Turkey vultures... should I be concerned?

[chickenmomma16]

I think someone threw a gut pile in the neighboring pasture. Or something died. Either way, we have about 20 Turkey vultures flying around plus crows and ravens. The chickens don’t seem overly worried about them. When this group on vultures landed, the chickens just calmly walked under the covered run and took a nap.

 

[Kiki]

Have you seen one of these nasty things rip an animal apart before?
I think I have a video somewhere.

 

[Caoilinnkaylin]

I think someone threw a gut pile in the neighboring pasture. Or something died. Either way, we have about 20 Turkey vultures flying around plus crows and ravens. The chickens don’t seem overly worried about them. When this group on vultures landed, the chickens just calmly walked under the covered run and took a nap.
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Usually they keep hawks away!

 

[chickenmomma16]

Have you seen one of these nasty things rip an animal apart before?
I think I have a video somewhere.

I can imagine! But are they likely to go after and hunt for food or just snag an easy roadkill meal? I see them often in my area patrolling the main roads. I’ve seen them fly over the coop and my chickens don’t do much. A hawk or eagle though, they make a mad dash for cover.

 

[cmom]

I see them flying overhead every day. They have not bothered my birds. There was a wild hog that apparently was hit by a vehicle down the road and there were so many I couldn't count them all. We do get road kill once in awhile.

 

[centrarchid]

I think someone threw a gut pile in the neighboring pasture. Or something died. Either way, we have about 20 Turkey vultures flying around plus crows and ravens. The chickens don’t seem overly worried about them. When this group on vultures landed, the chickens just calmly walked under the covered run and took a nap.
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Turkey Vultures are not an issue with healthy mobile chickens. Last year they shared some deer carcasses with my chickens, my dogs and American Crows. Turkey Vultures were bottom of pecking order, likely because of proximity of dogs.

 

[chickenmomma16]

Turkey Vultures are not an issue with healthy mobile chickens. Last year they shared some deer carcasses with my chickens, my dogs and American Crows. Turkey Vultures were bottom of pecking order, likely because of proximity of dogs.

This is the feeling I got watching them and the other birds. They were fairly timid, slower moving birds and all a crow had to do was land nearby on the same branch and did a couple hops towards the Vulture and the vulture flew away.

 

[rumbleBee_STi]

I had over 100 of these things migrating (i guess) over our house. I posted a thread few weeks ago asking about this type of bird & a lot of people replied saying that the vultures have never bothered their birds, ever. It’s probably okay, just keep an eye out.

 

[cmom]

Again, I see them every day flying over head. I did catch one once in a live trap when I was after a fox that had killed some birds. I released it.

 

[jeepgrrl]

We have Turkey Vultures out the wazoo around here. The only time they have seemed threatening is when I bring the brooder chicks outside for some fresh air. I keep them secured in a wire dog crate wrapped in chicken wire (so the chicks can’t escape) but that doesn’t stop the vultures from doing uncomfortably low flyovers - that’s when I bring the chicks back inside. The vultures really don’t seem interested in the adult hens at all. However, one of my neighbors has warned me that vultures will go after chickens; I suppose any critter that is hungry and desperate enough would seize an opportunity to snag a chicken. I just hope my guinea cock is noisy and looney enough to chase off any vulture contemplating making a meal out of one of my hens.