It’s so hot right now that I’ll likely be posting this week while we’re hiding inside at night - promise. Plus there’s a lot to say and update you about. First, a story about how it’s like the Nature Channel around here.
Monday morning, after getting home from vacation late the night before, I got up early and went for a walk around before going to work. I put the horses out, let the hens out of their yard and headed to the garden to pull garlic and check in.
About 10 minutes later I heard the hens squawking and assumed that Jake was after them. Then I remembered that Jake was still inside sleeping. When I heard the hens again I took off running for the pasture to see what was happening.
As I came through the gate I got a full view of a bald eagle tackling one of the Welsummer hens. Seriously. It was like the damn Wild Kingdom, but 15 feet from me. He was in full attack in all his glory, she was freaking out trying to get away and I was trying to simultaneously scare him off and wishing I had my camera.
Luckily he lost his grip on her and took off, scattering the rest of the flock to the pasture and neighbors’ property. It took more than an hour to find most of them, the last one was missing until late in the afternoon when she finally came wandering back.
A day later the eagle’s intended victim seems to be okay - a bit sore, a few puncture wounds and overheated like the rest of us. I’m just crossing my fingers that her wounds heal without infection - I don’t think putting her in the barn in this heat is a good option and as the other hens don’t seem to be picking on her I’m letting her make her own healing decisions.
I know I’ve said it before (as Mike reminds me) but I think I’m locking them up for the duration of the summer. Their netting keeps them safe from aerial attacks and we don’t have to worry about where they are or who’s trying to eat them. Thankfully their yard is big enough that they don’t seem to mind.
Tonight the eagle (he’s a local that we see all the time) was sitting on the telephone pole in front of our hose surveying his domain. I informed him that chicken is off the menu and that he’s just lucky he’s got special protections or all bets would be off!
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Wow, quite the excitement there. Do you often get these animals near you? I haven’t seen many eagles here, but hawks are often around. I saw one plummeting down for some unknown animal (too far to see) and, well, seeing it go was terrifying.
In the future (when we actually live at our farm! and get hens!) I know we are going to have this problem too. There is a large population of eagles near our farm in SW Wisc. Our friends that board their horses on our farm have seen eagles attacking and then devouring pheasants in our feedlot.
So very envious of your heat. We have yet to have summer here in Toronto. And the rain is falling as I write this.
Mangochild :: yep, we’ve got at least one resident pair of bald eagles that live in the neighbor’s trees (we can’t see the nest from our place). We’ve also got red tailed hawks and owls. It wasn’t so much terrifying as surreal - part of my brain kept going “Really?!?!?”
Angie :: We’ve seen the eagles before taking down wild quail and pheasant in the hayfield across the street, just didn’t really expect they’d go after our full size hens. Netting will be your friend when you get hens.
Meghan :: We’ll send you the hot sunny weather if you’ll send us the rain… Seriously.
How beautiful but scary at the same time. We deal with Red Tail Hawks here. Luckily our chickens are on the side yard which makes arial pursuit difficult, but still we have to be on the look out.
I agree with Laura…. Spokane will send you the heat Meghan if you send us the rain.
Wow! That sounds like quite the event. I’m glad your chicken seems to be okay. Poor girl!