Are bald eagles a threat?

[MissChick@dee]

A eagle IS big enough to take a hen without a trace. They haul off baby deer no problem. They are THE largest winged predator there is in the America’s.

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

And if you have a small dog, watch out for those, too. Many years ago, I almost lost a little Shih Tzu to a bald eagle. Luckily, the eagle was young enough to be inexperienced and I was close enough to scream and run at it. Between us, we scared the "shih-tzu" out of my poor little dog, but at least it kept her from becoming lunch!

Oh yeah I have two dogs, both are small. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Conan]

We've got a whole mess of bald eagles flying around all the time. We see several a day. Our birds (chickens and ducks) free range only and the eagles don't seem interested in them.
We do live next to a lot of wetland areas and the eagles seem to prefer to do their hunting there.
Hawks, on the other hand...

 

[OldEnglishGameBantam33]

When my hens were chick/pullets (that awkward stage) we let them out into the yard to get used to their run, and a hawk swooped down and plucked the smallest of the hens from the run and flew off. So, yes. An eagle would be a threat.
Give them coverage and places to hide under. We gave ours a net so the hawk can't get at them.
Also, once your hens are secure take a moment to acknowledge the eagle. If they weren't a threat to your flock you could consider yourself lucky!

 

[animalyodelers]

A relative of mine saw a bald eagle carry off her 20 POUND pug. She wasn't close enough to stop it. Eagles can be a huge threat! I always put my smaller dog inside when they're out here.. my chicken run has a wire cover.

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

How big of an area do they need to swoop down?

 

[wildwestcoast]

A friend of mine at work has a bald eagle picking off her free range chickens on a near daily basis. She does not have a covered run to enclose them in.

Even some flimsy netting over an open run will deter eagles. It's a cheap fix in a pinch

 

[Mimi13]

And if you have a small dog, watch out for those, too. Many years ago, I almost lost a little Shih Tzu to a bald eagle. Luckily, the eagle was young enough to be inexperienced and I was close enough to scream and run at it. Between us, we scared the "shih-tzu" out of my poor little dog, but at least it kept her from becoming lunch!

I know your post was not meant to be funny, but I can’t stop laughing. I’ll bet you had the “shih-tzu” scared out of you too!

 

[wildwestcoast]

How big of an area do they need to swoop down?

They need a fair bit of room but are surprisingly agile. They dont bother my birds because my run is shielded by a big maple. I worry about my little white dog though and dont let her in the back yard without supervision. We have a nest in the forest behind us and you can usually see them up on the trees watching/ hunting the river for fish.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

My mom’s friend had a hawk hanging around her chicken pen and she prayed and an eagle swooped down, and grabbed the hawk. She got it on video! But idk if the eagle started eating her chickens. Eagles will eat your birds! Put them under trees, plant trees and bushes in their enclosure, or build shelters with pallets or drag branches into the pen (if it’s not a moveable pen, building shelters is a good option) and lay them on top of each other like underbrush for them to hide in.

I would LOVE to see that video!