Can a peregrine falcon carry off a chicken??

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
I live in a city - doesn't work - wait they did eat most my neighbors caged pigeons before they ate my young chickens...

 

[Giammona farm]

normaly they won't carry off with a chicken but they will attack one.

 

[greenpeeps]

If you live near Youngstown, Ohio you've heard of the Friendly Trapper. Well I work as a stylist in a rehab center and where he is receiving physical therapy. I have a red tail hawk in my back yard, so I asked him if my 17 week old chickens were to big to get carried away and he laughed. He said he's seen a red tail hawk carry away a leg horn. That didn't make me feel good at all

Oh and the Friendly Trapper has some great books out!

 

[fldiver97]

Eeks, now that makes me really worried.....my girls are quite large but we have Barred Owls in the woods behind the yard....sounds like they could be a problem. I may have keep the girls in their run unless I am in the yard with them....... They will hate it!!

 

[deerman]

Peregine, take pigeon size birds. They also take their prey from the air. You sure these are peregine??? Here in Ohio they track all these birds. Cooper will take pheasants size birds.

Peregine dont nest in woods, mostly high building or cliffs.

http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/Default.aspx

 

[chicks4kids]

Wow, I googled the Peregrine falcon and the Coopers Hawk, and HOLY MOLY, are they similar....hopefully I can determine exactly which one it is.
However, I did find that " The Peregrine Falcon likes a heavily timbered habitat, preferably having cliffs or rocky outcrops in coastal or mountainous regions of the country. " Well, I don't have the cliffs or rocky outcrops but I definitely have the timbered habitat. Hopefully I can be fortunate enough to get a pic somehow. We know where the nest is, but the minute you're anywhere near it...all goes quiet...not even a peep!!

I googled their sounds, and there's not too many sounds for mama feeding her young...so no luck there. I don't get too many opportunities to see them, because when I step outside to the chicken coop area, they fly away to their nest.

My daughter thinks it's neat because her school mascot is a falcon.

 

[deerman]

http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/falcons/identify.aspx

Note the wing tip , they go to the tip of the tail.

Peregrine take their prey in the air with diving speed up to 200 mile per hour. I think thats the fastest animal around.

If they are peregrine, would think no harm to your chickens, now cooper, or sharpshin yes both with take chicken, pheasant size.

 

[Chickn chick 46]

I have my runs completly covered with chicken wire and more than once I have seen small hawks sitting on the posts staring into the runs at my chickens. The funny thing was all my girls were looking at this bird like "

you can't get us" , but they were very alert and making the alarm noise.

Before we had the wire covering, I witnessed one of my hens get nailed by a red tail. It came swooping out of the trees so fast she never saw it coming. By the time I got out there she was dead and the hawk didn't get his dinner either.

Just the other night I was out by the hen yards having my adult beverage and not 5 feet away from me a hawk landed on a tree branch. I'm assuming it was a youngster, some sort of bird hawk. I don't trust them around my chickens, but feel safer with the wire. Now if they'd only go after those pesky grackles

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
You are not aloud to even touch them. If you do, you are talking HUGE fines!

We just got back from camping this past weekend and attended a wildlife rehab. show at the campground's ampitheater. They had several live birds of prey there for us to see and the Peregrine Falcon was one of them. It is a remarkably amazing bird!

Not to long ago, that species was on the endangered list. As unwelcome as this predator is, you really need to leave it be and make sure your chickens stay in their run which is hopefully covered. If you are really worried, you could always contact your local game warden and see if they can come move them.

 

[DeniseA]

I found one of my chickens with just its head ripped off, about a month ago. Later in the week I think I interrupted another attack when i ran outside and found another scene similar to the first with a falcon sitting up literally just over the spot where another chicken had lost quite a few feathers. It was perched on a branch super low to the ground and just staring at me, which I found a little disconcerting. The gals were squawking and hiding but none grievously injured.

I've since spotted the falcon perched up on our patio cover and other places in my yard that seem way too close for what I'd consider "normal" for such a creature. I'm no expert on either chickens or falcons, but I'm being as cautious as possible. This dude is definitely mesmerized by the gals and I have no doubt will hang out here for the foreseeable future. I have three dogs of varying sizes including a Great Dane- all of which go outside into my fenced backyard frequently, so I initially felt like that was adequate to persuade many predators to keep their distance. It is definitely not. I'm even keeping a closer eye on the smaller of the three when he goes out.

Today I have been in and out all morning, thinking about letting the gals stretch their legs a bit while I stick close to them.... however, just found yet another bird murder scene right next to my patio. Feathers looked like a seagull (or maybe a good-sized dove now that it's mentioned). Gals were safely in their coop, but I feel terrible not letting them roam as they've been doing up til recently. Quality of life versus life safety, I guess. It's trickier to balance with this new development. I figure any animal will probably take greater risks in this cold weather if they need the meal badly enough, but I'm pretty skittish about taking any chances now with my gals who I adore. I also sort of feel like I've already messed with the falcons mojo as my backyard in the suberbs is not really a natural habitat for them. ....

Thank goodness for this forum and everyone's generosity in sharing information. I'm so conflicted between feeling thrilled to have seen such a beautiful creature as this falcon and respecting the wildness of it, while sumtaneously feeling totally appalled that it might harm the chickens due to a slip or oversight on my part. The falcons doing his natural thing by hunting, but the chickens and their environment I'm totally responsible for. I don't want to essentially hand raise them and care for them only to serve them up on a platter to a predator (that sounds weird since I'm talking about chickens, but I do love the silly creatures as I'm a terrible farmer and would most likely starve before I'd even give them a second look )

I'm going to have to rethink my setup so that I can protect the girls while not impinging upon the falcon being a falcon He's so maneuverable and fast that I now don't even think the more naturally (or unnaturally as it's a backyard, I suppose) partially sheltered areas are adequate to provide any added protection. The gals have a generously sized coop but I want to add space for them to safely wander a bit more.

I'm pretty sure this falcon can outmaneuver and outsmart me when it comes to hunting and that sort of strategy- and probably take my milk money while it's at it- without even breaking a sweat. Other than wishing the bird hadn't noticed my gals in the first place (yeah, right- they're absolutely amazing birds of prey!!!) my only option is to try to figure out a safer alternative setup for the chickens.

I know this is an older thread and I haven't read through the entire forum yet- perhaps it's already addressed elsewhere- but I'd welcome any suggestions!!! Thanks, folks!