The Vultures came back. With Pics

[maitia17960]

The chickens sounding off the alarm call today. When I looked out I saw them all running into the pens. I looked around to see the 4 vultures were back. I posted yesterday about them being on the ground right in front of doorway of the pen, with 3 of my roosters standing guard in the doorway. They landed in a tree in front of the house and I was able to get pictures of them. I wish I know why they keep coming back. I don't know if they are after the chickens or if there is something dead in the wood by the house. Here are the pictures of them.

 

[dainerra]

if they are coming back to roost, it means that they've decided that your trees are a safe place. You'll have to take steps to scare them off, otherwise there will just be more and more and more of them.

 

[peepblessed]

The chickens sounding off the alarm call today. When I looked out I saw them all running into the pens. I looked around to see the 4 vultures were back. I posted yesterday about them being on the ground right in front of doorway of the pen, with 3 of my roosters standing guard in the doorway. They landed in a tree in front of the house and I was able to get pictures of them. I wish I know why they keep coming back. I don't know if they are after the chickens or if there is something dead in the wood by the house. Here are the pictures of them.

I got a photo of this one in my front yard a few weeks ago.

 

[fishman65]

night time fireworks sound like something fun to do tonight.

 

[flowergirl60]

There must be something dead in the area. That happened to me and they hung around every day on my fence around the same time of day. Turned out there was a dead buzzard on the other side. I see them all the time and they don't bother my chickens. I don't know of any way to get them to leave except finding whatever there is that they are after wich is usually something dead.

 

[amberflea]

The vultures here don't kill chickens, but they do cause stress, (as the chickens don't know that). I totally agree with the assessment of something being dead in the area to keep them around, they would not stay there without a food source in the area. I would take a good look, is there a road by you with perhaps a road killed deer or other wildlife possibly near there. If so, go bury it... I had a deer killed by us and had an eagle roosting right by my coop until by husband dragged the dead deer way far away.
Also, scaring them with a shotgun blast or fireworks would help somewhat too...

 

[DDRanch]

I would agree that there must be something dead nearby as vultures normally just eat dead things...not live.. We have a flock of some 40 turkey vultures that soar over our property and roost in our eucalyptus trees during the day and at night. They have never bothered my chickens but they look different from the ones in your pictures.

Here is a photo I took last year when about a dozen of the vultures decided to hang out on my bluebird houses. Here is one shot of just 4 of them. They sat on the houses for about an hour and then took off. I have never seen it again.

 

[maitia17960]

I think that there is something dead in the woods by the house. I live in the country and the woods come right down to the road in front of the house. Deer season has just ended here. It is not unusual to see them here but it was bothering me when they landed right in my back yard and stood looking into the open doorway of the pen at the chickens. We have mostly the ones with red heads. I have only ever seen the black ones 1 time before this. I have never seen them on the ground unless they were by something dead. There is not anything dead around the pens. Just live chickens that free range. I was just wondering if anyone else ever had them land with the chickens. They have not bothered the chickens yet other than scaring them. The chickens all run into the pens when they are around. As long as they don’t try to kill any chickens I will let them be. Tonight we are expecting snow. Tomorrow I will take a walk in the wood to see what I can find.

 

[comptonsgonecountry]

We have vultures that hang around our property as well. They have left our free range flock alone so far. It's the hawks that have caused a big mess for us this year. We have lost 4 bantams because of them. A hawk has tried to take one of our red sexlink hen twice, but failed due to our large rooster that guardes his girls. She is missing a good amount of feathers and needed Neosporin for a open gash under her wing with the last attack. But she is up and sticking by the roosters side since than.

 

[gordonburrito]

Vultures have never attacked my flock, but they have given them a good scare. I half think that is a good thing because we do have hawks that live in the area.