Well this is a first….

[630004]

Our chickens free range. I have a coop with an automatic door opener and an enclosed section on each side where I just leave the doors open. We have electric chicken netting to keep the chickens in and they free range in whatever area we assign.

we have two flocks of chickens. The originals (about a year old) and their off spring (few months). They both free range in the day.

yesterday I saw a hawk herd all the young chickens inside the enclosed section of the coop and start attacking the chickens. It injured one and killed another.

this is the first time I have seen a hawk actual do this kind of behavior. my neighbor who also has chickens had the same thing happen later in the day.

looks like the hawk has learned a pretty effective method to get the chickens. Anyone seen this before?

 

[bobbi-j]

I have never seen that, but did come home a month or so ago to find a hawk and a dead chicken in my run. The run is covered, and the door was only open wide enough for the chickens to get out, so it must have walked in. I imagined him just casually strolling in like, “Doop de do, nothing to see here. Just another chicken..”

 

[theoldchick]

I had a Coopers Hawk fly in the garage to land on a crate that housed a lost/exhausted racing pigeon that I found in the front yard. That crate was no where near the door. It was located way in the back corner. The hawk departed as soon as he saw me. I've also had Coopers Hawk slam into a large Leyland Cypress tree to get its prey. I used to have a large Red-tailed hawk perch on top of my main coop and snatch mice. I didn't see him or his mate this spring.

 

[Folly's place]

Your hawk will return, so keep those birds inside a covered, safe run and coop for at least two weeks, maybe longer, until that bird gives up and moves on.
We had a Coopers hawk walk into a hoop coop, years ago, and was eating the young chicken on our truck tailgate! Fearless! She hung around our coop for another week, hoping the chickens would come out again.
Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

They are persistent.

 

[007Sean]

Never have actually witnessed that before but they can learn and it's probably done it before to someone else's flock!!! and as long as the flock isn't in a secured enclosure they will return until no more are left.