Just venting in terror, can add Cooper's Hawk to my list of predators

Apr 14, 2021
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33
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Central NJ
So we knew way ahead of time we have a bear, 2 dens of foxes living in relative peace close together, racoons, skunks, a red tail hawk nest and our terrier (I think?) mix dog.

This morning we just witnessed a cooper's hawk take out a small bird IN FLIGHT! I was so surprised and grateful to see something like that right over my chicken coop... it took a moment for it to sink in that that had happened right over my chicken coop haha

The coop has a top but I am going to add deer netting to the "free range" pen part I use wh
 
Cooper's hawks put me out of business with my pigeons. They also have taken chicks and even killed medium sized chickens. When hungry they are tenacious, and I don't doubt that they would even try to kill large fowl. They are especially bad during the fall migration. One migration route is along the Delaware river.
 
Over many years, our worst raptor predation has involved Coopers hawks. We have bantams and standard sized chickens, and the hawks have taken out youngsters and both adolescent and adult bantams, only once an adult 'big bird'.
Raptors are less of an issue than canines, who can kill many chickens at once!
If a hawk attacks, keep the flock in their coop and covered run for at least ten days to three weeks, until that individual gives up and moves on elsewhere. Otherwise, it will return, maybe every third day, for another nice chicken dinner.
Night visitors are easier, once your birds are in a very secure coop every night. During free range time, or if your run is not safe, it's possible to loose your entire flock at once!
Mary
 
I had so many issues with a variety of predators over the years. I put electric wires around my coops and pens, good heavy duty netting covering the pens and concrete under all of the gates, all due to losses from predators in the past. I have a quite powerful fence charge and anything that touches the wires will hurt which is good. I want them to hurt so they will learn that a bird isn't worth getting zapped for. I think the adult predators actually teach their young. I have seen some fox. I believe somewhere not far off was a den and the young are now out hunting or learning to. I used to free range years ago but too many issues with predators. Now the birds have nice large pens. When they are out they don't stay out long and are back in their pens pretty quickly.
This is an owl going through some poor netting before I replaced it with the good netting.
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