Will a Red-tailed hawk attack my flock if I'm standing outside with them?

[Painted Calls]

I couldn't have watched either. Luckily I was outside when this one decided to have a go. I screamed like a banshee while running right at it and waving my arms like an inflatable tube man. That eagle wanted no part of this crazy and decided against it at last moment.

 

[ValerieJ]

I couldn't have watched either. Luckily I was outside when this one decided to have a go. I screamed like a banshee while running right at it and waving my arms like an inflatable tube man. That eagle wanted no part of this crazy and decided against it at last moment.

As funny as that scene sounds, I'm so glad you were able to chase her away! I want the eagles to eat, I just don't want them to eat our livestock!

 

[Painted Calls]

Agreed!

 

[Rooapalooza]

Small dog defense! Here is my large-on-the-inside dog:

Keeping up with the big boys... she is a terrible cheater though

Appreciating the other little things in life

Not hogging the couch

Also, her poops are tiny. I would post a picture here but that seems in bad taste, lol.

 

[analyticalblonde]

It's crazy that you just posted this, because this happened to me literally today. A large Cooper's hawk tried to attack my chickens less than 15 feet away from me. He didn't get any, fortunately. Actually last week he flew by my face so close that I felt wind on my cheek.

He flew into my neighbor's tree after missing my chickens today. Here he is, you can't tell his size in this picture, but he was pretty intimidating up close.

View attachment 2030988

Wow! He's really big!

 

[Jacquieh]

The answer to your question...YES! I had a hawk kill my hen, my mom stopped him from taking her, and he was determined to get his dinner back! For the rest of the evening he tried! We were ALL outside, 5 of us... He didn't care!
The other problem i had...i have pigeon's...i was standing outside with 3 other people, a small hawk came down from the roof, flew past all us and chased my boy right out of the yard! He never came back!
So, just cause you are standing there, they will definitely try and get you chickens! What helped keep the first hawk from getting another of my hens was we ran to the spot he was trying to dive down and get to... But that doesn't always work! I know i shouldn't say this... But I got a high powered pellet rifle! Use it to you discretion!
The other thing I'm doing, is getting the bird netting and just covering a large area of my yard. Also, put lots of things in the yard for your girls to run under and hide! Think of the hawk like a plane, he needs a runway... But if you put lots of things in the way, he can't make a clean sweep and grab them and just leave. He has to get on the ground and then you boys will fight him! It's a more equal fight if he's on the ground! That's what we do! It's worked so far! Also, get a turkey! I hear they prevent hawks from attacking chicken's!

 

[cmom]

I have had a hawk kill a bird not 10 feet away from me. It took off but I still had a dead bird. One time my husband was cutting some wood in our driveway. I had a temporary pen set up next to where he was working with some chicks in it. A hawk came down grabbed a chick and flew off with it. Both times we were right there.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Red shoulder hawks will do it. One caught one of my RJF hybrids not 10 paces from me a few weeks ago. I charged it and it dropped her.

When I was a child I watched big red tails kill my poultry a couple of times, once a chicken once a guinea. But I was 50 or more yards away.

 

[cmom]

This is an older picture of one of my grow-out pens. The trees and bushes I planted in it are much bigger now. Not long ago a Red-Tailed hawk breached the netting covering the pen which has since been replaced and killed several birds. I had a Dr appointment and errands to do so I was away for quite awhile. I did check the birds before I left and they were ok. I was gone for a few hours and when I got back the birds were going crazy so I went to investigate and that is when I discovered the hawk and dead birds. All were RIR but one which was a RIW. Most of the birds killed were pullets not far from laying.

 

[cmom]

I couldn't have watched either. Luckily I was outside when this one decided to have a go. I screamed like a banshee while running right at it and waving my arms like an inflatable tube man. That eagle wanted no part of this crazy and decided against it at last moment.

A BYC member posted a picture of her, I believe it was, a red tube man next to her coop. I can't find the post.