question about hawks

[chickensioux]

Quote:
They do kill the chicken on impact or it is so stunned it just lies there. The hawk does not fly off with it if it is that large but will eat what it wants and leave it. Once they have found a consistant food source, they do come back. Look up hawk deterents on here or google it. Some of them work pretty well. If your chickens freerange, it will always be a problem.

 

[dandydoodle]

Oh so I am guessing once it kills it. They just peck at it to eat it. Ugggh, I guess my girls aren't free ranging for now. That really irritates me, I like being able to let them free range.

 

[chickensioux]

You can always let them freerange if you have the time to stand watch for awhile. I used to do this with my banty ducks. I turned my back for about 30 minutes and darn if a hawk didn't take one of my teals. I never did that again.

Best of luck.

 

[Nambroth]

Hawks are a 'grappling' raptor, and while some hawks aim to kill with the impact, if that does not work they use their talons. Even small hawks can apply many pounds per square inch in pressure per (very) sharp talon on their feet (you see hawkers use heavy leather gloves for a reason). Their beaks are adapted to easily tear meat and they eat this way.

Depending on species, age, experience, and surroundings, hawks can and will take prey many times their weight. Experienced, adult hawks (experienced being the key word here) will not usually attack prey that they cannot carry away if there is a threat in the area. A threat is often things like: crows, another hawk, another predator, dogs, humans, an overly aggressive rooster/goose/etc. Young inexperienced hawks, however, will often make poor judgement calls and will attack prey that they cannot carry away and thus will abandon a fresh kill if, say, you or your dog come at them.

So, when free-ranging with protection (a dog, a big mean goose, human presence, etc), you are more likely to have a kill if you have young hawks around.
When free ranging without protection, anything can happen. It's a risk.