- Aug 12, 2014
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Ok, after losing our first chicken ever last week to some type of un-named small hawk, we have battened down the hatches a bit--chicken wire over dog run, tarp over that, pallets on legs throughout the pasture, screens & more pallets leaned at an angle against the coop...CD's and mirrors and scarecrow this week. Spent all this $$ on PoultryNet for peace of mind against 4-legged predators...and now I STILL have to worry about hawks!!!
That being said, the hawk took one of our more bold, precocious Barred Rock Roos--do you think at 7-weeks they instinctually try to protect the flock already? Was literally planning on giving away about 10 of the Roos next week at a Poultry Swap--everyone still gets along just dandy and there's no real fighting and no crowing at the moment.
Almost wondering if I should keep the flock in tact as long as possible--more Roo eyes trained to the sky?
The coop is 10'X10' with three roosts and seems to fit them more than adequately at this point, 7-weeks-old. The run is 12'X8' but I hate to keep them in just that when we have 1600sf of lovely, grassy area for them to explore.
When my husband heard a hawk earlier today, he ran down to the pen, only to find it a ghost town--everyone in the coop. Think they're learning? Or am I just fooling myself?
That being said, the hawk took one of our more bold, precocious Barred Rock Roos--do you think at 7-weeks they instinctually try to protect the flock already? Was literally planning on giving away about 10 of the Roos next week at a Poultry Swap--everyone still gets along just dandy and there's no real fighting and no crowing at the moment.
Almost wondering if I should keep the flock in tact as long as possible--more Roo eyes trained to the sky?
The coop is 10'X10' with three roosts and seems to fit them more than adequately at this point, 7-weeks-old. The run is 12'X8' but I hate to keep them in just that when we have 1600sf of lovely, grassy area for them to explore.
When my husband heard a hawk earlier today, he ran down to the pen, only to find it a ghost town--everyone in the coop. Think they're learning? Or am I just fooling myself?
