I ran back in the house to get my brother to come out and look for them. When we got out there, the chickens were found hiding behind the air conditioning unit and up in the air above us was the hawk. My brother said his wing span was approx. 6 feet. He was almost white on the underside. I don't know for sure if he was stalking the chickens or perhaps waiting for my dog, 5 lb. maltese, and my visiting brother's 3 dogs, 2 mini dachshunds and a rat terror, who have a 10x24 dog pen out the back door for pottying. The hawk could have been right above either or both of the pens from the peak of my roof.
Anyway, the chickens who I had been allowing to free range are stuck in their pen for some undetermined time. They have bird netting over the top of their pen and I'm scared for my dog too.
