Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Bassleg]

joletabey I have roo's and hens that have the Columbian influence.
Yard full o' rocks Thanks anyway.

 

[jeremy]

Well I just about had a heart attack.

The windows in the back of my house facing the yard are all open, I let the chickens out to pick at the garden during the evening time. I've been slowly integrating my Braden pullets into the larger group, so they were out foraging with the flock. I heard one of the roos let out a startled noise so I went to the window to check... and guess what I saw.

Sitting on top of my garage, maybe 20 feet away from me was a HUMONGOUS hawk, just staring at all of the birds. I was so shocked I didn't know what to do at first. Then I just started yelling. I think I scared all of the chickens more than I did the hawk, they scattered all over the yard and the roos started making all sorts of noise. I finally had to throw a shoe at it to get the thing to fly away. It was not scared of me, at all. It jumped off the garage and flew towards a large stand of trees near my house.

I'm still so nervous and shaky as I sit here writing this, I immediately ran outside and shooed everyone into their coops and scooped the Braden pullets up and took them into their pen in the garage. I feel very lucky to have not lost a single bird. Maybe I walked up at the right moment before the hawk decided to strike. I looked up hawks that are common in the Bay Area and I think it might have been a Red Tailed Hawk.

I'm so scared now to let the birds out, I don't know what I'm going to do! I feel terrible locking them up in their coops before they're ready to go in.

 

[har]

Bassleg your Delawares look just like mine I got from Sandhill ,very disapointed also.

 

[joletabey]

Jeremy, that hawk will be back. It now knows what is on the menu. I don't know your housing situation, but it seems to me you are in town, and therefor a bit limited in how you can "scare" him off.
GOOD LUCK!!!

Har, how many of the Sandhills had the Columbian markings? More roos than hens? Curious.

 

[Serrin]

Jeremy, maybe I can help you to rest a little easier regarding your recent visit by Mr. Red Tail. First and foremost on their list of preferred eating is snakes and rodents. Chickens, while not being excluded off of that list, are considerably further down the line. That is not to say that he probably wasn't eyeing the Braden's as a potential meal. Especially if they are considerably smaller than the rest of the flock. It doesn't help their situation that they are predominantly white. In a world where most prey animals are well camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings, a white anything will stick out like a sore thumb. Especially if there is no snow on the ground.

You have probably dodged a big bullet in having seen the hawk before it decided to strike. If it even was going to. It all depends on how hungry he was. Keep the young ones locked up for about a week, unless you're prepared to be out there with them. It's entirely possible that the hawk was taking note of location and number for possible future reference.

Look up two hawks called a Sharp Shinned and a Cooper's Hawk. These two are your worst enemy when it comes to birds of prey. They feed exclusively on birds, both wild and domestic. And their size belies their abilities and ferocity. Small as they are, as hawks go, they won't hesitate to take on a bird that outweighs them by several pounds. They are compact and very powerful. My Abby is the only chicken I know personally to have encountered a Cooper and lived to tell the tale. Lucky for her and I both that it was a young and inexperienced female that attacked her. Had it been an experienced adult male, all I would have today of Abby are feathers and memories! These hawks are bloodthirsty killers in anyone's book! Pray you never have one take up residence in your neighborhood!

Keep your eyes on the skies my friend. In the mean time, I'll say a little prayer that your babies remain safe and that the hawk forgets all about them by tomorrow. He may have already found easier pickings in the next field over.

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
Yup Beth, I'm in the middle of the city. Oakland has a population of 400,000 inhabitants... so there's really no way that I could apply the 3 S's to this situation... I'm really surprised though that the hawk is even hanging around our neighborhood. In the trees that he actually flew towards this afternoon house a large murder of crows that usually keep any sort of bird of prey, or seagull

, out of the area completely. I've seen them chase hawks off, it was pretty cool.

Hopefully they pick him up on their radar and chase him away. I don't think I'll be letting the birds free range much until I'm content that he's moved on.

Quote:
Thank you for your kind words Serrin.

As far as the Braden girl's size is concerned... that's something I'm actually VERY happy with.

They were foraging today right along side my teenagers and the older women of the layer flock and sometimes I had a hard time telling who was who. They were hatched May 21st, so that makes them almost 4 months old and they're already chunky girls. Hopefully that helps them to blend. Like you said, the fact that they're white isn't going to give them much of an advantage.

Our back yard is filled with citrus trees and potted plants, plus a large blackberry bramble that hangs down from over our neighbor's privacy fence. I'm thinking that all of the obstacles in the yard might have been one of the measures that deterred the hawk from striking initially. I'm going to keep a close eye on them and will probably add some netting over the top of the teenagers run. Hopefully I won't have to hold my breath for too long, either that or he'll pick off one of my crazy EEs that I wouldn't mind losing (as much) first...

 

[kathyinmo]

Yes, I know about those dang hawks .... One came right in the doorway of my little coop and killed a buff silkie. My little broody had just got up off the nest, to go eat, drink, and poop ..... and he got her.

I now have reflective things all over the place .... pinwheels (Walmart) hanging on the fence posts, mirrors laying atop the roofs, CDs (thank you AOL). Knock on wood, they have not stopped by again, though I see them around alot.

Good luck, Jeremy.

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
L0L!

I needed that laugh, thank you Kathy!

 

[har]

Quote:
I got 13 chicks from Sandhill. I lost two to a possum and ended up with 9 roosters and two pullets(thats bad luck) They were hatched May 22. The two girls do not have solid black tails(Cin told me they might come out of that when they mature). I guess to answer your question there is two roosters that have the Columbian markings.

I'm going to pick up some chicks from Kathy this weekend. I'm getting excited about that. Hope she has the best hatch ever.

 

[joletabey]

Honestly, I wonder how long it will take to breed out the Columbian influence- it just seems to haunt the Delawares. Good luck with the hatch from Kathy, Har- I hope you get a majority of pullets with this one!

Jeremy- I got a mental picture of you running all over your yard adding pinwheels to the pots.