Look who I found watching my hens today...

Sorry but they are VERY BOLD about going after chicks and anything less than fully grown bantam. They will swoop down on a chick just 10 feet away from me. Absolutely cannot have chicks free range between Sept-April/May because of this species and what I think are Coopers- looks similar but bigger.

well, it's a good thing I have big fat hens then, no new chicks for us for awhile, we are at our limit with city rules.
 
Great pictures! I recently had 2 HUGE red shouldered hawks sitting on a tree looking at my flock. I felt so sad for my roo,because there is no way he could fight off 2 adults......barely make it out alive fighting one. Chicken life would be so sweet if it weren't for these hawks picking my yard as a feeding pen.
 
Part of problem we have that leads to hawks being vilified is having parties with very few facts at their disposal while advising others with even less. Promotes bad decision making.


Red-shouldered hawks are decidedly not a threat to adult poultry, even when operating as a pair.

Great pictures! I recently had 2 HUGE red shouldered hawks sitting on a tree looking at my flock. I felt so sad for my roo,because there is no way he could fight off 2 adults......barely make it out alive fighting one. Chicken life would be so sweet if it weren't for these hawks picking my yard as a feeding pen.



Very bold when targeting small songbirds. Also a lot smaller than Coopers which can be threat.

Sorry but they are VERY BOLD about going after chicks and anything less than fully grown bantam. They will swoop down on a chick just 10 feet away from me. Absolutely cannot have chicks free range between Sept-April/May because of this species and what I think are Coopers- looks similar but bigger.
 
until yesterday, I didn't even know these little hawks existed in my area. I'm amazed. I wonder what else has been in my backyard since we got the girls... I know there is an eagle nest a few blocks away and I've seen it circle way way above... I've been letting the girls free-range a lot this winter, but maybe it's time to get the tractor back out. They are not going to like that so well.
 
Keep in mind the smaller hawks that aren't really a threat to chickens do serve a postive purpose being in your area...they prey on mice and rats that would make their way into your coops and feeders! Hawks are not always chicken keepers' enemy, they are friends as well.

oh, I agree, if they are eating rats, I'm very happy ;)
 
Could be they were always there all along, just now you have the chickens, that gives you a reason to look about and notice?

until yesterday, I didn't even know these little hawks existed in my area. I'm amazed. I wonder what else has been in my backyard since we got the girls... I know there is an eagle nest a few blocks away and I've seen it circle way way above... I've been letting the girls free-range a lot this winter, but maybe it's time to get the tractor back out. They are not going to like that so well.
 
Could be they were always there all along, just now you have the chickens, that gives you a reason to look about and notice?

I don't know, I watch the birds a lot. We have feeders and last year we counted species and kept track... If I saw one before, I may have thought it was something else, as I said I didn't really know that it wasn't a regular bird until I zoomed in on it. Now that I've seen it, I'm hearing from people around here who see them every year. One woman said she gets a family of them every year, but they haven't come around yet.
 
We have Red Tail Hawks flyover all the time, and never go after our chickens. The chickens don't seem to mind them either. Do hawks actually ever take chickens, or only as a last resort ?
 

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