My hens saw the hawk before I did

[lfoose]

This evening after dinner, I let my chickens out for their evening stroll. We have a neighbor dog that likes to prowl around so I was out there keeping guard over the flock.

Well, after about 15 mins, I noticed one hen, Tammy Faye was looking around more than she was pecking. Then all of a sudden, she stood up real tall, make odd clucking noises and halled tail feathers into the coop. Quickly followed another hen, Sybil and the roo, Carlo. I got scared thinking the dog snuck up on us. (I still had two hens out of the coop at this point) I look up and there is a hawk circling us!

All ended up in the coop safe and sound, but it just amazed me how Tammy Faye reacted. Like she screamed "HAWK" in chicken and ran for cover....

 

[ozark hen]

wow good job

 

[lfoose]

LOL, thanks. Oh wait, were you saying good job to Tammy Faye instead?!

 

[ozark hen]

whichever makes you feel good.

 

[ruth]

Mine all free range and I spend a lot of time out there with them. They always alert me to the hawks and eagles. Even the babies sound an alarm. The chicks then do one of two things: 1. Play the statue game and everyone freezes right where they are. All the while one of them makes this little trilling/cooing/purring sound - or - 2. they all duck for nearest cover. They really are much smarter than we give them credit for. I have yet to see a hawk/eagle before they did and they see them from way off not just straight above. Sometimes I think they must have eyes on their backs. I really have to look all around many times to see where it is and it will be way off on horizon miles in the air.

 

[lfoose]

Does anyone know if the hawk will try to attack the chickens if we are out there with them?

 

[ozark hen]

Good morning, yes, they will ...there was a post on here not too long ago about a woman just going into the house and heard a racket, turned and saw a hawk attacking, she grabbed a broom at the same time her cat threw itself at the hawk and the fight was on! Hawk lost. Another post where a woman was standing right there in the yard and a hawk got one of her chickens.
Now it may have to do with where you live? they were in a suburban area with lots of houses..I think?? I was in the yard yesterday and a pair of hawks circled over head, very low but made no attempt to attack. someone else posted that hawks have to have a clear shot at the chickens...like no trees, brush in the way? Not sure about that but they haven't attacked here yet. We live in an isolated area. Lots of trees, ect.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Any animal that is hungry will try. They are usually the most dangerous kind. They don't care if you are out there or not. I have had foxes try to get into the coop at 3pm while I was in there. Thank god my dog saw it and chased it off. I would have let her go after it but I was afraid it might have had rabies. It was pretty rough looking. My husband told me to keep a gun in the barn.

 

[wegotchickens]

I've noticed my peeps listening to what the Blue Jays say. They freeze when one squawks, and they look around. But a certain kind of screech that sounds like a hawk cry has them running for cover. I have to wonder: Does the Jay screech like a hawk because it sees one, or just for fun to watch everyone hide? It doesn't do the hawk screech very often, though. And I noticed that the squirrels hide when it does that, too. So maybe it's really a warning?

 

[purplebaby]

Quote:
i have noticed the same thing with the blue jays and my silkies. i never thought about the squirrels, i will have to pay attention to them.... it is pretty cool tho since we have lots of blue jays.