Red tail hawk stalking!

[shannon84]

I just seen a red tail hawk watching my buff Orpington rooster. I let him out to roam around then my rooster and I both spotted him on a branch watching. Our hens have been staying in their coop but my rooster likes to come out and roam. So my question is could he kill my rooster? My roo is huge I couldn't imagine a hawlk getting him? Will I have to leave him pinned up forever now because of this stupid hawlk?! Thanks in advance you all!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I just seen a red tail hawk watching my buff Orpington rooster. I let him out to roam around then my rooster and I both spotted him on a branch watching. Our hens have been staying in their coop but my rooster likes to come out and roam. So my question is could he kill my rooster? My roo is huge I couldn't imagine a hawlk getting him? Will I have to leave him pinned up forever now because of this stupid hawlk?! Thanks in advance you all!

Why are your hens staying in the coop? If they can go out but staying in---they must hear the hawk making his noise. A Hawk can kill a big rooster but usually does not bother them unless it really needs a meal. I always have had to keep my chickens in covered pens because of hawk attacks when free-ranging---Until a year or so ago---I free range daily now---thanks to my Great Pyrenees. She barks, jumps, tries her best to get any big bird that flies over-----mainly Hawks and buzzards.

 

[shannon84]

Why are your hens staying in the coop? If they can go out but staying in---they must hear the hawk making his noise. A Hawk can kill a big rooster but usually does not bother them unless it really needs a meal. I always have had to keep my chickens in covered pens because of hawk attacks when free-ranging---Until a year or so ago---I free range daily now---thanks to my Great Pyrenees. She barks, jumps, tries her best to get any big bird that flies over-----mainly Hawks and buzzards. 

did you get that dog for chicken reasons only are they known to protect or something? I have a pit but he wants to kill the chickens so I'm kinda screwed there

my chickens have a covered run I guess I just didn't realize hawks are that bad, I'm new with chickens. I just love seeing them run around while I'm here, but obviously I can't keep my eye on them all the time

my main hen (the boss)she is molting so she stays in the coop all the time right now, but I don't know why the other hens are choosing to stay with her? So I pretty much will have to keep them up if I don't want a hawlk attack on my hands right? Thank you for responding

 

[PD-Riverman]

did you get that dog for chicken reasons only are they known to protect or something? I have a pit but he wants to kill the chickens so I'm kinda screwed there

my chickens have a covered run I guess I just didn't realize hawks are that bad, I'm new with chickens. I just love seeing them run around while I'm here, but obviously I can't keep my eye on them all the time

my main hen (the boss)she is molting so she stays in the coop all the time right now, but I don't know why the other hens are choosing to stay with her? So I pretty much will have to keep them up if I don't want a hawlk attack on my hands right? Thank you for responding

I did buy the dog--puppy 2 years ago as my flock was growing in numbers---to protect my flock from predators. She(dog) is in a 6ft high 1 1/2 + acre fenced in area where there is over 60 chicken pens. A year ago I had over 1200 chickens in those pens. She patrols the area, I have found dead opossums, snakes, and 1 dead stray cat even though I have about 10 cats she does not bother them---but does not allow a stray cat in. I was glad she also protects air predators---not something I taught her. I have sit and watched her----if she see's a big bird coming---she sits tight unless she needs to move to get in the birds flight line----when the bird gets close enough she will leap into the air, growling/barking then give chase to the bird till the bird is beyond the fenced area. I have had more that 100 free-ranging at the same time----knock on wood I have not lost a chicken to a predator since having her.

 

[shannon84]

I did buy the dog--puppy 2 years ago as my flock was growing in numbers---to protect my flock from predators. She(dog) is in a 6ft high 1 1/2 + acre fenced in area where there is over 60 chicken pens. A year ago I had over 1200 chickens in those pens. She patrols the area, I have found dead opossums, snakes, and 1 dead stray cat even though I have about 10 cats she does not bother them---but does not allow a stray cat in. I was glad she also protects air predators---not something I taught her. I have sit and watched her----if she see's a big bird coming---she sits tight unless she needs to move to get in the birds flight line----when the bird gets close enough she will leap into the air, growling/barking then give chase to the bird till the bird is beyond the fenced area. I have had more that 100 free-ranging at the same time----knock on wood I have not lost a chicken to a predator since having her. 

wow she sounds amazing! So is that a breed that is easy to train? I wish I could train one of my dogs I have now but the are older and they are not a lover of the chickens

I'm so paranoid now and I probably won't be letting them out now. Do you know if hawlks attack more in fall and winter or does that even matter? Do you think a hawlk would try it e en if I was outside with them watching? Sorry for all these questions

thanks for your help

 

[PD-Riverman]

wow she sounds amazing! So is that a breed that is easy to train? I wish I could train one of my dogs I have now but the are older and they are not a lover of the chickens

I'm so paranoid now and I probably won't be letting them out now. Do you know if hawlks attack more in fall and winter or does that even matter? Do you think a hawlk would try it e en if I was outside with them watching? Sorry for all these questions

thanks for your help

I did not have to do much training----its bred into this breed. Pups sell a lot in my area (100sq miles). Some times adults will sell but I would rather start from a pup. I had a pitt bull that was a Real Good Watch dog, but he payed the Hawks no attention. Sure I had to break him from killing the chickens to watching over them---But The procedure for doing that only took one day---I keep how---- private. He was a good Dog---but old age took him.

 

[keesmom]

So my question is could he kill my rooster? My roo is huge I couldn't imagine a hawlk getting him? Will I have to leave him pinned up forever now because of this stupid hawlk?!

It could. It depends on how hungry and desperate the hawk is. Years ago a juvenile Cooper's hawk dispatched my 9 lb Wyandotte rooster with some well placed talons through the skull. That hawk was a third the size of my rooster. It was snowy February so I assume it was desperate. Red tails are much larger than Cooper's so I would keep an eye out for it. Generally if they don't find a meal they move on.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Most Eastern Red Tail hawks go about 3 to 4 pounds for the she hawk and the boy hawk is much SMALLER. The hawks are only interested in eating your chickens' flesh not in killing or toting your chickens off.

While hawks can kill using their talons they just as likely will eat a chicken alive or until the poor hen or rooster dies from to loss of blood or shock. Those sharp talons are really used to control the hawks prey while the prey is eaten alive.

What do you people think a coyote or fox expects to find when he comes to a rabbet or woodpecker in distress call? Mr. hawk is expecting to find a hawk holding a prey animal while it eats said prey animal alive.


Buy a LSGD and raise up the pup with your chickens. Any good LSGD will get the idea that it is either a member of a flock of chickens or a flock of sheep. At any rate it will likely come to view your poultry as fellow members of its extended pack and take a dim view indeed of vermin eating its pack members.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is the sequence I would follow. Pen chickens up. Then start working on pit to get so it is not a threat to chickens. Threat dog provides dwarfs that of the hawk. Once dog in line then you may have some help protecting birds.

 

[orrpeople]

We also have some hawk issues - How does your rooster react to the hawk? My principle flock rooster sees them before I do. He gets the girls to run for cover, and if he sees one coming near a hen, he runs or flies at it with quite a bit of aggression. Since we have had him, we have not had a single successful hawk attack. That said, what everyone on this thread has mentioned is true - if the hawk is really desperate for a meal, they will go to greater lengths to get prey.
I have a pit bull/kelpie cross who has learned to be a decent guardian too. It's definitely not bred into him, but I worked and worked...and worked with him to get him to that point. Here he is with a few of the girls: