Unsecure chicken perches

[Tweety]

There was an article in the Telegraph magazine on Saturday about the Devonshire Red hens belonging to chicken farmer Lord Ivar Mountbatten. I was alarmed to read that he loses 5 chickens a day on average to buzzards, which apparently sit in the surrounding trees waiting for lunch!

 

I lost 2 very young and small bantams to birds of prey some time ago, but had no idea that buzzards could present such a risk to a larger bird. My girls freak out when they see a bird of prey overhead - obviously with good reason!

[phenna_family]

Oh my goodness.

 

I was in the garden at the weekend and there was buzzards circling my garden my girls were very wary, I was pegging my washing out at the time so I put the girls back in the run.

 

Thats really worrying

[jellykelly]

I saw a very gorgeous hawk like bird fly out of a tree in my garden - she was hidden by the blossom so I didn't see how long she was there for. Although she would present no threat to my big birds, it could have easily have had one of my bantams for dinner.

 

My bantams are now only allowed out to freerange whilst I sit out there with them - my window view is now no good.

[CrazyDaizy]

We have buzzards always flying overhead, and although I'm not sure that it could carry off our rabbit (he's huge) I'm sure it wouldnt mind sitting and eating him in the garden. They only seem to fly above during the evening though. So the chooks are safe in their eglu by then.

 

Although the other day my dad swore he saw a sparrowhawk carry off a pigeon from our garden. not good.