i am not immune to hawks

[kickinchicken]

So I foolishly thought that my suburban Rhode Island neighborhood was free of red tail hawks. Not so! My DD heard a commotion in the yard and saw a hawk going after my bantam babies. The jerk got my 8 week old partridge silkie, Cinderella. We chased him down and got her home for a proper burial next to our cochin, Lilly.

I hate hawks!
I put up the poultry net over the run. And no more free ranging unless the dogs are out to guard them!

 

[gritsar]

sorry for your loss

 

[kla37]

I'm so sorry to hear that! I'm afraid of hawks too. My girls haven't left the run yet, and it's really too cold to worry about trying it now, but come spring they will only be out for a little while before twilight with the dog and I to keep watch over them. Good luck keeping the hawks away!

 

[BeccaB00]

goodness me, I know what you mean. A hawk got into our pen one time! We were lucky noone was hurt, we released the hawk FAAARRR away from our house....hopfully it'll keep him away. We used to let our babies run in the yard while we we're feeding the rest. We had a sertain hawk who would fly from one tree to the other above our chicken pens scoping it all out, looking for a meal. I dont let my babies our hardly EVER anymore...

better safe than sorry! Very sorry for your loss.

Things happen for a reason, and we all learn the from them.

 

[jomoncon]

So sorry to hear about your loss.

I knew we have some kind of small hawk in New Orleans, but I never thought too much about it. Several weeks ago, I heard my little chicks giving some distressing cries and rushed to take a look. There was a hawk sitting on top of their run, just staring at them. Since they were about 4 weeks old at the time, it easily could have carried one off. Luckily the chickies were all locked up. Now I know I can't let my girls free range unless I'm there to watch over them.

 

[wood&feathers]

All my predator losses (4) have been to raptors - hawks in particular. I have a covered run but like to free range them when we can. I have an eager flock guardian who loves her chickens. Unfortunately hawks are tough for even a dog to guard against. In the weeks after an incident she chases every little songbird out of the yard.

Hawks are methodical and fast. We have literally had them swoop within inches of the house trying to nail a hen. Hawk failed that time only because it picked my most cagey and athletic girl - she ran straight to a hole under a rock, 5' back under the house. Then Vixey (the dog) and I converged and the hawk retreated a few hundred feet to watch while I rounded the girls up and cooped them.

Vixey is a great flock guardian. We live on 100 acres of ours in the middle of a large bloc of the Daniel Boone NF. We have bears, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, raccoons, skunks, snakes and heaven knows what else. Raptors have been the only thing to get a chicken.

So yes, I love my dog as a flock guard, but she isn't proof against hawks.

 

[wood&feathers]

More importantly, I am sorry to hear you lost one this way. It is always a sad thing.