How long will a hawk stick around??

[elisabeth_]

Hello everyone

I have some silkies in the front yard that free range all day. One of my silkies was raising a little Cochin chick that was about a month old, and it was carried away by a hawk on Monday.
Right in front of me.
I was sitting on my front porch just watching them when it swooped down. I could have touched it with a yardstick for how close it came, but there was nothing I could do. It all happened so fast.
Devastated is an understatement. I have never lost one of my chickens to a hawk before (we live right on the highway and it is busy all day, and there are lots of places for my birds to hide and their coop is always open).

Anyway, here’s the thing. Four of my silkies are about 3 months old, nearly 4 months, but not quite there yet. There are far bigger than the chick that was carried away, but still not as big and definitely not as heavy as my adult silkies. I kept them locked up ALL day yesterday (the young ones) for fear that the hawk would come back and they were locked up all day this morning too.
I just let them out about 20 minutes ago but I am extremely paranoid.

Do y’all think the hawk is still hanging around and will it come back for more?
I ask only because the one it took on Monday was the smallest bird I had in my flock, a lot smaller than my young silkies. Did the hawk have its eye on that one specifically or will it try to take off with my bigger ones??

Thank you all for reading, any and all advice is welcome. I am willing to keep my little ones locked up for longer if I have to.
Elisabeth

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

I’m sorry you lost a fluff-butt
he probably lives nearby though and wasn’t just passing through, so my answer is: indefinitely. Perhaps construct a pen for them with netting over it? It doesn’t even have to be 100% hawk proof per say but enough to slow it down so you can intervene. Unfortunately silkies are extra susceptible to predation because they have a hard time seeing through all their fluff.Darn hawks.

 

[elisabeth_]

I’m sorry you lost a fluff-butt
he probably lives nearby though and wasn’t just passing through, so my answer is: indefinitely. Perhaps construct a pen for them with netting over it? It doesn’t even have to be 100% hawk proof per say but enough to slow it down so you can intervene. Unfortunately silkies are extra susceptible to predation because they have a hard time seeing through all their fluff.Darn hawks.

Thank you so much for replying. I was worried this would be the answer as much as they like having the whole yard to themselves, if I have to build a run I will do that. I wasn’t as attached to the cochin chick as I am to my silkies, I don’t know what I would do if I lost one.
Again, thanks so much for the advice

 

[Sara S]

that has come close with me but no babes gone yet try getting some fake bird decoys around your yard my hawk (freddrick) wont come close anymore becuz of my fake owls
hope he leaves
best of luck

 

[Folly's place]

Here I plan on at least two weeks 'on lockdown', or longer. One year it was four weeks, also not too long, before we were sure that the hawk moved on elsewhere.
Silkies are fragile little guys, very much at risk.
Most of my losses have been immature birds and bantams, although sometimes big standard birds can be attacked too.
Mary

 

[elisabeth_]

that has come close with me but no babes gone yet try getting some fake bird decoys around your yard my hawk (freddrick) wont come close anymore becuz of my fake owls
hope he leaves
best of luck

Thank you! I was debating on whether or not I should get a fake owl but now I think I will definitely try it

 

[elisabeth_]

Here I plan on at least two weeks 'on lockdown', or longer. One year it was four weeks, also not too long, before we were sure that the hawk moved on elsewhere.
Silkies are fragile little guys, very much at risk.
Most of my losses have been immature birds and bantams, although sometimes big standard birds can be attacked too.
Mary

thank you for replying, I will keep this in mind and keep my little silkies locked up a little longer. Hopefully mr. hawk will move on

 

[GC-Raptor]

Coopers Hawk in northern states and Canada migrate south in the winter.
Where you are they probably stay year round.
They will attack LF chickens and ducks.
My Golden Comets were attacked in their open top pen at 7 months old.
I was home and heard the commotion and ran out to see feathers everywhere and a Coopers Hawk in a tree.
The chicken survived. It had claw wounds on its back.
They can kill LF chickens, but they can't fly away with it. GC

 

[Folly's place]

@aart has a nice picture of a hawk sitting on a fake owl statue. Just sayin'.
Mary

 

[Brandy2512]

Aw that sucks! We have 2 juvenile Cooper’s hawks currently hanging out so my girls are on lockdown too. They protest to me loudly every time they see me. I just bought a 3 pack of these scare balls that look like eyes. https://www.amazon.com/Balloon-Bird...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl I’m putting them up today And... this may be controversial, but I am considering shooting some bottle rockets off in their general direction to try to scare them away.