Wrath's Marans

[Bantambird]

Do you have any pictures of them?
I'm pretty sure @Bantambird has Legbars but if I get the chance to get another dozen eggs I want all BBS Silvers.

Priorities first !!

yes i have legbars and birchen marans

 

[wrathsfarm]

'Incident report'...

It's pretty cold so I've kept all the birds locked down but access to their wrapped runs today. Each flock got access to the main (my) section of the barn during their usual free range time but man door is closed and I've thrown a couple bags of bedding down so their not standing on concrete. King and his girls have AM access.
Around 130 I swap flocks, lock Kings and let out Kongs.

Here's where it goes south....
I decide to see if the younger pullets want to venture out so I open the man door and walk back towards Kong. (Kong and the main hens are still in the back run). I no sooner get to the back and I hear screaming, turn and birds are flying in thru the man door. Run up front and I meet a hawk flying past my head. (It chased them in thru the man door).
It bounced off the boys coop main door that's shut, flew towards the work bench and back out the same door. I can say it was big but it happened so fast it was a blur.

Took a bit to round up all the Marans (3 were missing) but headcount complete and all are safe. Needless to say they're all locked down now in the barn, but really had to kick myself as Solo was one of them.

I took this pic yesterday of Solo.

 

[Pumperkinz]

Glad everyone is okay! Hawks/eagles/OWLS are always so hard to predict. Surprised that he was so brazen as they generally don't like large moving objects I've found. My heeler has thankfully taken on the task of alerting me anytime something is watching lol.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Glad everyone is okay! Hawks/eagles/OWLS are always so hard to predict. Surprised that he was so brazen as they generally don't like large moving objects I've found. My heeler has thankfully taken on the task of alerting me anytime something is watching lol.

My barn is 24' wide. The hawk was in roughly 8-10' when we met. Probably startled it as much as me... Happened so fast I was like "what the...?" until it went passed my head.

 

[TwoCrows]

My barn is 24' wide. The hawk was in roughly 8-10' when we met. Probably startled it as much as me... Happened so fast I was like "what the...?" until it went passed my head.

Glad everybody is safe, scary stuff! I've had hawks fly right past me being so focused on the chickens, they don't even see me.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Glad everybody is safe, scary stuff! I've had hawks fly right past me being so focused on the chickens, they don't even see me.

I've heard of it and have seen some videos. My first experience this up close. Last summer the mixed girls were hanging out under my truck parked up by the house. I heard King wreaking havoc and when I came out of the barn and looked, King was running towards the truck. That's when I noticed the hawk standing next to the truck. Luckily by spotting King or me it decided it wasn't worth it.
This year I'm getting fences put up to keep them in closer proximity to the barn and out of the 2026 corn.
Somehow I need to work out poultry netting eventually.

Having as many boys as I've had sometimes becomes a challenge with separating and feeding but they're alarm systems make it worth it.

 

[TwoCrows]

I've heard of it and have seen some videos. My first experience this up close. Last summer the mixed girls were hanging out under my truck parked up by the house. I heard King wreaking havoc and when I came out of the barn and looked, King was running towards the truck. That's when I noticed the hawk standing next to the truck. Luckily by spotting King or me it decided it wasn't worth it.
This year I'm getting fences put up to keep them in closer proximity to the barn and out of the 2026 corn.
Somehow I need to work out poultry netting eventually.

Having as many boys as I've had sometimes becomes a challenge with separating and feeding but they're alarm systems make it worth it.

I've had Hawks dive right into hardware cloth and just hang there, chickens screaming and diving for cover. I did use poultry netting over my gardens where they liked to free range and never had any attacks. I used the circus tent style design and I think because the netting sort of fluttered it kept Arial Predators away? I'd give it a try, it might help deter your sky predators. I used Tek Screws with the little rubber grommet to grab the netting to attach it to the garden fence. Big pole in the middle with a large round metal plate, circus tent style. It wasn't pretty but it worked.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I've had Hawks dive right into hardware cloth and just hang there, chickens screaming and diving for cover. I did use poultry netting over my gardens where they liked to free range and never had any attacks. I used the circus tent style design and I think because the netting sort of fluttered it kept Arial Predators away? I'd give it a try, it might help deter your sky predators. I used Tek Screws with the little rubber grommet to grab the netting to attach it to the garden fence. Big pole in the middle with a large round metal plate, circus tent style. It wasn't pretty but it worked.

Thank you for the info. That sounds like the best approach not having no trees on the one side.

 

[Bantambird]

Turkeys are good hawk repellent, mostly. Turkeys can and will violently attack raptors that get too close, and they make a huge fuss whenever they spot one circling, well before the chickens usually do.

 

[WingItRanch]

Sorry I'm late to the game but I see you're interested in adding some blue to eggs to your colorful basket.

Have you decided what breed? Just curious!