Not sure whats wrong with this gal/guy

[Lovin Our chickens]

Well it's doesn't matter anymore, I came home to a hawk on top of my lavender Orpington cockerel under my porch and my lil sickly cuckoo maran (the one this thread is about) was missing . I've worked soo hard to raise them and keep them safe it has broken my heart . I haven't seen a hawk in months every morning before letting my chickens out I do a sweep of the sky and the trees around to make sure it's clear . But I left my step daughter home in charge of keeping an eye out and ran to the store and when I returned I caught the hawk under my covered porch eating my young roo. Had I been home I could have saved him in time bc I would of heard the crys. I only let them out in my fenced in dog yard with lots of coverage. But my neighbors have like 100 chickens and I guess that caught the attention of a hawk and since I ONLY HAD 6 it felt like mine was easier pickings. I have been blaming myself bc had i been home i could have saved them ugh I'm soo pissed at the darn hawks and myself.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I came home to a hawk on top of my lavender Orpington

So sorry to hear it.

This past week I had a hawk show up. And it's been sitting in my neighbors tree, staring straight into my pasture and run. It showed up everyday at 1 pm and stayed until dark several days in a row. Then started showing up around 9 am until dark. But worse stepped up its' game and came to a tree in my driveway. So I have been out there all day long for a good week. Now I have a reason that my covered run should also be enclosed for the first time. I've got 10 Silkies and 8 large fowl. And I just know it will take the one's I can least afford to lose or can't easily replace.

We tried firing a blank. But it simply wasn't loud enough to have any impact.

So I started thinking about things... Hmmm, hawks are ambush predators. I realize that crows harassing them gives away their position making it harder for them to ambush prey. So I figured I will act like a crow... When I saw the hawk I made a huge screech sound like the rooster predator warning. Which I followed by broody squeals, and the cawing loudly like the crow. My flock paid attention and ran for cover. A few times of doing this when it arrived and before I knew it, the hawk was fed up and flew off towards my other neighbors. It tried sneaking back a few times but I'm adamant!

Now I see that hawk cruising my neighbors air space, behind trees that are too tall to see exactly what's going on. And it has done a couple of quick fly overs, with me acting a fool for all my neighbors to see. But I don't care, it's a life and death situation! This is the first time I've ever done head counts several times every day. It has been quite worrisome. Now I'm gonna have to chalk that hawk finally moving on to my tactics, since that was the first change in behavior that I saw. I'm still watching though, we're not out of the woods (literally).. I even saw a bald eagle fly over the other day, which was quite amazing! Fly overs don't bug me too much. Setting up hunting territory is much different though.

Your sick boy might have made it for cover and still come out later. That happens pretty often. The reason I think that is because I don't think a hawk will do two kills in a row. But I am learning all the time.

You really don't have to blame yourself or your step daughter, even though I now how easy it is to feel that way. If I didn't see that hawk fly into my trees I would have never known it was there. And once it lands and stays in place for a few minutes, chickens' attention span is very short and they quickly forget they are being preyed on. The one day a month or so back that a hawk showed up, it was screeching every so often like the typical sound in movies. So the birds all took cover in the coop for a good long time then. But the hawk has been silent this time, recently.

My point being, you are not alone... and I'm very sorry for your loss.