Red-Tailed Hawk took one of my girls

[bantymum]

You poor dear,
it sounds like she was already gone by the time you picked her up, Hawks and eagles dont like their prey to be flapping in flight, hence still legs. When i had my chicken euthanised at the vet I witnessed the same spasyms.
I hope he doesnt come back for more.
I went through this when a fox tried to take my girl over a fence, he dropped her as I was chasing him , she was flapping wings but she was already gone.
im sorry for your loss.
Hugs

 

[nccountrygirl]

I am so sorry about your hen, me like Scrambled, live in a city neighborhood and we are over run with hawks as they are a federally protected bird of prey, soooo I don't want to but have to keep mine penned up in the run so they are safe, but it's what we have to do sometime to protect our flock as we can't shoot the buggers.

 

[lacyloo]

sorry for ur loss... :aww

 

[allig8r]

I'm in suburbia and yesterday what started with 2 red-tailed hawks circling quickly turned into 4 as me, ds & dh caught the 3 girls that got out of the coop and got them back in.

I don't know what I'm going to do for them now. I hate the idea of them never being able to be out. On Thursday, a guy working on our house told us there was a hawk sitting in the tree in the front yard. He seemed surprised.

 

[GoodEgg]

Just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened.

trish

 

[chickflick]

 

[Lunachick]

How tragic! I choked up reading your story, especially the part of seeing her eggs.

So sorry you lost her.

 

[Poison Ivy]

sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[paganfish]

You didn't mention it but, do you have any roos?

The reason I ask is because the couple of times a hawk has come by here the roos (I have 3) ALL went mad making their noises. The hens ran under anything they could find: bush, truck, mower and other buildings nearby.

I guess we've just been lucky but I know if the roos had not warned the girls of the hawk--I would be 2 or 3 chickens less.

That said, I am VERY sorry about your loss. It sounds very traumatic...to see it happen before your eyes not be able to do much about it. I know when my hen Chueca (broken wing) died last Summer-I was devastated. You do get attached to them!

So sorry!

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

Thanks to everyone for their condolences.

I do not have roos; I'm already illegal with my hens, but the neighbors don't complain as there is very little noise, and they are enjoying the occasional eggs.

I don't have time to let them free range and watch them all the time; that has been my "putter around the yard" time, with all of us just doing our own thing.

It is sad to lose her, but it's even sadder to think of them stuck in the chunnel for the rest of their lives; they do so love their free time.

I'm still pondering what to do.

Your sympathies really helped. Thank you so much.