I used to think chicken runs were optional until my girls got eaten by a hawk

I had a decent coop but let my 6 hens free range during the day because I thought a run was just extra work. Last Tuesday I walked outside and saw a red-tailed hawk sitting on my fence with one of my Barred Rocks dead on the ground. That bird cost me $40 in feed and 2 years of egg production from that hen. Now I'm building a 10x10 covered run with hardware cloth this weekend. Anyone else have a close call that made you change your setup? How big did you go?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_hill2712d ago

Read somewhere that hawks can spot a chicken from a mile up.

the_avery12d ago

My buddy Jared actually saw this happen once. We were out at his uncle's farm and this red-tailed hawk just came out of nowhere, straight down like a missile. @jana_hill27 it's wild because Jared said the chicken was half hidden under a bush but that hawk locked onto it from what looked like way up in the sky. He said the chicken didn't even have time to make a sound before the hawk grabbed it and was gone. I always thought that "spot a chicken from a mile up" thing was just an old saying but after hearing that story I totally believe it now.