# Hawk attack



## RhapsodyAcres (Nov 20, 2013)

My youngest was out with the chickens today so they could get some free-range time in. He was studying when he heard a commotion and looked up to see a hawk attacking our rooster. He ran toward them, startled the hawk enough the hawk paused. Splash (rooster) ran back into the pen but the hawk chased him and attacked again. My son ran up on them again, the hawk flew off, Splash ran into the coop (where most of the other hens were hiding). J shut the coop door and tried to get the hawk to fly back out of the pen but it kept flying into the wire. When he called me, my oldest and I went out to help. The hawk was terrified of us but whenever we tried to shoo it toward the door, it just mantled and leaned way back. We finally got it out of the coop and I was able to check on our poor rooster.

He is totally stressed. I picked him up and checked him over but I didn't see any physical injuries, aside from losing a number of feathers. However, he's wheezing pretty badly when he breathes and did something that sounded like a sneeze-cough a several times. Is that typical? What do we need to watch out for? Can stress induce immediate respiratory illness or could he maybe have already had something brewing and this stress made it worse?

Our rooster, a mature Dark Brahma, is the BIGGEST chicken we have. He's HUGE. I'm surprised the hawk went after him. Was the hawk possibly trying to take him out because it wanted easier access to the hens? There's no way that hawk could have carried the rooster off; the roo is twice his size! Or did the roo attack the hawk because the hawk attacked a hen? 

I'm worried about poor Splash now . . . he's such a gorgeous rooster.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Keep him quiet. If that means keeping the coop door closed for a day or two then that's what you should do. 

He might benefit from some electrolytes if you don't see him perking up after some quiet time. 

It sounds more like a young hawk making a try for something bigger than it would normally attack. Taking flight is not always something they do and will stay on the ground with its prey. I had young red tails go after my Guineas in the past. They had no chance of carrying off one of my birds so that would have been the only option for it.


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## RhapsodyAcres (Nov 20, 2013)

I did some checking and I think it was a red-shouldered hawk. 

When we were trying to get the hawk out of the pen, it took a LONG time. He was scared but instead of flying out the open door, he just mantled and stood there. He finally flew to the open door and grabbed it. We slowly shut the door, which put him on the outside of the pen. That is when this photo was taken. He was still hanging to the door, but was outside the pen. He finally flew away.

After I held Splash for awhile, he calmed down a little. He's staying in the coop, as are the hens. I'll go back out and check on him shortly. We have some liquid minerals we'll add to the water that is supposed to be good for high-stress situations. I'm thinking this counts as a high-stress situation. Poor Splash.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Said in such an understated way, a little stress indeed. Sorry, couldn't resist. 

Do you have a wire top on the pen? 

This guy has probably been hanging around for a while and the behavior sounds as though it was too hungry and made some nearly fatal errors. That's why I asked about the wire top. If it is wired keep everybody up for a while so he gets the idea hanging around won't get him any where so he'll leave.


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## RhapsodyAcres (Nov 20, 2013)

Oh, yes, the top of the pen is wired. He got in when he chased Splash into the pen. There's no way he can get in through the top of the pen. What isn't covered with poultry wire, is covered with netting (which we are working on replacing, bit by bit, with poultry wire).


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## Stefanie55 (Dec 17, 2013)

Thanks for info.


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## TheChickenGuy (Jan 29, 2014)

RhapsodyAcres said:


> I did some checking and I think it was a red-shouldered hawk.
> 
> When we were trying to get the hawk out of the pen, it took a LONG time. He was scared but instead of flying out the open door, he just mantled and stood there. He finally flew to the open door and grabbed it. We slowly shut the door, which put him on the outside of the pen. That is when this photo was taken. He was still hanging to the door, but was outside the pen. He finally flew away.
> 
> After I held Splash for awhile, he calmed down a little. He's staying in the coop, as are the hens. I'll go back out and check on him shortly. We have some liquid minerals we'll add to the water that is supposed to be good for high-stress situations. I'm thinking this counts as a high-stress situation. Poor Splash.


Wow, and it is illegal to kill a hawk. What a law.


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