Red Tailed Hawk killed one of my Araucanas

[Mortos]

I had just started letting my flock of 16, 4 week old chicks free range on Wednesday of this week. The first 2 days they did fine, yesterday morning I went inside for an hour and went back out to check on them. As I opened the door, I startled the hawk 15 feet away and it took off flying trying to carry the chick with it but it dropped it a foot off the ground. It was one of my 3 araucanas and they are maturing much faster than the various other breeds. They are becoming quite beautiful with their tan feathers and green legs. The hawk had eviscerated the poor thing. It's head was gone as were it's internal organs and it had started to strip the muscle off of one leg. I was so mad, I went back in the house and got a shotgun. I walked around the property trying to exact some revenge. I later discovered it is a felony to shoot a bird of prey as they are protected. Good thing for both of us it flew off. Now I have the chicks all cooped up again and they will stay that way until I can get the large coop built for them. It sucks but I can't blame the hawk for taking out an easy meal of chick because I didn't properly protect them. I let that chick down and I will do my best to not do it again.

 

[AHappychick]

so sorry, unfortunatly we all learn that way I have and so has everyone else here on BYC. covered run is best or some hawk protection. By the way you have Easter Eggers not Ameraucanas or Araucanas, still they are wonderful birds!

 

[Stevo]

Fall is approaching and young hawks are fledged and will be migrating soon. Unfortunatly we will be seeing alot of these posts over the next couple months.

Sorry about your chick. Be extra caredul of hawks from August till November in the northern states.

 

[Mortos]

What is the difference between an EE and an araucana? I see lots of posts about EE's just don't know what they are.

 

[True Grit]

Just do a search on BYC and you will see plenty of info. Short story is the big mail order hatcheries only sell ees, which are not an actual breed, more of a cross bred descendant of araucana or ameraucana.

 

[True Grit]

Oh and I'm sorry about your chicken. I've been leatting mine out to free range only for a couple of hours a day and I keep a close eye but hawks or an owl are my worst nightmare. I know I'm tempting them...

 

[rebel yell]

dont know how the law is where you are, but i used to live in AL. & when we had this problem i contected the fish & game & they came out & looked at the bird to determine what it was that did it & my problem was with owls, he wrote me out a permit to kill him & told me to call him when i got him & he came out to get him, this may also work with hawks also i gess it depends on your area, but try it you got nothing to loose, just call them & tell them your problem, pm me & i will tell you other ways to cure thus problem.

 

[abanjaf]

My flock are all adults now (some 4 month old bantam youngsters as well). I do let mine out to free-range, but only in the evenings for a couple of hours and when I'm close by. Three times now I've run after a swooping hawk. Having roos helps as well. I have 3 standard roos which are very protective of their girls. Sorry about your baby, that's horrible

 

[sheilawagner]

That's one reason why I allow my 2 Airedale terriers to be free ranging with my chickens. I have 9 adults out now, and every hour or so, the dogs are let out to patrol. They are good guard dogs for the chickens. They scare away coyotes, hawks and other dangers. When they give the alarm back, the chickens will listen to them and go hide. When all is safe, they come back out to free range till evening time, when they go home back to their coop to sleep.

However, we do have lots of shady trees, big and small brushes and shrubs everywhere. We also have a boat that is parked off the ground, and these trees and such provide good shade and shelter so we haven't lost a single adult to any predator birds.

 

[write2caroline]

Last year I had a juvenile red shoulder hawk actually land next to the coop and look at my three baby girls who were inside the tractor part of the coop. It totally freaked me out. I know the hawk is around and I have a roo and a lot more chickens. My Roo sounds off whenever anything flies over and the flock goes running. He also took on a fox once. I make sure the girls have lots of stuff to go under. I have tarps in the run for shade and shelter and the girls also enjoy the trees nearby. I know it is a risk to let them range but so far, Knock on wood, I have been lucky and not lost anyone to predators.

Caroline