Will a chicken hawk eventually leave?

[BearSwampChick]

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This is exactly what happened here yesterday. We knew the red-tails were nesting on our property, but since we hadn't seen them, felt safe in "knowing" that they normally hunt in open fields or alongside roadways. Wrong! When they're hungry, they're hungry and rules be da**ed. Especially when they are feeding their young. Today I've heard them even more than ever. The chickens have stayed inside the henhouse most of the day, even though the run is more secure since we covered it with netting last evening.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

My chickens are on temporary lock-down. Only getting let out when I am there to watch. I had a group of EEs that would immediately run to the woodline to forage. Well I started with about 15, now I only have one. I assumed they would be safe in the treelines because they foraged below a bunch of wild grape and berry vines, it was more of a thicket than anything.

The chickens that have survived, forage right up against the house and inside the barn.

I have one cull rooster that was scheduled to be butchered last week, but we decided to keep him. He has been wonderful at evading the predators and sleeping in the rafters of the barn. So he is the free-ranging protector for now, by keeping any hens I let out safe. I just wish those EEs would take heed and follow him.

-Kim

 

[BearSwampChick]

Kim, is your property fenced? And were your chickens killed only by hawks or other animals?
Our backyard is fenced, so we haven't had problems with 4-legged critters yet. Of course, the chooks are secured in their very secure henhouse at night.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

No, our property is not fenced. Our dogs do a decent job at detering four legged predators during the day. We bring the dogs in at night and the local fox den knows this, as we found out last year.

The birds always went missing one or two at a time and always during the day, so I assumed it was a raptor. We lock them up at night. The EEs were the perfect size to be carried off, being only adolescents and not adults. Our larger birds were never taken.

I have seen a raptor down around the pond. Whether hawk or falcon, I am not certain. I have observed it flush, chase, catch, and carry off the doves that come to drink or hang around the pond. I have only seen this a couple times. I never see the raptor until I hear the doves flush, they are skillful predators. Once I was walking through the horse pasture, near the pond, I flushed a dove and had to duck because I flushed the very dove being stalked by this raptor. The raptor pursued and flew over my shoulder and past my head after the dove. Quite the experience. I'm just glad it went after the dove and not my face.

-Kim

 

[BearSwampChick]

Yikes! That was close! You could have had your scalp torn, or worse!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I didn't know it was there. It was sitting in a fir tree and the dove was sitting some where else nearby. I was walking the horse fence and either I or the raptor flushed the dove. The raptor barely even noticed me(tunnel vision, I suppose), he had to catch dinner before it got away. The whole thing happened so quickly, I didn't have time to react to the initial flush. I did watch predator and prey lap the pond once and dissapear over a tree line.

I want to say it is a falcon. I would think hawks would prefer more awkward prey than those doves. Those little things are quick! It really gives the raptors a run for their lunch.

-Kim

 

[BearSwampChick]

You are indeed correct! Raptors DO have tunnel vision. They are so focused on their prey that they don't see the surroundings. That's why so many of them get killed on the highways. I let the chickens out for a bit this evening and the darned hawk tried to strike again! The chooks squawked and made a run for it. I was standing right in the middle of them when it happened! Started waving my arms and yelling like a madwoman! I will never trust letting them free-range again. Learned my lesson, but good.

 

[Davaroo]

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So the hawk wins?

 

[BearSwampChick]

You betcha, Red Ryder!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

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Sorry to hear that. I don't fret over it much anymore. When one doesn't come home, I just accept the fact that it didn't run fast enough for cover and it won't be coming home.

-Kim