I turned my back for a minute and WHOA!

MidGaMarine

Chirping
Jul 23, 2019
34
63
70
Well yesterday at about 330-4 pm I let my flock out to free range. I sat outside with them the remainder of the day up to just as they began to go to roost.
Well 14 of the fifteen that were out, had made their way back in the run. There was one straggler meandering outside of the gate. I figured that while I was waiting for her to go inside, I would go bring up the garbage can from the road (~100' away).
As I made it there, I heard that infamous screech of an aerial alert. I spun around, and a HUGE hawk had attacked the straggler who apparently had begun to follow me. I began screaming and yelling as the hawk was trying to subdue. Eventually, I distracted it and it left my pullet alone and flew away.
I am so relieved to tell you that she survived, a little shook, but alive. She sprinted full speed to the roosts and hid. I checked her closely, she has no punctures. She's going to be okay.
I hope that the hawk is hit by a car, no, a semi truck. Not really! Yes I do really. These are MY babies, not hawk feed. The hawk seems to be watching me and waiting for the right opportunity.
#bigwheelskeepon rolling
 
Well yesterday at about 330-4 pm I let my flock out to free range. I sat outside with them the remainder of the day up to just as they began to go to roost.
Well 14 of the fifteen that were out, had made their way back in the run. There was one straggler meandering outside of the gate. I figured that while I was waiting for her to go inside, I would go bring up the garbage can from the road (~100' away).
As I made it there, I heard that infamous screech of an aerial alert. I spun around, and a HUGE hawk had attacked the straggler who apparently had begun to follow me. I began screaming and yelling as the hawk was trying to subdue. Eventually, I distracted it and it left my pullet alone and flew away.
I am so relieved to tell you that she survived, a little shook, but alive. She sprinted full speed to the roosts and hid. I checked her closely, she has no punctures. She's going to be okay.
I hope that the hawk is hit by a car, no, a semi truck. Not really! Yes I do really. These are MY babies, not hawk feed. The hawk seems to be watching me and waiting for the right opportunity.
#bigwheelskeepon rolling
Whoa is right!!!! Geez that was a close one! Glad your pullet is ok. :yesss:
 
Whew! Close call...glad you were right there to save the poor baby! I've read a couple posts on here that claim crows to be a good hawk deterrent...any way you could make your area more crow friendly?
Ironically, I have heard that crows are a threat too, minor, but still a threat. Plus the swallow and Martin keep them at Bay.
 
Whew! Close call...glad you were right there to save the poor baby! I've read a couple posts on here that claim crows to be a good hawk deterrent...any way you could make your area more crow friendly?
I have some crows who nest nearby and I always leave them a treat during that time and they do chase the hawks away.
 
And this is why my Littles aren’t allowed to free range (that and my idiot dogs would get them :p). While growing up, all our chickens ran loose in a large fenced area without a cover over the top. We didn’t even have a coop for some of that time. They’d roost in the trees and roam all day outside. We never had hawks go after full-grown chickens, but there was always the chance of chicks being taken. Once, a hawk swooped down and took off with a large duckling. She was too heavy to carry, so he dropped her and she died. It was awful :(. Now that I’m an adult, I am super paranoid so we have a large coop and nice big run for them :). I might let them out later for a while (when they are full-grown and I’m there to monitor the dogs), but we shall see ...
 
And this is why my Littles aren’t allowed to free range (that and my idiot dogs would get them :p). While growing up, all our chickens ran loose in a large fenced area without a cover over the top. We didn’t even have a coop for some of that time. They’d roost in the trees and roam all day outside. We never had hawks go after full-grown chickens, but there was always the chance of chicks being taken. Once, a hawk swooped down and took off with a large duckling. She was too heavy to carry, so he dropped her and she died. It was awful :(. Now that I’m an adult, I am super paranoid so we have a large coop and nice big run for them :). I might let them out later for a while (when they are full-grown and I’m there to monitor the dogs), but we shall see ...
Same here! My mom kept a flock of RIRs and a flock of WL that roamed the farm from sun up until sun down. We had only two losses in 8 years... a peregrine falcon and a stray dog. Now that I have my own flock there are all sorts of predators lurking in mass quantities. Oh how times have changed!
 
Jeepers that was close..:hmm
I had a person coming for birds so just locked up my dogs and was walking through the house to head to lock up the birds and holy smokes my chickens were screaming. As I ran outside a huge Golden eagle was on my Silkie Hen..I almost had a heart attack. It tried dragging her off by one talon as I was yelling and it grabbed he by the head too. I'm not scared of anything when I'm in Momma Bear mode so the bird let her go and she ran behind the Coop door. The Eagle then followed her and landed on my Coop roof. I was right behind it though so it flew away. Poor girl had a bloody head and two talon puncture wounds to her side..She survived too. :hugs
That was my first Bird of prey attack. I'm always looking for ground predators.
 

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