buzzard

[kevnsue]

Hi folks,quick question,would a buzzard take a chicken that was roaming free on lottie,no sign of predator attack,lost one on xmas eve and one today,i know of 3 buzzards 2 fields away.
They are either being stolen or it is the buzzards,cheers kev.

[RichmondHens]

Certainly likely to take a bantam, not so sure about a full size bird. We have buzzards around us and I'm a bit wary of them. I have lost 2 chickens in the last year - one an adult bantam, one a bantam chick of about 6 weeks - and I'm certain an aerial predator took them as there were no feathers on the ground. The chick was the one white one among 11 grey siblings, so she stood out.

[Nicos]

We have 4 buzzards circling overhead all year.
Not lost any chooks/chicks (so far) and mine are Cayennes ( dwarf ...adult 650g)
I suppose it depends on how hungry they are????

[tlck9]

Having seen one of these birds take one of my friends Parrots and then come back and took my old wood pigeon who'd been nesting in our garden for years and she was a pretty size, I would say they could.

But I would agreed with Nicos if they are hungry enough.

I am looking after a friends chickens and I've been scaring off a Buzzard from the top of their run for a few days. I went there the other day and there were feathers/blood everywhere....boy did I panic, in panic you dont actually notice the fact that the colour were black and not chicken colour, so I ran round to count them

I would suspect he had a crow but it gave me a right scare

[its hilly]

They can easily take big rabbits so can't see a chook being a problem sadly. But I'd have thought there'd be people around on a lottie which would keep 'em away.

[Hilary B]

I don't know whether a buzzard could carry off a chicken. When they catch rabbits they eat them on the spot (and mostly the nearest crow finishes it off). Buzzards look pretty big, but they only weigh a couple of pounds, and birds just aren't 'designed' to fly at double normal weight (whether the difference be carried externally or in the belly).
Top weight for a buzzard (according to my bird book) is 1.2kg. Woodpigeon it reckons up to 570g, crows 500g, jackdaw (black feathers just the same) 250g.
They also tend to leave traces of a kill, stray feathers or blood-traces where it happened.
If there is NO evidence of predation, I would guess human thief....

[Hilary B]

Certainly likely to take a bantam, not so sure about a full size bird. We have buzzards around us and I'm a bit wary of them. I have lost 2 chickens in the last year - one an adult bantam, one a bantam chick of about 6 weeks - and I'm certain an aerial predator took them as there were no feathers on the ground. The chick was the one white one among 11 grey siblings, so she stood out.

Total lack of feathers on the ground is actually unliklely with an aerial predator, but there may be too few to notice readily in a free-ranging situation (but that applies to any predator big enough to carry off its prey). Most raptors are a lot less large than people think!

[kevnsue]

They can easily take big rabbits so can't see a chook being a problem sadly. But I'd have thought there'd be people around on a lottie which would keep 'em away.

Another one gone today,no signs of any feathers or blood.
Would rats take them,there are plenty of them????.
My lottie is my own land in the country side,no humans around on a regular basis but there are passers by.

[Nicos]

Flipping heck...it does make you wonder doesn't it???

Poor little things...I sort of hope it's wildlife - not nasty , greedy peeps

[its hilly]

I had three vanish without feathers or blood, within a 2hr period last year. We assumed they'd been stolen, but two days later the cockeral reappeared, so severely injured that he died the same day. He had deep bites round his neck and over his back. We never did know for sure, as it seemed extremely unlikely to be a fox without signs, but wondered would a very hungry fox with cubs hang around to play, or just kill and leg it. We do have buzzards around, but yes when they kill big rabbits they usually eat them on the spot, if they'd had your chooks I would have thought they'd do the same, or at least eat enough to lift off with the remains. Its a bit early for them to be feeding chicks surely?

[tlck9]

Depends on if something spooked them, some do hit and fly a short way.

It is possible, but having read a few of the poultry forums later, I would also not rule out someone taking them for food...

[frias]

When I asked this question last year I was told definately no. A buzzard was flying over my girls quite regularly and then sitting on my shed surveying them. Eventually it left probably after deciding that my warrens were too big for it. The girls were petrified when it was about though and stood like statues.

[RichmondHens]

My big ones just stand there, although the cocks do make a warning sound, very distinctive. The banties though tend to either flatten themselves to the ground or run for cover under the nearest tree or bush. I have seen them do this with the sparrow hawk too. We also have barn owls but the bantams know they are not a threat and although they make a warning noise they do not run for cover when they come over.

[Hilary B]

Foxes usually only 'play' in the chicken run because even after catching one there are still a load of fluttery things all around in easy killing range. If they catch one, and the rest are out of sight, they will probably depart with what they've got.
3 vanishing at once, without sign, sounds like maybe there was more than one fox. A bird coming back after a couple of days, too badly injured to survive, makes me wonder whether the disappearance and the injuries actually happened at the same time, or whether he 'got away' from human thieves and got hurt on his way hme.

[Nicos]

It really is a dinosaur cry isn't it? I know when the birds are about because both my males stand still with heads cocked keeping an eye on them . Fortunately the raptors haven't come particularly close- I wonder if the electric fence gives off a 'feel'?
Out of interest- do the hens make that noise if there are no lads about?