Well, the hawk is a story worth telling. 8) I came home from a lunch date with my daughter and pulled into the driveway. The coop is right by the driveway and I saw the hawk in the run standing over the 2nd silkie. I grabbed a shovel (out of instinct, I had no plan) and ran over to the run. The hawk tried to fly away, but couldn't figure out how to get out of the run. So she flew INTO the fence at just the right angle to get her head wedged in the 2x3 hardware cloth. She wasn't injured at all. I just grabbed her wings from the back (like a chicken, ha!), held her quite firmly as far away from me as I could. She couldn't really fight, though, with her wings so tucked in. She gave me the meanest look she could muster. And I put her in a dog crate that was sitting behind the coop stuck in the snow. I don't see how to download pictures (I think there's a rule about number of posts and I don't post all that much). But I put the picture in my avatar if anyone is interested.
Interestingly enough, I later noticed a pretty big spot of blood in the driveway and it trailed up the driveway (very creepy). I had 6 adult silkies (2 roos, 4 hens), 2 welsummer adult hens, an adult leghorn hen, an adult bantam hen, and 2 adult olive egger hens and about 20 8 week old chicks in the coop. I have accounted for all of the adults, I think. I just moved chickens around a few weeks ago, so I feel a little unsure of where everyone's at. I'm thinking the hawk must have grabbed a chick and carried it out of the run, then came back for more.
I didn't know what kind of hawk it was and I figured, uh, when in doubt, do the right thing. Turns out that it's a red-tailed hawk, a very common hawk, though protected under the migratory birds act. I'm sure she'll be back, especially because the fish and game guy said he was going to drop her off TEN MILES from here. Guess I'll be putting some bird netting over the top of my run for the short term. More in depth reconstruction in the spring?
That being said... I'd really prefer hatching eggs. I'd like to limit the chance of bringing stressed birds prone to sickness home. Already done that. So if anyone knows of anyone, I'd be thrilled.
Thanks!!
Interestingly enough, I later noticed a pretty big spot of blood in the driveway and it trailed up the driveway (very creepy). I had 6 adult silkies (2 roos, 4 hens), 2 welsummer adult hens, an adult leghorn hen, an adult bantam hen, and 2 adult olive egger hens and about 20 8 week old chicks in the coop. I have accounted for all of the adults, I think. I just moved chickens around a few weeks ago, so I feel a little unsure of where everyone's at. I'm thinking the hawk must have grabbed a chick and carried it out of the run, then came back for more.
I didn't know what kind of hawk it was and I figured, uh, when in doubt, do the right thing. Turns out that it's a red-tailed hawk, a very common hawk, though protected under the migratory birds act. I'm sure she'll be back, especially because the fish and game guy said he was going to drop her off TEN MILES from here. Guess I'll be putting some bird netting over the top of my run for the short term. More in depth reconstruction in the spring?
That being said... I'd really prefer hatching eggs. I'd like to limit the chance of bringing stressed birds prone to sickness home. Already done that. So if anyone knows of anyone, I'd be thrilled.
Thanks!!
