Well, finally happened--Cooper hawk --Up dated 9-17 page 3

[beachchickie]

Coopers generally hunt in pairs. That makes them twice as dangerous. They are not easily spooked and are very brave.I hate them.

 

[woodmort]

Red tails circle before they attack so the birds can get out of the way if they have a warning. I've seen that happen a few times. But Coopers come in low and through the trees, suspect they're on the birds before they realize it. We have few redtails around here on a regular basis and they have never been able to get a bird, even when they've had the run of the place. This is the first Cooper I've seen around--just hoping he's migrating through. Well, I don't have a way to cover the chicken yard so the birds are going to be locked down for a few days. BTW, it was one of the EE pullets I got in May so it was a young bird--darn it.

After I took the dead chicken and disposed of it, the hawk came back looking for it, saw it wandering around the chicken yard so it's lucky I was able to get everyone out of harms way.

 

[Lbrad7]

Sorry to hear about your loss woodmort. Hope it was a one time deal.

 

[scruffysmom]

What kind of gamecock are you guys referring to? I just lost my little peacock and an RP poult to a red-tail hawk. I did hear my guinea flock raising the alarm, but by the time I saw the hawk he'd already made his kill. I took my chick away from him. The hawk came late in the evening for the poult, I was gone, but something must have interrupted him because he didn't get to eat that one either. Odd that he's getting the chicks in one spot and carrying them to another place in the yard to eat them. The poult was just a few feet from from where he had taken the peacock. My chicks were approximately 2 1/2 months old. I have guineas, chickens and turkeys free ranging during the day , locking them up at night. I've seen the red-tail come three times now and leave empty-handed. The guineas are a good alarm, but they don't always range with the chickens and turkeys. BTW, the hawk is huge, as it was perched on my peacock it spread it's wings to defend the kill. Needless to say I was undeterred.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Gamecocks , like those that were used in fights. They are not mean, but have been bred to fight to the death. So brave they will attack predators after their hens.

They would not help with redtail, other than they would give their life to protect the hens.

 

[harleyjo]

Sorry to hear about the EE and do I remember that these hawks are protected? Even with it being down in your chicken yard you couldn't get rid of it?

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Gamecocks , like those that were used in fights. They are not mean, but have been bred to fight to the death. So brave they will attack predators after their hens.

They would not help with redtail, other than they would give their life to protect the hens.

Red-tails are not so tough when on the ground. My games, even the cocks, are scared to death when the hawk is above them whether in air or tree. Once the hawk on the ground some game roosters will turn the tables and if the hawk does not have his talons in you, he/she can not control fight. Clash I observed between game rooster and hawk on ground very different from that between two roosters. Rooster fluffs up like ticked off broody hen and tries to get behind the hawk. If he can he will do some damage the hawk will try to avoid. It is the roosters wings that seem to do the damage. Chicks (again games) about 3-weeks old will do same when presented with fledgling American kestrels of the same size as the chicks. Seen that more than once when fledgling kestrels fall to ground during first day out of nest.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Gamecocks , like those that were used in fights. They are not mean, but have been bred to fight to the death. So brave they will attack predators after their hens.

They would not help with redtail, other than they would give their life to protect the hens.

Red-tails are not so tough when on the ground. My games, even the cocks, are scared to death when the hawk is above them whether in air or tree. Once the hawk on the ground some game roosters will turn the tables and if the hawk does not have his talons in you, he/she can not control fight. Clash I observed between game rooster and hawk on ground very different from that between two roosters. Rooster fluffs up like ticked off broody hen and tries to get behind the hawk. If he can he will do some damage the hawk will try to avoid. It is the roosters wings that seem to do the damage. Chicks (again games) about 3-weeks old will do same when presented with fledgling American kestrels of the same size as the chicks. Seen that more than once when fledgling kestrels fall to ground during first day out of nest.

Cool.

I love it when the tables are turned.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Yes they're both federal and state protected--and I agree with it so I'll need to take some counter-hawk measures. Right now I have unhappy chickens because they are behind hardware cloth until I can get other measures in place.

 

[AlbionWood]

Welcome to the club nobody wants to join! After a Cooper's killed one of mine, I strung monofilament fishing line from post to post criss-crossing all over the chicken yard, on the square and on the diagonal. I have a 6' plastic deer fence all around, so ran the line from the tops of the T-posts. Gives me just enough clearance to walk in OK. Since Cooper's come in low and fast, the line should should prevent their usual mode of attack. One came by yesterday and didn't get in; so far so good, but there are still a few weeks of migration to go.