Large bird killed one of my chickens

[AmsoilJim]

I let my chickens free range during the day and I just went to let my dog out and when I opened the back door a large bird flew away. Right away I knew something bad happened. As I looked in the direction of where the bird took off from I could see a pair of yellow legs laying in the leave. It had killed one of my new RIR pullets. I immediately checked the coop for the rest of my chickens, I only found 3 terrified RIR hiding in the nesting boxes. I found one other red just inside the wood line and got it to run back to the coop. Now I am missing 1 other Red and all three of my 2 year old leghorns. I'm hope they are all just hiding in the woods because the are several vultures circling overhead right now.

 

[Kiki]

Go look for them.
Looks like you are going to have to supervise outdoor time from now on.

 

[jeria]

OH MY!!! How sad. I know I will have to protect mine from the hawks owls and the occasional beautiful eagle. I love to watch them play in the thermals but don't want them deciding my hens are a good meal.

 

[AmsoilJim]

Found my 3 leghorns hiding in the tree line on the other side of my house... so now I just have 1 unaccounted for RIR. They didn't usually stray to far from the coop so I'm not sure where she could be.

 

[jeria]

Hope you find her.

 

[firestomp]

I let my chickens free range during the day and I just went to let my dog out and when I opened the back door a large bird flew away. Right away I knew something bad happened. As I looked in the direction of where the bird took off from I could see a pair of yellow legs laying in the leave. It had killed one of my new RIR pullets. I immediately checked the coop for the rest of my chickens, I only found 3 terrified RIR hiding in the nesting boxes. I found one other red just inside the wood line and got it to run back to the coop. Now I am missing 1 other Red and all three of my 2 year old leghorns. I'm hope they are all just hiding in the woods because the are several vultures circling overhead right now.

Odds are It is a red tail hawk, Vultures will eat dead and rotting meat but don't hunt. They actually find their food by smell in the air. Any ways, if you have a hawk problem it WILL return guaranteed for those easy meals. I lost an adult hen to a coopers hawk, this birds normal prey is up to pigeon size, This one started out on chicks and became specialized at killing large chickens. The bird was put down after trapping. As is allowed in Indiana to protect your animals when other measures fail. Make a couple covered grass area and rotate the chickens between them, keep the birds in a covered run, or be prepared to lose many more from this highly efficient predator.

 

[AmsoilJim]

Yes I think it was a red tail
Good news the last missing RIR just came out of the woods , seems very traumatized. She was very scared to leave the cover of the woods to get to the coop. I had to go back in my house before she ran across to the coop. Then I had to go let her in because I locked up the rest of the chickens.

 

[Kiki]

Poor things...prolly good n scared.
I'm glad you got the missing ones all back!

 

[jeria]

Glad she is among the found

 

[Kiki]

I just realized you are the same one I'm watching/following with the sick hen.
You poor thing! All this trouble all at once....hugs to you!