Will a hawk go INTO the henhouse?

[LisaJean]

Hi all,

My girls are getting to the age where they'll be big enough to have free rein of the backyard. I am worried most of all about hawks.

Right now, the girls bolt into the henhouse (from their enclosed run) if any bird, any size, flies too close to the coop. So I'm assuming they'll do the same if a hawk flies over.

My question is, will a hawk walk into the henhouse after the chickens, or will he give up if he can't just dart down and grab one?

 

[jeaucamom]

Not sure about into a hen house, but several weeks ago, one climbed under a huge bush the girls were hiding under after the first failed attack on the open grass. The one in my yard is very brave or very stupid, not sure which. He was kind of small, so he may have been young and not savvy yet. I would always play it safe and assume they will get into anything they can to get a free meal.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I've seen pics over the years on the sister byc ezboard of Hawks being inside peoples henhouses.....flying in or walking....

 

[paganfish]

"He was kind of small, so he may have been young and not savvy yet."

There you go! I was going to say the same. Only a hungry juvenile will try something like this. It's folly since they can't really RUN that fast and their hunt success requires the element of surprise.

I have never seen a hawk go INTO any of the hen houses but, I did get about 6 feet to a juvenile roosting on the netting over the run before it flew off...this last Spring.

Brave little bugger!:|

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

I have also wondered about that, in our case that would be interesting what our dogs would do about that, normally we have just fly overs with a dive bomb and flying off to a pole or trees to further watch. The hawk can sure cause an uproar and scare the dickens out of the chickens.

 

[silkiechicken]

I would think a hawk who is mature and knows what it is doing will do a "stealth" hunt and hit it's food to stun it before killing or carrying it off. Only a young one who is starving will walk along the ground and try to make a kill... on the ground it is only slightly more dangerous than a chicken really, as it's main killing tactic is hit and stun.

 

[bantymum]

Im not sure if a hawk will be game enough to go into a house but a crow will.
I had a crow that would go into the run then into the henhouse and steal every egg if my car wasnt in the driveway.
It depends whether you have a run attached or is it a stand alone house?

 

[Roast]

Wow, I have lost a hen to a hawk, and the idea never occured to me that hawks might attempt going into the coup itself!! I'm a tad worried now!... I'll have to keep an eye and ear out. Although my rooster is a real attack rooster - so I feel confident in his abilities! (finges crossed - touch wood!)

 

[ozark hen]

I remember a post on here about someone finding a young hawk sitting on the hen's roost ..I think some other predator was in the coop? do a search and you might find it.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
Yea, I remember that thread. It was just sitting there roosting with her chickens looking scared. Very bizzare! That really sacred me, so I lock them up tight, pop hole and all, every night.