Run Clips

[Chickendoodle]

Our chickens were making an awful racket on Sunday afternoon. When we looked out to check what was up there was a sparrowhawk calmly sitting next to their fenced off area demolishing a pigeon.

 

It was incredibly beautiful and we were amazed to see it in our suburban and not very big garden. It stayed for over half an hour and only flew off when we went out into the garden, although it waited until we were within about 6 feet of it!

 

It was definitely wild, no rings etc.

 

Size wise, the chickens are bigger but would it try to attack one? If it comes back we are quite happy for it to feast on a pigeon as they are a bit of a nuisance on the bird table and are eating us out of house and home! However, if it is any threat to the chickens we will chase it off.

 

Our girls are behind omlet netting but not covered over.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Guest

[cluckingmad]

Oh yes, they may not necessarily be able to carry a hen off but I know of sparrowhawks doing fatal damage to hens - like most birds of prey they tend to pick out the weak, young or old individuals and target them - buzzards are more of a threat though, but sounds like oyur girls gave enough warning of a predator for you to come running if needed

[OllieNLucys Mum]

Hmm I have been worrying about buzzards too. There is a pair who nest in the trees at the bottom of our neighbours field. They often fly over, the shadow they make is huge and always sends the chooks running for cover.

 

There isn't really a lot i can do as don't want to shut the chooks up they are already restricted at the moment to a 50 metre net and will be on the farmyard only in the winter.

 

I had thought that as the chooks are up in the home paddock they would be safe but if they come into your garden maybe not It's a shame as before we had the chooks and they first came we were well pleased.

[Jools]

I know some people have reported problems with birds of prey before, but I haven't had a problem even though we have a healthy population of buzzards, peregrines, sparrowhawks and kestrels. Most at risk are young birds, particularly chicks, and then smaller birds, like true bantams. A sickly bird may become a target, but a healthy chicken will either stand and sound the alarm, or run for cover. And that's the crux, they need cover to run to so they can hide from anything scary, particularly pigeons and aeroplanes I've found!

[cluckingmad]

I'd like to add hot air baloons to the list of scary things We have some that come over occasionally quite low, the girls REALLY don't like it and all bok at it furiously before diving back to the cube!

[Chucky Mama]

I would be suprised if a sparrow hawk would cope with a full sized chicken. We had one in the garden that killed (with a quite a struggle) a blackbird so I guess smaller bantams or chicks would be at risk.

[Patricia W]

I met someone last week whose bantam had been picked up by a red kite. It was unable to carry it off, but did some damage. Mine bok furiously if the kite glides over our garden but we've not had any incident.

 

As for air ballons - the dog was spooked by one when we were out on a walk and ran miles home! They come down low and then roar back up- she still looks in the air whenever we pass this particular place.

 

Tricia

[chickenanne]

Despite what my chickens seem to think, personally I reckon they're too big for most birds of prey to be interested in. Bantams more at risk, and chicks would definitely be at risk, but full sized ones should be fine.

[Leicester_H]

I'd like to add hot air baloons to the list of scary things We have some that come over occasionally quite low, the girls REALLY don't like it and all bok at it furiously before diving back to the cube!

 

So its not just my 2 then !

 

H

[cluckingmad]

No Hazel m'love, its not just yours

[docsquid]

We have a local sparrowhawk. I have photographed it devouring a collared dove on our lawn. I do let my chooks out FR whenever we are home. Yesterday my brother-in-law spotted the sparrowhawk but the chooks have a lot of potential cover including the cube run (which I leave open for them to return for food and drink) and lots of bushes, plus a large Ifor Williams trailer. They did seem a little disturbed and stayed close to the cube.

 

I suspect they would be OK, and I don't see it as a reason not to let them out.

[Tweety]

I lost 2 bantams - a silver Sebright and a buff Rock - to a bird of prey a couple of years ago. I didn't see it happen, but am pretty sure that a sparrowhawk was the culprit. My other girls - including 2 other bantams - were fine - I don't think they even realised what had happened, it was all over so quickly with just a couple of sad little feathers left from the taken girls.

We have many birds of prey around, and I have quite a few bantams including Sebrights, so I have covered the girls' run with bird-proof netting now. Probably not necessary, but it's one less thing for me to worry about!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

We had buzzards using the harvested & baled fields surrounding us as an adventure playground for (I assume) their young........don't they squeal ......at the time I had Buffie & her Bufflings as tiny balls of fluff and Blossom (Pekin) had just arrived too so I covered both their pens wih raspberry netting......not buzzard proof maybe but would slow the beast down & hopefully prevent them becoming dinner.............now the bufflings are bigger than some of my hybrids they all FR together, but Blossom & the other bantams pen is around and under a large leafed Tulip tree so that affords them some protection as do their omlet runs

 

The buzzards did a flypast one day before I covered the pens, around our perimeter hedge.I was sitting in the buffling pen & it spooked me...the big chooks all shrieked & shot under cover.......Buffie ran to me, such faith in her mum

 

Sparrow hawks sometimes use our bird table as a "drive thru"

 

Sha x

[docsquid]

I have to confess that the buzzards are the main reason I don't now want the chickens to live at the wood. There is a family of buzzards there that breed there every year, and I'd be scared to let the chickens out. The buzzards are bold enough to come into the woods close to where we are working and fly right through and perch in the trees, looking for pigeons or rabbits.

 

They scare me more than foxes, which are very shy as they are rural foxes, and badgers. I'm sure buzzards would be a threat to chickens.

[Chickendoodle]

Thanks everyone - I feel more confident now. Our girls have plenty of places to hide and I dare say the sparrowhawk will go for the rather easier pigeons!

[Valkyrie]

We have buzzards here - they don't bother with us and the girls ignore them too. We have had a red kite on the odd occasion - the girls ran for cover the first time, then dismissed it on subsequent visits. They do bok for a sparrowhawk, but I think that is because the rest of the wild birds kick up such a racket that they feel obliged to join in. Same goes for cats - which have been more of a problem when one attacked Squirt. Now it's see a cat, create a din. Female sparrowhawks are larger than the males and they will take on the pigeons and larger birds, males go for small birds. I would be concerned about small bantams if I had any.

[Olly]

It's instinctive for your birds to be scared when they see the shadow of a bird of prey, because they will recognise it as a predator, so they will create a bit of a din. It's unlikely however that full-size chickens will be attacked, at least according to this thread which is in the FAQs on chickens. Buzzards certainly shouldn't be a problem as they eat carrion.

 

Chicks or bantams are more at risk, of course.

[AnnieL]

Sparrowhawks can kill chickens. Our neighbour's chicken was killed by one recently when it was free-ranging in their back garden on the edge of a town, it was a medium size chicken in good health.