Ever Open Your Chicken House Door And There Is A Two And A Half Foot Tall Red Tailed Hawk Sitting On The Chicken Roost?
I Did This Morning 2-04-2023.

And where were the chickens?

Porkpal the 23 live ones plus a turkey and a duck where in the fenced in and covered chicken lot that the hawk tore through. It killed a Silkie Hen and left nothing but the carcass of another big Red Star hen. Plus I discovered it tore into a smaller pen and ate 2 quail. It had a hurt leg but I don't know if it was already hurt, got hurt ripping into the pens, or if that big Red Star rooster beat the hell outta it.

Maybe all 3 that's what made it so brave it was hungry, I believe it has bird flu. Ala. Dept. Of Wildlife Flat out refused to be bothered with it.

Oh, no! That was one determined hawk! I hope it didn't bring you bird flu too.

Ditto on that

I opened the coop door once and came face to face with a snarling 'possum who was holding down a chicken with one arm while eating her eggs. I guess she was going to be dessert. All 13 ducks (although 'flyless') wound themselves up one day and flew away in a big swirling cloud of dust.

I had a flock of Frizzles but someone broke the lock on my gate and stole them all. Most of the Silkies had lethal accidents - they aren't very bright. A couple of them literally ran under the wheels of my husband's tractor. Then all 25 regular chickens were killed by a coyote teaching her pups to hunt (inside my chicken yard). No more chickens. The geese were finally killed, at age 20, by a mountain lion.

In between, there were encounters with skunks, hawks and Bobcats. Somewhere in there, the kids went off to college so I had to take care of all those birds by myself. After my geese were killed, I was done. I miss them. Only the geese, not the chickens. Sigh!

That's too bad, Lucy!! And HoodLily, I hope the bird flu won't be brought to you by the hawk.

Chickens seem to be the universal prey of choice. I have lost them to hawks, snakes, dogs, hogs, raccoons, skunks, possibly possums, and other unidentified predators. I still have chickens, but they are increasingly closely guarded.

Sorry for the loss Duane but that hawk was doing what it was born to do-hunt prey. I hope you can get replacement birds. Still a shock to see that big bird where chickens should have been! We can have chickens here but not roosters. I would but there are too many outside cats roaming about so it really wouldn't be fair to the birds. I have a hard enough time keeping my wild birds safe from the cats let alone the red tails. My feeder area is covered by reed fencing so it gives the birds a sense of protection. When they're out foraging in the leaves I think that's when they are most vulnerable.

Our 12 chickens were ok for 3 years till the one night we didn't get them shut up at dark, due to time change. Fox we assume, killed them all.
We had fox and snake visits but hadn't lost a bird till then, by that time only eight but killed them all. Greedy.

Rabbits seem to be fair game around here. I usually find just the fur remaining on my lawn-in the typical circle hawks leave as they eat. Had more rabbits and chipmunks years ago but the feral cat colony did them in which is why I keep my cats in the house.

Our county animal control will lend us traps to catch the feral cats. When we bring them in the county gets them neutered and vaccinated, and then we turn them loose where we found them. Eventually there will be a lot fewer feral cats. It worked for us when we did it on our own so I fully believe in it.