I knew when I ordered my chickens from McMurray Hatchery that I might have to deal with predators. That just goes with the territory. After all, we've got woods, and in those woods are rabbits, possums, rats, mice, snakes, coyotes, and hawks. Oh, and deer. Can't forget the deer.
I love the wildlife and have done my best to attract birds of all kinds, goldfinches in particular. I hit the jackpot by not only attracting a couple of goldfinches, but a pair of lovely bluebirds. I haven't even mentioned the sparrows, cardinals, and bluejays that come around now and then. I even loved the black and white hawk that hung out at the front of our yard last here. It was small and kinda cute.
I didn't invite the chicken hawk. I didn't even know it was there until I noted two bantams missing. I figured the cold got them. They like to wander the woods sometimes and one loved to sleep in the trees, so this wasn't an unreasonable assumption. Then Ray, my daughter, called me to take a look at one of our other birds, a white silky bantam. There was blood all around the head and neck, and shallow lacerations. I figured it was due to a fight gone bad, since he's occasionally feuding with a buttercup that also lives here. I cleaned him up and forgot about it.
Today, I left my daughter out back to begin a cleanup while I checked the mail. Halfway back down our long drive I heard her yell for me. I ran the rest of the way and reached the clearing where our house sits just in time to see a hug brownish hawk take flight. It left in a flurry of crows, but hung in the air long enough for me to get a good look at its size. For a split second I was really worried about why I was called, then saw Rachel running toward me, full of news.The hawk had attacked one of our nankin hens, Smidget. Rachel thought the flurry was over a rooster jumping a hen, but wondered why the chickens and goats were running tfor shelter. Then she realized it was no chicken that had Smidge.
Fortunately for Smidge, the hawk caught her too close to the fence and had a wing pinned, so she was able to get away. I headed in the the direction Ray told me she'd run and found her in the shelter. She was disinclined to be caught. Given the situation, I don't blame her. But I did catch her and brought her inside for a betadine treatment, after pushing a dogoutside to make sure the hawk didn't make another attempt. The wound was shallow and right on the side of her head, next to her eye, but she should be fine.I think a livestock guardian dog is in our near future. Besides the hawks, I've seen the odd coyote. I don't want to risk our meat birds, which will be coming soon, or our dairy goats.
