Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[WVduckchick]

 I am surprised to hear that Cooper's hawk attacked a chicken. Most large fowl chickens are larger than a Cooper.  But a slow unaware chicken would be an easy meal for a speedy Cooper's, although a  chicken is most likely too heavy for a Cooper's to carry off to eat. 

These were bantams. My smallest bantam cochin and a tiny OEGB. 2 of my best mother hens last season. I guess that's why they leave my uncovered ducks alone.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Hi! Being in Pa what does everyone do with their Chickens when it's so cold and the air predators are everywhere?

For me, my run is covered and very tall (I think 12 feet). We wrap the entire thing in plastic to block the wind and it does a decent job. While in no way hot in there, I think they keep each other fairy warm.

It's very cold here as well. This is my girls first winter. I had to beat an owl off my Easter egger in the fall. Since the leaves fell the hawks, owls and even an occasional eagle

here and there have been relentless. My sister lost two already. So my girls moved to the green house. And also kinda my ..... downstairs. Lol they r treated like pets. They are a joy and I would die if anything happened to them. They are rescue chickens. Oh and we r hatching quail as we speak. Today is the hatch day. Wish us luck. Keep warm.

Good luck with your quail hatch!

 The fresh snow on Friday night allowed me to track fox from my coop back to dens in two different directions yesterday. My coop and covered run is very secure.  I also  have two strands of electric wire (5" and 10" off the ground) ; that stopped digging cold.  One fox den had 12 entrances the other had 10.  I set the 4 traps I have near the dens and hope to get a few.

 Many Red tailed hawks overwinter in SE Pa, so they are a year round problem. The  smaller hawks normally stick to hunting wild birds the size of sparrows and robins.

  I only do  part time supervised free  ranging. This is a great way to operate in some situations.  I also use  a chicken tractor that can be moved around.   If you live in a place where roosters are allowed, roosters are great in helping to keep your chickens aware of dangers from hawks; in fact, they have a specific cry to let the flock know to take cover from an air-borne danger. While the hens are foraging for tasty goodies, the rooster will keep an eye out for danger, and he will place himself in harm's way to give the hens time to escape to safety. 

Good luck! I hope you catch those foxes. I haven't had to deal with them yet but dread the day I do. I know they're around, we've seen them. Foxes, fishers, hawks, bears...blah

 I am surprised to hear that Cooper's hawk attacked a chicken. Most large fowl chickens are larger than a Cooper.  But a slow unaware chicken would be an easy meal for a speedy Cooper's, although a  chicken is most likely too heavy for a Cooper's to carry off to eat. 

I lost one to a cooper's hawk this fall. She was my smallest little silkie bantam and such a sweet heart We caught that hawk the next day when he got himself trapped himself in the run. We drove him a few miles away and released him. He hasn't been back yet that we know of but where we released him sould have plenty of food to hunt.

 

[ad26]

WV and stake; sorry for lost chickens. I have a Cooper's that has taken up residence in my backyard. He polices the wild bird feeders that I have out. He can have all the thieving squirrels he wants, but the wild birds really take a hit also. All i see is a grey streak and then there is one less squirrel.

 

[WVduckchick]

We have plenty of squirrels! The hawks can have them, if they leave my chickens alone. The squirrels pull up a chair at my duck feeder. :/

 

[dekel18042]

Awesome following the tracks! Good luck with the traps!!

I lost 2 of my favorite birds to a Cooper's a couple of weeks ago.

(actually saw it standing on the evidence pile) So they have all had to stay in the pens. I was out yesterday and my oldest rooster let out the "signal"... I looked up in time to watch one fly straight over head and land in a tree in my front yard.

wish there was something we could do about them.

If you read the different threads on hawk attacks there are ways to lesson the threat. One thing, in choosing your breeds, you can go with larger sized chickens. My last successful hawk attack was between 15 and 20 years ago so right after that when we added new chickens I researched and went for Jersey Giants (Orpingtons are also good.) and have made sure to keep at least one rooster with the flock.
We still had hawks but that slowed things down and the witnessed attacks were on young or juvenile chickens. We also had a very hawk savvy dog (worth his weight in gold) who enjoyed being out with the chickens but he died at the end of summer.
In the past week we had the first successful attack on a hen, our smallest California Grey when it trapped her against the fence. My husband was right there and couldn't prevent it but he did keep the hawk from enjoying his meal.
Thankfully most of our hens are larger and our young dog, usually with us has learned if he hears the roosters' warning cry will rush to the door (We're right behind him.) and ask to go out.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hi! Being in Pa what does everyone do with their Chickens when it's so cold and the air predators are everywhere?

I can't be of help with the air predators, I free range my girls an roll the dice. However, I have a Roo now and they have lots of places to run and hide also.
As far as the cold, they do just fine if they have a draft free place that is sheltered from wind and the elements. It's also important that it is kept dry too.


My girls all came out of the coop today, and even the little silkies. I'm hoping to have some time off at the end of the week to adjust my run for the group. It looks like it will warm up for a couple days. Yay!

Hello this is my Queen Zelda

Queen Zelda is a looker!

@stake. I think Rusty other sister laid for me today. Unless Dheltzel thinks this is one of his girls that laid the egg. A beautiful soft green color! Here are my egg colors so far... (not including the speckled turkey egg)

 

[ad26]

The egg on the left looks very similar to the eggs my Black sex links lay, same breeding as your hens.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

 The egg on the left looks very similar to the eggs my Black sex links lay, same breeding as your hens.

Yep, egg on the left is indeed from the BSL!

 

[troyer]

Howdy BW23:

Welcome from Chester Co...where are you from???

In my case, I needed to build Fort Knox due to persistent fox attacks....for the cold....well, they came outside this morning to eat/drink then retreated to the coop....I feed cracked corn on colder days and replace the water twice a day....BTW its really cold in my neck of the woods!!!

Stake. Here, cold is 0 degrees with a -15 windchill and windy. Thankfully I was able to work inside these days. (I am a roofer by trade)

 

[WVduckchick]

   If you read the different threads on hawk attacks there are ways to lesson the threat.  One thing, in choosing your breeds, you can go with larger sized chickens. My last successful hawk attack was between 15 and 20 years ago so right after that when we added new chickens I researched and went for Jersey Giants (Orpingtons are also good.) and have made sure to keep at least one rooster with the flock.
   We still had hawks but that slowed things down and the witnessed attacks were on young or juvenile chickens.  We also had a very hawk savvy dog (worth his weight in gold) who enjoyed being out with the chickens but he died at the end of summer.
     In the past week we had the first successful attack on a hen, our smallest California Grey when it trapped her against the fence.  My husband was right there and couldn't prevent it but he did keep the hawk from enjoying his meal.
    Thankfully most of our hens are larger and our young dog, usually with us has learned if he hears the roosters' warning cry will rush to the door (We're  right behind him.) and ask to go out.

It was really more of a rhetorical comment, meaning I wish we could legally shoot them. I enjoy my bantams, so I accept some risk when I let them free range.