Vultures do eat chickens! How do I keep them away?

[Bawkbok]

Thanks for the comparison photos. We have mostly black vultures here, I sometimes mistake them for a Bald Eagle when soaring high in certain light. We see BEs this far inland a few times a year, which of course is not good as it's a sign the BEs are searching far and wide for food.

 

[Bawkbok]

Yesterday, a lone black vulture - they usually soar in numbers - was literally hovering low over the yard. I was about 10 feet from the chickens. My presence is what deterred him but he still circled a few times before deciding it was too risky.

 

[GravityWaves]

Black Vultures are smaller than Turkey vultures and have similiar diets, but I never heard of them until this thread. We have Turkey vultures here, but I've never seen one on the ground. They're always way up in the sky crisscrossing until they pass on.

Black Vultures are expanding their range northward, especially in my area. I had never seen one until the last year or two, always Turkey Vultures. Now it seems to be split pretty evenly between the two. Whereas Turkey Vultures will flap and fly to move just a couple feet away, Black Vultures will walk and run (away from carrion or whatever) with this weird hunched-over gait that makes me think of the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.

 

[Loving my girls]

Just given my girlz a good talking to, telling them how lucky they are !

 

[Ingrid_Grace]

Yesterday, a lone black vulture - they usually soar in numbers - was literally hovering low over the yard. I was about 10 feet from the chickens. My presence is what deterred him but he still circled a few times before deciding it was too risky.

Oh My! It's a good thing you were there! Vultures now adays
I swear previous generations of Black vultures weren't like this

 

[Ingrid_Grace]

Here's an easy way to identify the type of vulture. Turkey vultures will stick to carrion but black vultures will hunt if they're hungry enough.

View attachment 4019540
Source: https://texascryptidhunter.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-killer-vultures-of-bell-county.html?m=1

Very helpful comparison photos!! I have both around here and I've found the turkey vultures always watch from further away, while the black vultures are brave enough to fly 15 to feet away from my chickens

 

[Loving my girls]

I would like to say keep them away with a big gun but as I don’t like harming animals I would suggest a neighbour with a gun

Only joking for reasons that would be non pc on this forum.

 

[Bawkbok]

Very helpful comparison photos!! I have both around here and I've found the turkey vultures always watch from further away, while the black vultures are brave enough to fly 15 to feet away from my chickens

Your nearby presence should be enough to deter them. Hopefully, you're out with them when the vultures fly over or your chickens have enough cover to run and hide under.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Got tons of both Black, & Turkey Vultures around here. The black Vultures fly over, but ignore the chickens.

Only bird I've had some problems with, is an unsuccessful Chicken Hawk.

 

[Bawkbok]

Only bird I've had some problems with, is an unsuccessful Chicken Hawk.

What is a chicken hawk? Are you referring to Ret Tail Hawks or something different?