Will a hawk still try to take a full grown RIR or BR?

[Mulemom]

I just started letting a few of my girls out at a time while I was out with them last weekend. This week there is a hawk basicly living in my back "yard". She actually flew into the window in my office door one day, and when I didn't see a bird get up and fly away after hearing the noise, i got up and opened the door. There at my feet was a beautiful red tail hawk. She looked up at be and slowly flew away. Since then she has been in the oak and manzanita trees right outside for a few days now. I got home yesterday and she was in the birdbath on my deck!

The chickens have not been out since I first saw her and they live on the other side of the property. She does not seem to be watching them. They are 9 weeks old tomorrow and seem too big for her already IMO, but I guess it's her "opinion" that matters.

She seems to be mostly attracted by the water, the birdbath and the fountain and the hundreds of mourning doves that hang out back there.

Do you folks think that once my girls and boy are full grown that she will still be a problem for them?

 

[CarriBrown]

Yep. A hawk can pick up a full grown bird. Sounds like your little friend is waiting for a free meal.
I'd try calling the Dept of Fish and Game to see if they can come and re-home her.

 

[BeckyLa]

Unfortunately, yes. I lost my 2 best Marans hens last year to a Red-Tailed Hawk. I came home and there it was, in the run dining in my hen. And one of our members was sitting holding her hen and a Red-Tailed plucked it right out of her hands. Fortunately, she had the presence of mind to hit the hawk and it let go of her hen, which is ok now. So don't trust them even if you're in the yard with your birds. If a chicken is too big for the hawk to carry off, it will kill and eat it on the ground.

 

[silkiechicken]

I've only lost bantams to hawks. You can't trust a hungry bird though. I did have my broody sexlink chase a hawk and try to beat it up twice when the bird swooped down in attempt to grab her only child.

 

[Whirlwind]

I had a red tailed hawk get a fully grown BR. Took her just a little ways then sat down to have dinner. Well I cheated it out of its dinner but I never let mine out now if I see a hawk hanging around. I usually wait them out and they move on for a while.

Just when you get relaxed they show back up looking for chicken dinner.

 

[Mulemom]

Hm....I was really counting on free ranging them when they got bigger. We have 6 acres, but it backs up to 6000 acres of timber company land. There are hawks and criters a plenty, now even a black bear wondering thru the back yard at night. I figured they'd get too big for a hawk when they were grown. Will they get wise about it, or am I gonna have to keep them in that tiny run all the time?

 

[wendy]

Quote:
well i posted a story on here yesterday. i lost a BR that was 6 months old, only found feathers! we have 13 acres and 5 are cleared. i am a stay at home mom and checked on the like three times every hour!
mine don't free range today, they are locked in there 18 x 25 ft pen

 

[silkiechicken]

I let mine free range. I found that as long as I keep some of the
"old timers" around, the birds see the hawk and run for cover. They also have lots of places to hind and find that once they got smart about the hawk, they kick it under old building and under cars and trucks or in coops/covered run areas.

 

[Yonaton]

Here in West TN, we've got hawks out the ying-yang. We've only had them get banties and young pullets. None of our guineas has been bothered by hawks either and the guineas cover *all* 10 acres of open hay fields all day long. I suppose one could if it was willing to put up with the fight of a guinea-sized bird, but they'd prefer easier prey like snakes and young rabbits and mice and rats and such.

 

[BeckyLa]

I don't know how true it is as I don't have any, but I've heard that guineas have very sharp eyes when it comes to birds of prey and they are quick to warn the flock they're there. This way the birds run for cover and the hawks miss out. I've also read on these forums that having a goat with the flock will keep hawks away.