Will a silkie roo be able to fight off a hawk?

[mom2jedi]

Had a hawk attack a couple weeks ago but all it did was scare the crud out of my big girls sending them scurrying into the coop. Yesterday discovered I was missing one of my 2 month old silkies. (They've only been allowed to roam for about a week.) Went looking around the run and found a small scattered pile of feathers. Looks like the hawk got it.

No blood or body parts left behind that would indicate another predator. So what I want to know is will a silkie roo be big/strong/tough enough to fight off a full grown red tailed hawk? I really don't want more than one rooster as DH is finally ok with the idea of having one to protect the girls and banties are usually quieter.

I love my little buff silkie roo but he's only 2 months old as well. It's possible for me to get an EE roo (also 2 months old) from a friend of mine. I actually had this roo with my chicks for quite a while as my friend and I split an order and she didn't take her chicks for a few weeks but of course she took them to her house right before the hawk attack that convinced DH we might need one. She already has two roos so really didn't need another one (he was supposed to be a girl) and he's very pretty but not sure DH will be okay with two boys unless I can convince him the silkie won't be able to effectively protect the flock by himself. I'll definitely have enough hens for two boys but I don't want the crowing to get out of hand (if that's possible).

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Absolutely not. I have 2 silkie roos and hawks. I keep them in a covered run unless I'm right there when they free range.

They'll just pick them up and fly away; they are so light.

Hawks will land and eat large chickens right there on the ground.

 

[austin.ray22]

No I do not believe that a Silkie Roo would ever be able to defend against a hawk, but at the same time, all of these 2 month old birds are really a free meal that this point due to their age and lack of size.

 

[mom2jedi]

Thanks! That's what I needed to hear. Now I just have to convince DH that my little silkie boy won't cause any problems with a bigger roo....

 

[A.T. Hagan]

No. Silkies are hawk bait in my area.

I do have one Silkie cock bird that survived a hawk attack, but that seemed to be more luck than anything else.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

But your bigger roo may cause your silky grief. Possible the big roo will ignore him but I would not place bets that way. If they grew up together might get away with it but intrergration of adult chickens I doubt would go well in that case.

 

[mom2jedi]

austin.ray22 :

No I do not believe that a Silkie Roo would ever be able to defend against a hawk, but at the same time, all of these 2 month old birds are really a free meal that this point due to their age and lack of size.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I don't have any way to keep them covered really without netting half of my 1/4 acre back yard. That's just not financially feasible right now. I'm trying to get them integrated into the rest of the flock and so far they are handling themselves pretty well with the big girls. I'd hate to have to separate them again.​

 

[mom2jedi]

Quote:
I will have just over 20 hens will everyone is all grown up. I was thinking two roos would be okay with that many hens. Grrrr! Stupid hawks. My guard mockingbirds must be gone for the winter, haven't heard them since the first attack.

 

[FlipFlopFarmer]

have you looked into a LGD, or other guard animal, I have a lil mule, and the only thing to get past her so far is field mice!

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Two roos of more equal footing might settle in but with a big mis-match the little guy could get hurt. Maybe if the big roo never saw him as a threat and the little guy never pushed his luck. Would be better if they gre up together. I have a silky (mutt likely) and a brahma EE roo about 4 times his size. I doubt they could ever coexist.