Official BYC Poll: The Worst Predator

[roseyred]

They

I've never seen a vulture kill anything.

They stalk the hell outa my poor chickens. I was free ranging them and they landed right next to me and my chickens. I don't think I've ever run so fast lol

 

[JJSS89]

They


They stalk the hell outa my poor chickens. I was free ranging them and they landed right next to me and my chickens. I don't think I've ever run so fast lol

Black vultures or turkey vultures? I once had a neighbor dog kill two mama hens and there were three vultures eating one hen while the baby chicks were peeping all around them, they never even gave the peepers a second look.

 

[Belott]

Vulture should be on there.....********

I have been trapping off and on for 30 years and for the first time I came upon a coon in one of my Duke DP foot traps and there were about 10 vultures surrounding this coon and he was not even dead yet!! Never seen that before.
Must have been a bad night for road kill!


David

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

Vultures are opportunistic hunters and seldom will they attack full grown, healthy animals. They will not outright kill something if they can wait for it to die naturally first; after all, why work for what will eventually be a free meal?

I have never personally seen a vulture kill anything. Here in CT we have an abundance of Turkey Vultures. They seldom attack anything and are often seen eating road-kill.

I covered the chicken run anyway, so I have no worries from them. I am more concerned with the Red Tailed Hawks which make daily fly-overs on my house...

 

[roseyred]

Black vultures or turkey vultures?  I once had a neighbor dog kill two mama hens and there were three vultures eating one hen while the baby chicks were peeping all around them, they never even gave the peepers a second look.

I have been trapping off and on for 30 years and for the first time I came upon a coon in one of my Duke DP foot traps and there were about 10 vultures surrounding this coon and he was not even dead yet!! Never seen that before.
Must have been a bad night for road kill!


David

Exactly....I think there waiting for one to die or something. I know one of my hens was sick but she's living inside now. Maybe they could smell death on her lol....how nasty

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

Exactly....I think there waiting for one to die or something. I know one of my hens was sick but she's living inside now. Maybe they could smell death on her lol....how nasty

That's it exactly! They CAN smell death! Dead (decaying) animals give off a type of gas called ethyl mercaptan - TurkeyVultures have a heightened sense of smell and can smell it while airborne.

 

[JJSS89]

Yeah vultures do have an extraordinary sense of smell unlike other birds. That's why they ride thermals because scents also ride thermals and it helps them pinpoint carrion, along with their sharp eyes.

 

[Belott]

Unlike the Turkey Vulture, the Black Vulture does not have the hole through its beak to pick up scent. It relies on sight alone for its meals. The Black Vulture will also kill small weak mammals and birds unlike the Turkey Vulture.


David

 

[JJSS89]

Good to know. I only have the turkey vulture in my area which seem to be incredibly docile since they wouldn't kill a bunch of tiny bantam chicks at their feet

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah vultures do have an extraordinary sense of smell unlike other birds. That's why they ride thermals because scents also ride thermals and it helps them pinpoint carrion, along with their sharp eyes.

Riding the thermals also conserves energy.