Quote: I think I know what it was--that Cooper's hawk. It was back today, about an hour ago. I heard the hens freak over the monitor, more so than they did yesterday. Threw on my boots and literally ran out to check on them. My brother was already there. "It got one of them," was all he said. My heart sank. There were black feathers all over with the characteristic white tip that told me they belonged to Rangi, but no remains to be seen. I hurried in to the coop to check on the girls and count them, and there in the back corner was Rangi.
She is bald up the back of her neck and has a few small bruises and scratches, but is otherwise fine. Just a drop of blood on her comb where it nicked her. Thank goodness!
I also found that Rosie, one of my biddy Sebrights, was missing as I was counting them. My brother has a flashlight app on his phone, so he handed it to me and I quickly found her, literally underneath a pile of hens in the dog crate that Reub used to sleep in. Poor girl must have been trampled in the rush to get into the coop, because she was dazed. I checked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt, and then she shook out her feathers and hopped off to join the other bantams on the roosts. Everyone else seems fine.
The hawk, I don't think it will be back. Hopefully by the fall, we'll have a secure enclosure to keep out any other hawks that get the wrong idea about my girls. I'm still shaky and watery-eyed and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to focus on the German homework I have due tomorrow after all that, but my girls are all safe right now. I think Elda's going to get fed up with me for all the chicken therapy I've been needing, though!
Thank goodness both were ok! My guinea and geese do a lot of good, and the turkey will go after a hawk too! But the sharp shinned hawks are bold. Eventually the guinea will get them, but they sure are a problem. We are laying out plans so everyone is confined, but integrated where my livestock is. All housing will be tractors so they move pastures when the livestock do.
Trying to catch up after a marathon weekend. Sometimes you just need a weekend to recover from the weekend! Spent the relatively warm day working outside doing chicken stuff.
@pipdzipdnreadytogo now that the kids are leaving the windows cracked (like they were instructed!)everyone seems fine. They were locking everything up too tight. It seemed crazy that they were fine when it was 0 outside but got frostbitten when it was 20!
We live smack dab in the middle of the city and have 3 red shouldered hawks. Hope your babies stay safe. Glad there were no losses this time.
@chick rookie your babies are precious! I am officially resigned to the fact that we would need to move to get goats
and don't see that happening anytime soon.
@jchny2000 did you find out anything about your brother? Hope your mom is okay.the days after a fall can be hard.
Can't wait to get a silkie roo from @ellymayRans tomorrow. My daughter will finally have her Olaf. She us so crazy excited. It's hard to believe that with 8 roos last year, not a single was a bantam!
So, we have our pack-n-play brooder all set up inside for quarantine, AND we are bowling right next door to RK in Greenwood. They are all set up fir chicks but don't have any. Probably a good thing b/c with everything all set up it would be awefully tempting. Even though I've said I won't buy chicks from a large store!
Speaking of tempting - all of you are tempting me WAY too much. Stop talking about what you will be hatching before they lick me up for being a crazy chicken kady! I will have plenty of my own chicks. I DO NOT need to buy chicks! Really I don't. I must keep repeating that. I will possibly be allowing myself the chickens I first wanted, but pullets not chicks and that is Polish. I so live Polish!
And lastly, April 1 is when IndyRezone goes into affect. Yesterday DH talked to someone in our city Gov. who has purposely gone above the limit of Chickens to be Grandfathered in. We found that funny.
Okay, I should go be a good mom and actually watch my daughter bowl! The funny thing is she gets a spare everyone she closes her eyes! Take that back, she just got an eyes closed strike!
LOL! Can't help it am very excited over the chocolate orps, what fluffy girls! Chocolate barred roo is so sweet, loving this group.
Brother is ok, they feel its a circulation problem in the leg. So far they have not removed toes. Mom did bruise a bit on her knee from her fall. We keep pushing her to use her walker. Ugh she is so stubborn.
Rooting for your DD WTG!
@pipdzipdnreadytogo I'm sorry to inform you that odds are that hawk will certainly be back. They are very persistent especially if you have bantys tempting them.
Agreed, if the guinea flock you have are out with them, they will really help protect your flock. It will take a large flock to take a hawk, however, we have at least 16.
Good morning, my dear!
