Vulture!!

[SouthernCalBeachChick]

There's a vulture sitting in a tree outside looking in the house at my baby showgirls & silkies!! It's enormous. We live in 'predator alley' with coyotes, raccoons, skunks, hawks & owls. Now I have to worry about VULTURES too?! I'm going to have to find the most predator proof run/ coop or keep my kids inside for life.

 

[southerndesert]

They will not as a rule bother your birds we have them here in my area year round and though they are curious about the chickens at times they have never landed or shown they are any threat. They do not like live prey preferring a nice rotting bit of meat....

 

[smarsh]

i guess there is a chance that a vulture would pick off baby chicks, but they are generally quite afraid of anything alive; if it still moves, they don't bother it.

 

[SouthernCalBeachChick]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess they look scarier than they are!

 

[Tylt33]

Quote:
I've read on these boards of people losing chickens to vultures. I wouldn't have thought it possible myself.

 

[Frost Homestead]

we have lots of vultures here. I don't think they would try to kill a live chicken. they're scavengers

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I've read on these boards of people losing chickens to vultures. I wouldn't have thought it possible myself.

Keep in mind that not everything you read on the internet is actually fact.

We have vultures all over, lurking. They have never shown any interest in attacking the chickens. They are indeed carrion eaters, not killers.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Turkey vultures would have to be near starving to take on live prey; black vultures are as likely to take on live prey as they are to scavenge. whatbird.com gives a good writeup on each species. IMO, it is the best online resource on wild birds in the US.

 

[Tylt33]

Quote:
I've read on these boards of people losing chickens to vultures. I wouldn't have thought it possible myself.

Keep in mind that not everything you read on the internet is actually fact.

We have vultures all over, lurking. They have never shown any interest in attacking the chickens. They are indeed carrion eaters, not killers.

I thought everything on the internet is scientifically based? I guess no one has ever had an animal attacked or killed by a black vulture. What liars!

 

[akcountrygrrl]

Maybe the vulture thinks you are harboring baby vultures (showgirls) and is trying to plan a rescue mission.