What killed my chicken? (GRAPHIC PICTURES)

[kidcody]

So sorry to hear about your loved chicken, I also have to watch for all of the Bald Eagles that watch every moment to steal my loved chickens. My life revolves around making sure every chicken is in the barn. My heart goes out to you. I know how this feels. God bless to you!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Maybe. I have multiple hawk attacks per year (have saved most, I am home a lot) and I haven't ever had one dead on impact. Only dead birds I found were half eaten.

Hmm, that makes sense. But that's awesome you've saved so many! I wonder if a rooster would help? Or if there's some sort of hawk deterrent?

I agree....every strike is not on target, but when it is it is disabling....red tails also encircle their prey with their wings to make it dark and to confuse their prey....allowing for a direct head strike also....especially with snakes.

That's so fascinating. Do certain species kills look different or do they all pretty much look the same?

It's a hard lesson no matter how it happens and whether or not death happens swiftly or if there is suffering involved is one of those things that since nobody witnessed the kill, nobody knows for certain. You can only hope that she took one breath in this life and the next in that little corner of heaven that is reserved for their tiny feathered souls.

Her death did stand for something. Hawks are beautiful creatures that own the sky when they take to wing. To it, your little hen represented a meal, the same as a hamburger represents one to us. Animals die so we can eat every day, so it is with the wild creatures of this earth. Please don't beat yourself up and please don't hate the hawk.

This is an important part of keeping chickens that we all battle with on a daily basis....keeping our birds safe from predators.

Thank you so much! This is an amazing post!

Great post.

I agree.

i am soooo sorry for your loss. finding her like that is heart breaking.. it really is a classic hawk kill.. they pluck and make a circle of feathers and try to decapitate.. don't beat yourself up too much tho.. hawks are fast and even if you were there, in the house for a few minutes, a hawk can swoop in.. [hugs]

Thank you! Yeah, seeing her like that was awful that makes sense though but wow they spend a lot of time plucking! No wonder it didn't get to the eating ha..

absolutely agree..

I'm glad, it makes me feel better

Thanks Banty.

We've all been there and done that, whether young or old. It hurts.

I'm glad it's not just me. I mean, I knew it wasn't, but having everyone be so nice instead of being like "stop crying, it's just a chicken" it makes me feel better.

Although a certain family member who shall remain unnamed actually mentioned eating her...... I think it was just a joke and they tend not to think before speaking but it didn't help at all and really made me feel bad. I told them, would we eat Gator (our dog)?

I'm so sorry for your loss! I know it is normal to "coulda, shoulda, woulda,", but don't do it - we're all human and make mistakes we wish we could take back. Thank you for posting the photos as hard as it probably was for you. I, for one, learned what a hawk strike looks like because you did.

Thank you so much! I'm trying not to think like that but it's really hard, especially since I have anxiety and tend to over think anyway. And honestly, if it can help people then that makes me happy, even if it sucks losing her.

 

[ShrekDawg]

So sorry to hear about your loved chicken, I also have to watch for all of the Bald Eagles that watch every moment to steal my loved chickens. My life revolves around making sure every chicken is in the barn. My heart goes out to you. I know how this feels. God bless to you!

Thank you so much!! It was definitely sad. I can't imagine having to be so aware all the time! Although I do love eagles. They are so pretty. Hawks are too but when they take your babies they can sure seem ugly.

 

[ShrekDawg]

These are my first chickens (though I've wanted them and been on the site since 2008 ha) and we have had them for 2 years already with zero losses so it was definitely hard losing them. They are like pets to me and all have names and their own personality. We have had a few scares - hawk, fox, raccoons - but never any losses.

 

[BantyChooks]

Hmm, that makes sense. But that's awesome you've saved so many! I wonder if a rooster would help? Or if there's some sort of hawk deterrent?

I have 10 roosters, which is why I haven't lost more. They make sort of a hawk watch line. It's the dumb ones that get caught. My birds get more range wary with every attack and will dive for the bushes at the first sign of danger, even the ducks. I free range so it's tricky to deter them. It's mostly young, desperate hawks in fall that go after my birds. I'm okay with that. I will still protect my birds as much as I can but they're just finding a meal.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have 10 roosters, which is why I haven't lost more. They make sort of a hawk watch line. It's the dumb ones that get caught. My birds get more range wary with every attack and will dive for the bushes at the first sign of danger, even the ducks. I free range so it's tricky to deter them. It's mostly young, desperate hawks in fall that go after my birds. I'm okay with that. I will still protect my birds as much as I can but they're just finding a meal.

Wow maybe I need a rooster then! But we have neighbors so I worry about the noise and my parents are weird about fertilized eggs too

Yeah my Orpingtons are not my brightest chickens although Penny I think was a bit smarter.

Hopefully after this attack they will be more wary next time? But I will keep them locked in for a while. I also think that else don't have that much cover in the particular area they were. I will try to get some pictures or video and maybe someone can suggest some improvements. Although we also have tall pine trees and I think they hang out up high, watch my flock, and maybe dive from the trees? Do they do that? So even if they had cover, they might not have even had time or seen the hawk?

Maybe I just need to keep them in in the fall. I think we get migrating hawks here too

 

[BantyChooks]

would we eat Gator (our dog)?

I'd eat a dog that got killed by something. Meat is meat.
I can understand not wanting to eat a pet, though. They still seem special.

Wow maybe I need a rooster then! But we have neighbors so I worry about the noise and my parents are weird about fertilized eggs too

My neighbours couldn't care less since they own roosters too, though I suppose it may be different if you live in the city.

 

[BantyChooks]

Hopefully after this attack they will be more wary next time? But I will keep them locked in for a while. I also think that else don't have that much cover in the particular area they were. I will try to get some pictures or video and maybe someone can suggest some improvements. Although we also have tall pine trees and I think they hang out up high, watch my flock, and maybe dive from the trees? Do they do that? So even if they had cover, they might not have even had time or seen the hawk?

Maybe. Took a bit for my flock to get really wary. The last bird I had killed by one was a Sultan that was about as bright as a piece of coal.... the others scoot out of the way quickly enough.

 

[diamondsilkies]

Aww I'm so very sorry for your loss. It sucks to loose a chicken

 

[CntryBoy777]

There are truly only a few hawks that will go after full grown chickens, because of the size. The red tail is the largest here in the U.S. and is spread across the continent a few of the smaller species will attempt to with some success, but they look for smaller prey....bantams and small chicken breeds are more apt to suffer attacks than larger birds. There are some hawks that hunt in pairs or groups, but aren't widespread across the nation and are localized in territory. Eagles and owls take their share, but it is the great horned owl that leads the owl group and there is a significant difference in the sizes of owls, so there are just a few that can attempt to tackle something large. All birds of prey have to have room to swoop down on their prey....like a plane landing at an airport, or taking off.....they rarely will land and attack from the ground, because it isn't natural or their strength to do so....if ya disrupt the flight pattern with obstacles and they don't have a clear open shot to swoop in and out they are much less likely to even attempt to try. Most birds of prey that seek sizeable meals fly high and scan the landscape, their wings are not designed to dart between branches, limbs, trees, buildings, or obstructions....there are some species that do, but they are much smaller and would rarely try anything bigger than a squirrel. When ya look at your area that they are out in, keep these things in mind and a few strageically place obstructions can go a long way in deterring aerial attacks.