[midnight chick]

Does any one know if buzzards take chickens? We have one that has been circling the area for the last week and fear for our 16 week old blackrock chicks that free range, although they spend time under things quite alot

[chairmanphil]

not a full grown but i would be careful with youngsters, but i think it would be unlikely. round my way we have buzzards and kites and they don't seem interested in anything alive, except crow babies bless them. thought they were vultures!

[Brucklay]

Buzzards are more of a scavenger than a hunter - they are commonly seen digging for worms in fields. We have a lot around us and they are probably encouraged closer to the house and duck pen as we have a pet buzzard!! I have never seen them go for the adult ducks but I do keep the duckling inside for a while till the are strong not really for the fear of the buzzards more for the odd sparrowhawk that will pass by - I've seen them go for red leg partridge. So in conclusion I would say they are pretty safe at 16 weeks - the buzzard is probably just enjoying the good weather.

[sabrina]

Friend down at Crudie has lost a few bantams to a Buzzard, he had to keep the rest in closed. I lost an indian runner duck last year, she was about 4 months old but quite small.

[jaykay]

I've lost a white call drake. And they take wild rabbits I think.

[Fleecewife]

When the sparrow hawk cruises by here all our poultry, young and old, scatter under cover.  We have not lost chicks to the buzzards but we have lost them to crows and gulls, not to mention the stoat...and the fox...and rats.  I would think that at 16 weeks the Black Rocks would be safe, if only because they will hide.

[in the hills]

We have many buzzards and kite but no losses yet.

Last summer we had about 5 buzzards that seemed a bit threatening ..... always swooping low over the hens and sitting watching from nearby trees. The gamekeepers wife asked me if Id seen them as they were visiting her too. She said that she had seen one take a pheasant poult that was as big as my friesian fowl , so to keep a look out. They never took any hens, not even my tiny peekins.

I have been told by locals that they have taken fowl but no problems for me yet. Perhaps if they are very hungry but think they are mainly carrion feeders.

[Fleecewife]

in the hills - it sounds like that was a family of newly fledged young ones.  We get them like that, sitting around hoping a meal will drop into their beaks.  We call them all Aldrin....Buzz Aldrin?   

[hughesy]

We have buzzards in the neighbourhood. Lost a cockerel the other week which we suspect was killed by a bird of prey but no hard evidence.

[Brijjy]

Buzzards are more likely to take live prey than Kites. Kites are lazy beggars and would rather their dinner is nicely dead. Saying that, Buzzards would still rather have carrion, it doesn't move much or fight back!

[Brucklay]

Buzzards are exceptionally lazy birds of prey - that's why they are recommended as a beginner bird, your less likely to loose it as the bird see's something living - looks back at owner and thinks dinner delivered to my door. It's why they end up in trap's, scavenging for food (not legal - but it's done, I was given one by Perth Police to rehabilitate but on seeing it's injuries it had to be pts - they'd not wanted to open the box!!) And to be perfectly honest I really can't see even the largest female buzzard with hungry chicks taking on a cockerel

[chairmanphil]

we have a female Goshawk on the fields by my land and she is a killer and i think would take on a chicken. but never seen a Buzzard take anything alive!

[Big Light]

Buzzards will take anything they get i have seen them on telegraph poles fishing for young pheasant poults in  pens , i have also seen them drop on partridges and peafowl chicks although that one got a shock as when she was sitting on top starting to pluck, the pea hen flew in landed on it and knocked seven bells of sh*t out of it before it flew off.

Hungry Birds are bolder than those with plenty of alternative prey

[jaykay]

Wow, a goshawk. Now if I thought I could fly one of those I'd definitely be into falconry!

I agree, five buzzards together will be a family, we get them too in the summer, otherwise just singles or pairs.

[chairmanphil]

Wow, a goshawk. Now if I thought I could fly one of those I'd definitely be into falconry!

I agree, five buzzards together will be a family, we get them too in the summer, otherwise just singles or pairs.

she is something to watch, all the living rabbits are clever lucky ones!