My "pet" Vulture

[The Coop Crew]

How cool! Although you are braver than me because I would have ran the opposite direction every time it was around

 

[Azhtann]

I certainly back off when he's in his hop towards me mood. And he does seem to understand that I don't want him to get too near me. Most of the time he stays fairly still and let's me do my thing while he just watches. If he were ever to get close to me, within touching distance, I think I would be a lot more intimidated.

 

[Azhtann]

Today there were three vultures hanging out in the tree by the chickens. Mrs Barty and Barty Jr? I don't know. Two flew off when I walked out my back door, the third landed on the ground by the chickens and stared at me. I'm assuming that one was Barty. He didn't approach, and I told him to get on his way. I was running a bit behind, and didn't have time to wait until he decided to move on.

 

[WoDia]

About a year ago, a young vulture fell through the top of my chicken run while I was off to the hardware store getting material to replace the wiring. It was a very polite bird, just sat there while the chickens huddled in one corner away from it. When I got home, I managed to get in the cage with it and opened the door to let it out. Surprisingly, the vulture remained perfectly calm and hopped through the door without any chickens also escaping.

This next part is going to seem unbelievable. If I hadn't seen it happen, I wouldn't believe it either. About a week after this, I was home watching TV, and I heard noise on the back porch. A clattering noise. I went to see what was going on, and a vulture was dragging some kind of skeleton on the porch. It dropped the skeleton, scooped up a beakful of cat food, and flew off. I've always imagined it was my vulture pal, saying "thanks". I was probably unjustifiably nervous about throwing the present of a vulture away in front of it (did that to a cat once, she never brought me a giant worm ever again), so I ended up taking it to the garage. It was almost perfectly cleaned off, so the vulture may just have lost interest in it and taken the cat food instead. Who knows.

Anyhow, I noticed a vulture start hanging out next to the chickens frequently. I had some black odd looking mixed, so he could have possibly thought they were other vultures? Maybe he fell in love with one of the hens? I can't explain the behavior. But I am pretty sure it was the same bird every time. The first few times I checked for dead animals around the cage, but found none. Nothing to draw the vulture over. A flock of them did used to hang out in a huge dying tree in my front yard before I had to have it removed, but this vulture never seemed to hang out with them. He was always alone, when other times there would be small groups of two or three. He also developed the habit of hopping towards me a couple of vulture lengths when he saw me. Which I was not all that comfortable with. Quoth the vulture "never more"?

I did get more used to him, and we had lovely conversations some mornings when I was feeding the chickens. If I didn't talk to him, it rather creeped me out having him hang around. I haven't seen my "pet" vulture in awhile, and assumed he either integrated with his flock or moved on. Maybe he was raising a vulture family of his own, having been turned down by my ladies. This morning, he was back! Sitting on top of the cage like he used to do. Only, he was right next to my fake owl that I move around to try to discourage predators. It does *such* a good job...View attachment 3884360

You have a really unusual story, but it’s concerning. To me, that looks like a Black Vulture. We’ve seen them here in Ohio. Ensure that your chickens are safe, because they ARE known to be more aggressive than Turkey Vultures. And, they are known to kill live animals. It may be a young one (without a fear of humans). That may be why it’s not afraid of you. They’re federally protected, so you might want to find a way to scare it off permanently.

 

[Azhtann]

You have a really unusual story, but it’s concerning. To me, that looks like a Black Vulture. We’ve seen them here in Ohio. Ensure that your chickens are safe, because they ARE known to be more aggressive than Turkey Vultures. And, they are known to kill live animals. It may be a young one (without a fear of humans). That may be why it’s not afraid of you. They’re federally protected, so you might want to find a way to scare it off permanently.

The roof is now well secured, the only reason it got in the cage in the first place was that I ran out of material and was on my way to and from the store with more. I have no intention of harming him, as he has caused me no harm. I wouldn't know the first way to try scaring him off, either. If he becomes a problem, I will see what animal control suggests.

 

[McChooky]

A black vultures diet consists 95% from domestic farm animals and waste(corpses) Fortunately they usually only eat small birds they can swallow whole.I would take it as a bad omen if one started hanging out and invited his friends

 

[Azhtann]

If ever I lose a bird, I make sure to take the body far from my property. I don't wish to reward whatever predator, so there's no pile of corpses for the vulture's to covet. The flock tends to hang in the neighborhood, and has since before I moved in. I take it as me encroaching on their habitat, and take measures to keep my birds safe without further ruining the vulture's natural habitat.