Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[mollymo]

I had one in my garden this morning, sat as proud as punch looking through the window at me. My neighbour said they are nesting in Manchester.

 

Are they any harm to hens?

[mollymo]

PS i took a photo with my mobile through the window but you have to really zoom in to see it.

[Hen Watch]

Absolutely no idea on this one, but found this recent discussion on hawks.

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27376&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=hawks

[Nuggywoo]

A Peregrine takes birds in flight, they can't afford to 'swoop' to ground level, so unless your hens are flying high I would think they're quite safe!

 

Have you still got the photo?

[Adams Egg]

They won't take hens, but they will give them a scare when flying over the run.

[mollymo]

Yes nuggy i still have the photo but don't know how to post here so i will email it if you like?

 

Beautiful bird, they can fly up to 200mph apparantly.

 

Was well chuffed it chose to get it's breath back in my garden.

[chooklady]

Common buzzards are getting very common too in England now, they can be seen in every county.

 

They also wouldn't take chickens. They manily live on voles, mice, rats and sometimes squirrels and they clear up roadkill. A wonderful bird, probably my favourite bird of prey.

 

We have a family of sparrowhakws nearby and red kites are around although I haven't seen one yet.

[mollymo]

Hi Nuggy

 

Posted you the pic. I see the bird better if i zoom in, you do of course lose the quality.

 

Next time i take a photo that garden will be full of chickens not birds of prey.

[Nuggywoo]

Hi mollymo

 

It definitely looks like a Peregrine, well done you!

Hobby's are very similar looking but are not even half the size of a Peregrine and 'your' bird looks huge .

 

I can't post it either at the moment but I'll try later.

[drliz]

our hens have only taken 2 weeks to get used to the enormous number of enormous red kites we have round here - i was a bit concerned they would freak them out - well, i would say that they ignore them, but it would be fairer to say that they don't get any more bothered by a low flying kite (much bigger than a peregrine!) than they do by anything else (pigeons, lawnmowers, apples falling off my apple tree...)

and the kites only really bother with carrion & small stuff, peregrines specialise in pigeon eating - which is why they're having a whale of a time in cities!

so very unlikely to be a threat, i would have thought, and hopefully your chooks will, like mine, work this out fairly quickly.

liz

[mollymo]

Awe cool nuggy. I;ll throw it some bread next time he visits.