info on hawks

[treeclimber233]

I have noticed two red-tail hawks lately that are hanging around my house. I have seen one in the chicken run down by the barn and my husband has seen one in the run behind the house. However neither time have we seen a fresh killed chicken. Something killed several chickens in the run down at the barn (I saw a small grey hawk on a fresh kill) and one chicken behind the house (the night I heard owls hooting). Do red-tail hawks scavage dead animals or do they only eat fresh kills? I have seen a red-tail three times today and he is only sitting in a tree looking at my chickens. I am wondering if redtails are blamed for kills just because they are seen in the vicinity when something else is doing the killing. Any comments?

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Red-tailed hawks, to my knowledge, only eat fresh kills.

 

[jjthink]

They are looking for live prey.
Known to survey/study a situation for awhile before making their move.
So I would worry.
I've had the same problem with one that lurks and watches so I have had to be so vigilent. Haven't seen him in days now and have allowed a little free ranging when I'm around because my feathered friends get bored beyond words in the run, but I do worry the whole time and pretty much go nowhere except where I absolutely have to go (e.g. work). They seem to know though to stay under shrubbery and they more or less run across open areas when they want to change locations.
When I keep them cooped in the run hen Annie paces at the gate relentlessly and cries - she wants the world to be her oyster. So I wish the hawk would tire of checking them out and take a hike!
Hope you don;t have any more problems - too many of your birds have suffered already..

JJ

 

[silkieluver_07]

red tail hawks will eat either fresh killed prey or scavenged animals, but they prefer fresh killed prey. it really depends on how hungry redtails are. if they are hungry enough, they will kill chickens. the small gray hawk was most likely a cooper hawk. they are the chicken killers here in PA. we lost 14 chickens to 1 cooper hawk before. i hope u have no more losses.