Help- could it be a hawk?! I am losing hens out of their yard

[Emzyyy]

A huge red-tailed hawk got my Guinea one time and my dad scared it away. The guinea was dead but the duck in the pen was terrified it had been sitting under a rabit hutch in the pen watching his friend be eaten. Soon as my dad opened the run he ran inbetween my dad's legs and made a run for the garage. He stayed there 2 weeks until he would go outside by himself.

 

[silkiechicken]

Great she came home! My 10 lb lazy bum of a rooster who jumps up a series of things at their lowest point to reach a 3 foot perch has been caught clearing the 5 foot wood fence to get to something on the other side. Had a few younger girls fly up onto the roof when spooked, so clearing your 6 foot fence might not be that unusual. Perhaps clip one wings feathers to deter this?

Things that can take a bird without a trace include dogs (typically kill all and leave bodies around), foxes (typically just snatch and run but will come back), and coons, which often but not always leave a trail of feathers to however they got in. A coon will have no problem going over a tall fence and if a city coon... may have no inhibition from coming out mid day to get an easy meal.

 

[sandypaws]

my neighbor just had a fox.. kill and bury IN THE COOP 12 hens...

my friend had a fox come back 3Xs in a night jumping over 2- 6foot fences, snaching and burying chickens all over the yard... feathers everywhere

and with the acception of my heavy birds.. if i dont keep wings clipped, my chickens will fly over a 6 foot chain link fence just to scratch throught the horse poop...

i guess i am lucky.. no coons around my house..

 

[cajunlizz]

HAS anybody ever heard of a HAWK digging his way under a fence and attacking and eating chickens ?

I never heard of that ? A Friend seen the hawk digging . Next morning he got up to JUST the head of the pullet and feathers .

I thought they would just fly in SCOOP UP and go .

 

[sandypaws]

#1 tell your friend to stop smoking crack...... JK

think it is a coopers hawk that will "dig" (use their feet and scratch around a bit) but it is usually for rodents around fallen tree branches and such...... and dont think they would go UNDER a fence.. AND they do not have the type of feet to dig with..
i would set up a video camera or call in the discovery channel for that.... because personally.. i would not believe that unless i SAW it...
and again.. hawks dont hunt at night... so i dont believe it was a hawk...
maybe the hawk was after a weasel?? and during the night the weasel ate the chicken... but again ONE weasel could not eat a whole chicken...
sorry i do not believe it was the hawk...

maybe it was a chupacabra???? i would believe that before the hawk...

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
He said he saw the hawk .... I find it hard to beleive too

 

[sandypaws]

i know you said they SAW it digging....

it is just something that is hard for ME to believe without seeing it for myself.. you know kinda like aliens and elvis

 

[Attack Chicken]

Friend of mine had an owl accually dig under a fence and kept killing birds or a few nights. Then finally they set a trap and caught a barn owl. Killed all of his flock.