Moving chicks from hens for their own safety

[AmericanMom]

Bird in picture looks like a juvenile female Coopers Hawk. Very ballsy to be taking on full adult large fowl. You do not have cover I can see in images. Cover I consider forces hawk to approach on foot rather from air.

Its not a coopers hawk, Its a Red Tail.. We have loads of cover but the center of heir area is open and this hawk is not going after the adult birds, only the chicks which is why I removed them.

 

[centrarchid]

Tail, if that is what is below and to right, would be much too long for red-tailed hawk. Head also looks to big relative to breadth of shoulders. Better picture needed either way for confirmation.

Cover I see in your photographs is not cover from hawks, airplanes yes.

Going after chicks only is a decidedly Coopers Hawk trait.

 

[drumstick diva]

Maybe with the chicks safely rounded up, it will go after adults.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is an example of cover in background and to the right. Tree in middle of image can obstruct a raptors view from below but by itself does not obstruct hawk from approaching chickens from air. Understory grass does not provide protection from hawk approaching from directly overhead but does a very good job of preventing hawk from coming on from side. My birds usually forage open areas and dive into weedy areas near and under large trees when hawks visit. Hawk can approach on foot but my roosters and even broody hens have the upper hand there and hawks know it. Heavy grass also makes it difficult for hawk to conduct a chick snatching on the fly which is the only way to beat defending adults. Hawk can catch chick in high grass but gets attacked by adults and if really unlucky gets a dog after it as well.

Second image of more ideal cover similar to that provided by brambles. Hawk can fly in but chickens are much more agile within the plant stems.