I have a broody mama hen who during the day lives in our front garden with her babies. I wasn't worried about predators because the go in a coop at night and in the garden there are bushes and plenty of other things to hide in. Not to mention it's right up against the front of the house. So anyways I was in the front room when I hear mama hen screaming. I ran outside to see a hawk standing on a nearby fence with something squiggling in it's claws. I looked and saw that Alice (my mama hen) was missing a chick.... I'm so sad and angry at the hawk!!! I have already lost 2 young (not chicks though) turkeys to a hawk in the past couple months..... And what makes this worse is these chicks are not even mine, they are my friend's chicks! She gave them to me to raise for her because cats kept trying to eat them.
I think it would be a good idea to keep her locked up, as long as it doesn't get too hot in her enclosure.
Quote:X's 2. If something means anything to you, you need to protect it at all costs. I would only free range them if I could be out there with them. Sorry to hear about that poor chick.
totally agree that you should at least keep them somewhere that is mostly enclosed. do you have a fenced in area that you can throw something over to keep them safe and still let them be outside, even if it's just a small area?
If you don't keep her locked up, the hawk will come back daily to dine-- then it will give a try at the hen.
Sorry to hear about the chick but the hawk is just doing what it's doing best and maybe even feeding her/his chicks to survive. Taking a chicken chick is no different the taking a pheasant or quail chick or turkey poult. If you still want her to be able to get into the grass with her babies I suggest building a broody pen/tractor. Heres a picture of what I put my mamas and babies in: Mama wyandotte with her two serama chicks. She protected and lets the chicks go nuts in the grass
I know I'm not necessarily "angry" at the hawk, just disappointed. And the mama and babies are already in an outdoor coop on grass it's just relatively small.
