You know your family loves your chickens when...

[Coop de Grass]

Yesterday, as I was preparing dinner, my son was standing between me and the picture window facing the backyard. I saw an enormous bird swoop down over the lawn, followed by another. I ran out yelling - my flock was free ranging- and I wasn't sure what the thing was. I realized they were turkey vultures, and just did a quick head count. My son was saying," Mom, it was a hawk! Mom, what are you talking about, it's a hawk... oh!"

I turned around to find my 20 year old son holding his air soft rifle (from middle school days) and my 90 year old father, right behind him. Ready to do battle to save the girls!

Yup! They are well loved! BTW, dinner was not burnt!

 

[I Love Layers]

Turkey Vultures usually don't go after live birds, so i usually just chase them off.
Yesterday I had a bald eagle swoop my LGD is always out there though so I never worry, she barked at it and chased him out of the yard.

 

[Coop de Grass]

There are plenty of turkey vultures around here, I know that they only go after carrion so I wasnt worried. Wish that I had a LGD, Not enough time to train one, and I'd have a hard time keeping him/her outside with the chickens.

 

[I Love Layers]

There are plenty of turkey vultures around here, I know that they only go after carrion so I wasnt worried. Wish that I had a LGD, Not enough time to train one, and I'd have a hard time keeping him/her outside with the chickens.

We didn't have to train our LGD. She started sleeping outside when she was 1 year, and she knew what to do. She goes and checks on them numerous times a night.

 

[lcertuche]

Yesterday, as I was preparing dinner, my son was standing between me and the picture window facing the backyard. I saw an enormous bird swoop down over the lawn, followed by another. I ran out yelling - my flock was free ranging- and I wasn't sure what the thing was. I realized they were turkey vultures, and just did a quick head count. My son was saying," Mom, it was a hawk! Mom, what are you talking about, it's a hawk... oh!"

I turned around to find my 20 year old son holding his air soft rifle (from middle school days) and my 90 year old father, right behind him. Ready to do battle to save the girls!

Yup! They are well loved! BTW, dinner was not burnt!

I don't know where you live but here in Arkansas you will get a huge fine if you shoot a hawk, or any bird of prey for that matter. It doesn't matter if they are going after your livestock. Unfortunately the raptures have the law on their side. If you are speaking hypothetically of course that's another matter, lol.


Air rifles are probably included as a no no, though I have my doubts whether it would scare off much less kill a hawk. As far as turkey vultures go, I don't think they want their food fresh on the hoof (feet) so to speak.

That said, many predator birds are found dead from rifles. Just a few months ago my sons and I found a screech owl lying on road. I don't think a screech owl is big enough to take down a chicken but it was dead none the less.

 

[I Love Layers]

I don't know where you live but here in Arkansas you will get a huge fine if you shoot a hawk, or any bird of prey for that matter. It doesn't matter if they are going after your livestock. Unfortunately the raptures have the law on their side. If you are speaking hypothetically of course that's another matter, lol.


 Air rifles are probably included as a no no, though I have my doubts whether it would scare off much less kill a hawk. As far as turkey vultures go, I don't think they want their food fresh on the hoof (feet) so to speak.

That said, many predator birds are found dead from rifles. Just a few months ago my sons and I found a screech owl lying on road. I don't think a screech owl is big enough to take down a chicken but it was dead none the less.

 

I thought the same thing you could just use the 3 S's. But still it's illegal in most states to shoot any animal out of season, or any animal that doesn't have a season. I don't shoot coyotes, raccoons, or skunks which don't have a season here, in the spring because they have young ones and you have to feel kind of bad for the babies...

 

[Coop de Grass]

I don't know where you live but here in Arkansas you will get a huge fine if you shoot a hawk, or any bird of prey for that matter. It doesn't matter if they are going after your livestock. Unfortunately the raptures have the law on their side. If you are speaking hypothetically of course that's another matter, lol.


Air rifles are probably included as a no no, though I have my doubts whether it would scare off much less kill a hawk. As far as turkey vultures go, I don't think they want their food fresh on the hoof (feet) so to speak.

That said, many predator birds are found dead from rifles. Just a few months ago my sons and I found a screech owl lying on road. I don't think a screech owl is big enough to take down a chicken but it was dead none the less.

My son has never shot at anything except a target, but I think he was so worried that he grabbed the gun. His step dad had it out to scare off the raccoons that killed our chicks last month. Coons, yes, Hawks and other Raptors, definitely not! I was just surprised to see him with the gun right behind me. I will let him know about the protected status of Raptors. I've always loved having them around us, and we've netted the runs so that the girls are safe unless they are free ranging on the lawn.

Thanks for the reminder!

 

[lcertuche]

My son would be there with his little BB gun, protected species or not. Here coyotes, raccoons, opossums, wild pigs, etc. probably wouldn't bat an eye with the local fish and game but I think foxes might be a different story, much like the raptures. I'm going to find out what I can. A neighbor told me that if a wild animal is attacking your livestock you can kill them but I would like to hear it from the horses mouth.

 

[Coop de Grass]

My son would be there with his little BB gun, protected species or not. Here coyotes, raccoons, opossums, wild pigs, etc. probably wouldn't bat an eye with the local fish and game but I think foxes might be a different story, much like the raptures. I'm going to find out what I can. A neighbor told me that if a wild animal is attacking your livestock you can kill them but I would like to hear it from the horses mouth.

Wild pigs??? Wow! Where do you live?

 

[lcertuche]

I live in Arkansas and there are wild pigs everywhere. My neighbors keep their freezers full all the time. One of our neighbors gave us a front quarter to let them drive it out of our side of the property. It taste like any pork. They are a terrible nuisance. Digging and eating up gardens, they will kill your dogs, cats or any other small critter. We don't have a rifle or a shotgun but we are working on getting one. We have seen a bear on a couple times in the last two weeks. I worry about that more than anything right now. We also have a huge bobcat nearby that comes through now and then. My son saw a coyote by our house one night. I lock up my birds at night but if a bear really wanted in, he would find a way. The same goes for the other critters. We have lots of rabbits, squirrels, and deer, along with fruiting bushes and trees, hickory trees (nuts) and oak trees (acorns) for the wild game so the birds have been doing alright for now. We also see an occasional hawk flying over but I have lots of ground cover. Something did get the head off one of my little birds, through a chicken tractor but didn't come back for more. We've also saw a pack rat in the coup one night. I set out poison which has disappeared so maybe it or they are gone now.