Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[FlyRobinFly]

Well - we have a hawk.

Frodo is in the garage recovering from an attack. I don't know if she'll make it, one eye is bloody and she is partially scalped. No pictures, it's just too graphic.

I don't think I can get anymore bantams. I love them so but don't want to sentence them to death!

It's a small hawk - coopers hawk possibly? I don't think it can take my LF chickens - but I don't have a lot of experience.

I hope Frodo recovers. Sorry about the hawk.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Thanks Greg, great story.

 

[CarolynF]

TurtlePowerTrav : Trav, sorry you lost your broody. And glad the little one found his way to the other flock. Way too much of this stuff happening lately. Guess the wild critters are having a harder time finding food in the bad weather. My girls have been choosing to stay inside their pen more than usual with all the rotten weather. I'm glad because we have hawks around here too.

Farmin Momma : Sooo glad your girl wasn't taken! {happy dance} The idea that something pried open the coop door kind of creeped me out.

Chicken Rustler : Doggone, we used to go to Portland every Christmas Eve but since both my in-laws passed away this year we aren't going. Sorry.

BTW, the Rise & Shine sign got a nice little touch-up and clear coat and is ready to go! It's sitting in my living room and I'm enjoying it until it goes to it's new home on Christmas.

dawng ; So sorry about Frodo I hope she heals quickly!

@TotalColour: The wreath is almost ready to hit the oven, wish me luck! I did use my own recipe this time since I'm more familiar with it. I'll try yours another day. The ingredients are similar but the procedure is different.

 

[hallerlake]

I cooked goose last night for the first time. It was a success. Everyone liked it, but a ten pound bird was barely enough for eight people. Next time, I'll order a twelve pounder. I have four cups of fat I need to figure out what to do with.

 

[TerrorBird]

TerrorBird, you are wrong about them being no threat to big girls. They will chase them and isolate them to attack. I have witnessed this in my neighbors yard. They fly through tree braches like they are not there and use them to get closer to the chickens for ambush. They will attack a full size chicken if the situation arises and if they are hungry enough, that is how they got the nickname "chicken hawk".

The ones I've seen on my property can't even properly handle a Belgian. One of my birds was killed earlier this year because it landed hard on her back/neck and killed her instantly. It really was only a bit bigger than she was, and Belgians are very small. My big girls see the small hawks and simply wonder what that thing is, assuming that it hasn't caught something yet. Your situation is different from mine. I've had chickens for almost nine years and am speaking from my experience.

 

[Farmin Momma]

TurtlePowerTrav /img/forum/go_quote.gif:  Trav, sorry you lost your broody.  And glad the little one found his way to the other flock.  Way too much of this stuff happening lately.  Guess the wild critters are having a harder time finding food in the bad weather.  My girls have been choosing to stay inside their pen more than usual with all the rotten weather.  I'm glad because we have hawks around here too.

Farmin Momma /img/forum/go_quote.gif:  Sooo glad your girl wasn't taken!  {happy dance}  The idea that something pried open the coop door kind of creeped me out. 

Chicken Rustler /img/forum/go_quote.gif:  Doggone, we used to go to Portland every Christmas Eve but since both my in-laws passed away this year we aren't going.  Sorry. :/  
BTW, the Rise & Shine sign got a nice little touch-up and clear coat and is ready to go!  It's sitting in my living room and I'm enjoying it until it goes to it's new home on Christmas.

dawng /img/forum/go_quote.gif;  So sorry about Frodo I hope she heals quickly!

@TotalColour:  The wreath is almost ready to hit the oven, wish me luck!  I did use my own recipe this time since I'm more familiar with it.  I'll try yours another day.  The ingredients are similar but the procedure is different. 

Carolyn-
What ever it ws did pull open the coop door and get one of my girls. Just not the one I thought, she must have run to hide somewhere. But showed back up today.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Well - we have a hawk. Frodo is in the garage recovering from an attack. I don't know if she'll make it, one eye is bloody and she is partially scalped. No pictures, it's just too graphic. I don't think I can get anymore bantams. I love them so but don't want to sentence them to death! It's a small hawk - coopers hawk possibly? I don't think it can take my LF chickens - but I don't have a lot of experience.

I'm sorry That's so scary. We have a hawk or something that hangs out above the chickens lately~It just sits and watches. I think my hens are too big for him to take except the araucana. Crows usually let me know when it's around:

The posture is right for a Sharpshin or Cooper's Hawk, but there's not enough surface detail or scale to figure out which.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Well - we have a hawk.

Frodo is in the garage recovering from an attack. I don't know if she'll make it, one eye is bloody and she is partially scalped. No pictures, it's just too graphic.

I don't think I can get anymore bantams. I love them so but don't want to sentence them to death!

It's a small hawk - coopers hawk possibly? I don't think it can take my LF chickens - but I don't have a lot of experience.

Yeah, those guys are barely bigger than the Belgians. I hate them to death. They are absolutely no threat to your big girls. They're so fast and bold. Even if you're standing ten feet away, they will attempt a strike. The last few actual hits have resulted in wrestling matches that I interrupt by roaring. I'm very sorry that little Frodo is in a bad way. I hope she makes it.

If it's "barely bigger than the Belgians" it's probably a Sharpshin; Cooper's are the next size up.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

OK I am looking for a relay!!!! I am trying to get one of my pig planters relayed from just south of Chehalis to the Portland OR area. I am trying to do this before Christmas but may have to wait until after. Anybody going that way soon. I could meet right at I-5. I am not sure of a meet point in Portland area. IF you can help PLEASE PM, e-mail or text if you have my cell.

I will send you a PM

Well - we have a hawk. Frodo is in the garage recovering from an attack. I don't know if she'll make it, one eye is bloody and she is partially scalped. No pictures, it's just too graphic. I don't think I can get anymore bantams. I love them so but don't want to sentence them to death! It's a small hawk - coopers hawk possibly? I don't think it can take my LF chickens - but I don't have a lot of experience.

I'm sorry That's so scary. We have a hawk or something that hangs out above the chickens lately~It just sits and watches. I think my hens are too big for him to take except the araucana. Crows usually let me know when it's around:

That is probably a coopers or sharp-shinned hawk. See below TerrorBird post for more info

Well - we have a hawk. Frodo is in the garage recovering from an attack. I don't know if she'll make it, one eye is bloody and she is partially scalped. No pictures, it's just too graphic. I don't think I can get anymore bantams. I love them so but don't want to sentence them to death! It's a small hawk - coopers hawk possibly? I don't think it can take my LF chickens - but I don't have a lot of experience.

Yeah, those guys are barely bigger than the Belgians. I hate them to death. They are absolutely no threat to your big girls. They're so fast and bold. Even if you're standing ten feet away, they will attempt a strike. The last few actual hits have resulted in wrestling matches that I interrupt by roaring. I'm very sorry that little Frodo is in a bad way. I hope she makes it.

TerrorBird, you are wrong about them being no threat to big girls. They will chase them and isolate them to attack. I have witnessed this in my neighbors yard. They fly through tree braches like they are not there and use them to get closer to the chickens for ambush. They will attack a full size chicken if the situation arises and if they are hungry enough, that is how they got the nickname "chicken hawk".

Sorry, but the sobriquette "Chicken Hawk" is usually attached to Redtailed Hawks, Buteo jamaicencis. Cooper's Hawk hens will take adult LF if there's nothing easier around, and will get down and chase things on the ground id they have to. They're absolutely fearless, and the residents know every cubic inch of their territory and can navigate thickets at full speed. The two smaller Accipterine Hawks (Sharpshin and Coopers) are also the primary biological control of the imported, disease and parasite carrying, bluebird extirpating, noisy, filthy starling.

 

[Totalcolour]

I cooked goose last night for the first time. It was a success. Everyone liked it, but a ten pound bird was barely enough for eight people. Next time, I'll order a twelve pounder. I have four cups of fat I need to figure out what to do with.

Goose is wonderfull but yes, it takes a big bird since the dress out is so poor.

I don't know how much time you have, but if you have any stale bread around, cube it up and cook it in the goose fat. Your chickens will sing your praises forever. It's a great treat for them and adds some good fat protein for the winter months. I sometimes add it to my dog food too.

("I" like bread cooked in goose or duck fat!)