OH MY GOD! A hawk just tried to get my chicken right in front of me!!!

[spacecowgirl]

What a scary story!!! Glad all the chicks are safe. They were very smart to run like that...I think I may go get some bird netting as well.

Patricia Jane, what do you feed the crows that the hawks don't eat? I'd like to do that myself.

 

[Shikens!]

I'm going to do the CD thing. It sounds easy except for the part where my fiance sees me and I have to explain what I'm doing...

I'm also growing a huge crop of corn this spring, maybe that will bring in some crows?

 

[scrappychick11]

I'm glad your chicks are safe. Sadly, mine are not. After losing 2 chickens to a fox a few days ago, a hawk got another one this evening. I was in the front yard when I heard the sound of a very distressed chicken. When I ran to the back yard, I saw a hawk on top of one of my chickens, who was already dead. I found one of my chickens in the coop - she was the one sqawking - and another under the deck, frozen in fear. I've been letting my five chickens have free range of our backyard, which is small - less than a quarter acre. But after these losses, I guess I'm going to have to reconsider. My chickens just really love roaming the yard, eating grass and bugs and taking dust baths. I hate to take that away from them, but I can't handle losing these lovely hens.

 

[jimg5613]

Thankfully your chicks are safe. I heard the same loud sqawking tonight and went down the hill to see what was going, turned the corner and there was a hawk setting on the fence. This the 4th time in the last 2 weeks I have seen them in my yard. Luckily I have a lot of cover for the chickens and they seem to be alert to the dangers. Hawks are migrating this time of year, so keep your eyes peeled.

 

[desertdarlene]

Yep, Cooper's hawks will do that, especially if they're accustomed to your presence. We had a big bunch of them at the lake this year and they terrorize every bird there. They tend to leave the ducks and other waterfowl alone, though the ducks don't take that for granted and keep their eye out for them. They also blend in so well into the trees that you might not even know that they're there.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

It seems to me you did protect them very well, a similar thing hapened to me as well but the hawk was after week old chick, first the rooster jumped into , the air then I jumped in the air,the hen and chicks dove into the weeds, then the hawk was gone...that quick. I've heard it every now and then, and suddenly all the chickens become invisable...and quiet everywhere...they do have alot of places to hide though, fortunately

 

[The_Rooster_84]

Sadly 3 weeks ago a new serama rooster of mine was killed by a hawk.. he reached his talons thru the 1" slots on the cage and then pulled his head off... I came upon it as it pulled on its spine... I was furious and packed my 12ga everyday just in case but it never returned

 

[The_Rooster_84]

I let one of my awesome serama pair out and they flew into a tree in the pen at dusk .. not the first time.. well a fox got the rooster at dawn when he flew over the fence... I was rly upset ... he was the tamest sweet little guy ever... luckily just before he died him and a silkie got friendly and I just hatched his progeny out lol.. I see the fox often and hate to destroy it but I can't have it killing my birds or take a chance with my small dogs

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

OMG! I just posted about my hawk situation before seeing this post. The same thing happened to me yesterday! It swooped down with no worries that me and my husband were standing right there. And it HAD to have seen us! It was so weird though. Like it came out of nowhere!
Luckily my duckies were standing under the rose bushes. And my RIR's are caged up so no casualties.

 

[babyrnlc]

We have several hawks in my neighborhood (a neighborhoon in the MIDDLE of the city!) I know there are at least 5 cause we saw 5 circling at the same time.

They arent scared of us either. My girls are pretty good at running and getting under something when they come around and I have not lost one yet. One swooped down with me right there and I stood up yelling and waving my hands. I am sure I looked crazy (We live next to a running trail and I am sure I was seen

), the hawk left eventually, but it cirlced for quite a while. It had AT LEAST a 2-3 foot wing span.

This is crazy as I am typing this, my 10 year old came in and told me there was a hawk land outside on the telephone poll with a big red tail. (Yeah we were told there were not red tails in Oklahoma, but I have seen them too.)