WTH?!! Hawk attack in snowstorm?!

[frankenchick]

I lost my favorite NH tonight to a hawk attack. In a snowstorm.

My dog was fussing to go out, and I told her "Look, a smart animal would stay inside!" When she did go out, she went right to a tree where a hawk was sitting. She barked until it flew away. This apparently happened shortly after it killed Janie in the chicken yard, about 4' from the coop. My DH chased the hawk from the chicken yard.

Was this hawk desparate, or what? Will it come more often now that it's had success? We've had hawks all along, but they've never gotten a chicken before.

 

[ozark hen]

Sounds like it was in your chicken yard? Does that mean a chicken run? If so string some filament line across your fencing and tie some old cd's on them here and there. I have never had a predator from the sky be able to get into my run with the cd's dangling. Now yes, hawks come down in my yard but from what I understand....the come down in a low swoop and cannot do that if the cd's are dangling there. I don't have too many. I learned that from this site and reading SpeckledHen's posts on her run. I will try to find some pics for you. Doesn't matter if it is night, raining, snowing or whatever, the cd's still reflect light.

 

[ozark hen]

I found a pic of mine see if this doesn't help?