Turkey Vultures eating my Chickens

[dingocali67]

Does anyone know an easy way to keep Turkey Vultures out of my orchard where my chickens free roam? I obviously cant kill them, but they are taking my chickens one by one. I have lost 5 chickens in 2 months. Thanks for any and all feedback.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are you sure it's vultures that are killing them or are they eating chickens killed by a predator?

I could be wrong but I wasn't aware that vultures are protected by state law like birds of prey are.

Though they're capable, scavengers like vultures rarely kill a live animal.

 

[azygous]

Does anyone know an easy way to keep Turkey Vultures out of my orchard where my chickens free roam? I obviously cant kill them, but they are taking my chickens one by one. I have lost 5 chickens in 2 months. Thanks for any and all feedback.

Turkey vultures are strictly scavengers. A predator, (a turkey vulture is NOT a predator) is killing your chickens. You are simply assuming they killed them because you're associating one with the other just because you see them together, which is natural. Unless you actually witness a turkey vulture killing a chicken, which would really be one for the record books, you need to accept that they are not the culprits.

Probably feral dogs are doing it. They would probably kill and leave the dead chicken. You need to set up a game cam and then you'll know for sure. They're cheap and you can order one over the internet easily.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2
And if you catch a vulture on camera killing a chicken, please post it.

 

[mominoz]

There was someone on here, who watched Vultures circle and run I believe it was rabbits till they tired and then swooped down and killed them.... they thought possibly due to lack of dead prey.... I am old enough that what is told on the Tv shows about animals and birds and the books aren't necessarily true. But then , documentation turns up that refutes it.... like deer that eat meat, wolves that killed 72 Elk calves at once and just ate the noses, coyotes /coydogs that have attacked people and children that I think we often don't know as much as we think about animal and bird adaptability and intelligence. I have seen birds watch another and then learn the behavior, as with dogs, horses, etc.... I believe it is possible it is the Turkey Buzzards could have learned to do that if motivated enough.... however if the birds were killed when you weren't home or around it may be another predator... but why did they leave the meal so quickly? I just watched crows chase off a hawk, later in the day I saw a mockingbird chase off a crow.....