[Madrat]

Following on from my "just lost a chicken" post, what birds of prey could pose a threat to my girls?

Edited to show the correct spelling of "prey" for search purposes.

[Mickle]

Hello Madrat

Buzzard

Mick

[Beano]

Sorry for your loss! The only bird of prey I can think of that is capable of killing a fully grown hen is a goshawk. But I'd have thought that a goshawk would have killed her on the spot.
The wounds sound like a dog attack to me.

[bantam novice]

I had three bantams taken by buzzards.

[richyrich7]

I would have thought a loose harris hawk would not have much problem with a hen.

We have one around my end of Leicestershire flying free, she's a beautiful bird.

[trampyjoe]

It's no good, I have to interject.

Are you sure your bantams were taken by a buzzard? I mean did you actually see it? Also, how big were they?

Reason I ask is that Buzzards are not known for taking anything other than small mammals and very small birds. They mostly eat carrion with worms and insects when carrion is sparce.

Normally I wouldn't have said anything but birds of prey get enough bad press (which is why their numbers are down to critical levels), they don't need any more.

[Herb]

trampyjoe -

I have personally seen buzzards take adult (and very alive!) Common Gulls, I don't think they would have an issue tackling a hen!

Completely agree on the bad press, but Buzzards are not endangered, and their numbers are not critical - thankfully, they are actually increasing.

[Mickle]

The main diet for the Buzzard was Rabbit , (hardly a small rodent) its diet is now more carrion based  although its not averse to the occasional Pheasant dinner either taking all victims on the ground (Not being really agile enough on the wing)
Granted being an opportunist it also takes worms and during the winter can be seen in pastures actively seeking them and is doing so because there's naff all else.

To say that this bird is unable to take a chicken is spreading misinformation, its more than capable.

[Madrat]

I agree birds of pray get a bad press, but then so do magpies and lots of other animals.  The only reason I want to know what attacked my girl is so I can prevent it happening again if at all possible.  As I said in the previous post a dog is out of the question It just couldn't have gotten into the garden.  Last year we found a pigeon in our pond with its back torn open and we had spotted a very large prey like bird in the sky a few day before so I am thinking that it could have been that.

[arugula]

The main diet for the Buzzard was Rabbit , (hardly a small rodent) its diet is now more carrion based  ..

We frequently watch them catching very live adult rabbits here.

[bantam novice]

Hello Trampyjoe,
my partner and I both saw it happen to one but were too far away to save the hen.  The buzzard had developed a technique of scaring the hen against the electric fence then when it was tangled it nailed it.  I don't think it would have succeeded if the bantams had been running free. 

[Lastcast]

I'll put another possible suspect forward, a Sparrowhawk ? I've seen one take one of my Uncles young hens, ok it wasn't full grown however it was as big as a Bantam. They also regularly take large Woodpigeons and are more secretive and agile than a Buzzard. 

[richyrich7]

End of the day this is all supposition, we'll probably never know what happened to that hen.
Birds of prey are something that poultry keepers have to learn to cope with. plenty of shrubs and cover will help, hens can be pretty quick off the mark when they need to be.

Survival of the fittest and all that.

[splash101]

We also have a sparrowhawk in the area that takes large wood pigeon (and sits on the fence for over an hour devouring it) seems quite a task given the size of the sparrowhawk and the size of the wood pigeon

[Madrat]

OK I'm going to increase the bushes in the chickens part of the garden.