Will chickens defend themselves from a hawk?

Bryce Thomas

Songster
Mar 21, 2021
731
707
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Gilbert, AZ
Today I was sitting on my porch letting the girls free range when 2 mourning doves sitting on a brick wall sounded an alarm call the girls booked it to hide under a tree, knowing I live in the Arizona desert and hawks are common I immediately knew It was a hawk. I screamed to scare away the hawk and it flew away without taking any chickens.

So my Question is, if one of my girls are grabbed by a hawk, will she try and break free and attack the hawk? I know chickens are very good at running and changing directions but will they still defend themselves if grabbed by a hawk? Thanks!
 
No. Unfortunately, most hens will freeze like a rabbit caught out in the open. I've watched two of my own hens surprised by a fox popping up just ten feet away from them while they were free ranging. The ninnies froze, fully aware of the fox, who was likely thinking, "This is going to be too easy." I was a deciding factor in the hens surviving the encounter.

I've also watched a hawk dive at some hens, and the hens either freeze or run. They do not fight. Roosters, on the other hand, will usually take on most predators, evading and often fighting them off.

My favorite story of my two roosters and a pair of marauding dogs attacking the flock involved an impressive strategy the two employed. Instead of running away from the dogs, my roosters ran at them, worked in tandem to decoy them away from the hens, and then the roos led the dogs away from the flock. They led them so far away that the boys didn't make it back until morning, each sporting a serious case of frostbite on their combs from being exposed all night in 13F weather. All hens survived. The roosters are worth their weight in gold.
 
I didn't see the attack, so I don't know if my hen fought back or not, but my neighbor reported a lot of squawking and general commotion. The hawk did not get my girl, though she did lose feathers. Either she fought, or was just too heavy.
 
I saw a hawk pin my salmon faverolle down on the ground. She didn't do anything but make noise. Luckily my rooster chased the hawk off. I don't know if a hen could fight off a hawk. Some lucky ones could probably out maneuver a hawk though.
 
I spend a lot of time with my chickens, so I've seen a lot of hawk attacks. In those I've seen, the hens all start running like crazy for cover when they see a hawk overhead.

One such attack happened just a few feet away from me, and one pullet was very fast and very lucky. While the hawk did make contact, Ladybug was so fast that every single feather on her back was plucked by the hawk. There was a thick cloud of Ladybug's feathers in the air, but when they settled, Ladybug had escaped. I found her hiding in the coop, but while her back had been plucked clean, she didn't have a scratch on her.

Another time, only the two roosters were out when a hawk came by. I heard a loud commotion and ran out to see this.
D6E29794-ACA9-4272-9FFF-FA836CE387D3.jpeg
My roosters were gone. I searched for them and expected to find limp bodies amongst piles of feathers. I finally discovered the boys huddled up against a fence perfectly safe and sound. Not needing to defend any hens that day, they saved themselves.
 
No. Unfortunately, most hens will freeze like a rabbit caught out in the open. I've watched two of my own hens surprised by a fox popping up just ten feet away from them while they were free ranging. The ninnies froze, fully aware of the fox, who was likely thinking, "This is going to be too easy." I was a deciding factor in the hens surviving the encounter.

I've also watched a hawk dive at some hens, and the hens either freeze or run. They do not fight. Roosters, on the other hand, will usually take on most predators, evading and often fighting them off.

My favorite story of my two roosters and a pair of marauding dogs attacking the flock involved an impressive strategy the two employed. Instead of running away from the dogs, my roosters ran at them, worked in tandem to decoy them away from the hens, and then the roos led the dogs away from the flock. They led them so far away that the boys didn't make it back until morning, each sporting a serious case of frostbite on their combs from being exposed all night in 13F weather. All hens survived. The roosters are worth their weight in gold.
Those are not roos, those are warriors
 

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