That wasn't a hawk.

[janedoe]

We lost a chicken last week. I thought it might have wandered next door to the boarding school's coop. Sometimes they do. Then this morning my husband saw something land in the yard. He ran outside and scared it off. He told me this story saying that he had scared off a hawk.

I went out this afternoon because I hadn't seen the goats running around and saw that they hadn't eaten their food. This is not unusual, it's unheard of. Thelma came out of the goat house but I couldn't see Louise. I found her huddled in the corner in the darkest spot. Went in to pet her and she seemed fine but wouldn't get up. Did some chores in the enclosure and she eventually came out but her tail was down. Then both goats went back inside. The chickens, meanwhile, were hiding in the bushes.

Called my husband and asked him if he noticed anything odd about the goats. He said confidently that the goats must be afraid of the hawk.

Now, my goats are small but they're not that small. I suggested that maybe the goats had learned to speak chicken and were responding to their panic. I asked him to keep an eye on the goats for the next few days in case it was a health issue.

Then he came home and we got to talking. I insisted that the goats couldn't be afraid of a hawk and he insisted that this hawk was really big, bigger than any hawk he had ever seen and he showed me with his hands. He said it was at least twice as big as our chickens. And our goats are completely freaked out.

Don't think we have another hawk. I think we have an eagle.

[POPTOP]

YIKES! They definitely will try to get chickens. Bet they spooked the goats too.

[Bamps]

Ah BEAUTIFUL get a pic!!! I was able to shoot a California condor and I was so stoked!!

[KenZ71]

Wow. If a Bald Eagle you might be in trouble they are big, tough and protected by the feds!

Maybe setup a sprinkler?

Hope it works out soon!

[janedoe]

Wow. If a Bald Eagle you might be in trouble they are big, tough and protected by the feds!

Maybe setup a sprinkler?

Hope it works out soon!

From what my husband described and what we're supposed to have in the area, I think it's a Golden Eagle. I wouldn't hurt it but the timing is bad because we are a month away from redoing the entire goat enclosure and installing a permanent aviary for the chickens then making the chickens pretty much indoor birds from here on out. The dang thing just needs to go away for a little while.