Eagles and Hawks

[BrownSheep]

I've heard of eagles taking small livestock but it is more likely to happen by a Golden Eagle (larger). If you are really concerned or believe it is harassing your livestock you can call Fish and game and they will come scare it off for you. I don't know how effective it is but it is really the only thing you can do to directly affect them. I believe that even shooting blanks is illegal but I don't know that for certain.

I work with some people who do diet studies for Golden Eagles and they haven't found any signs of livestock, although they have found mallards in their caches.

I doubt a hawk could carry a lamb off but they really don't have to. Even ravens have been known to sit on top of lambs and peck them to death. Now, that doesn't mean they will. We've had a raven pair nest not 50 yards from our lambing pens and they've never shown any interest in the lambs.

 

[goatgurl]

answer is yes to both questions. i witnessed a bald eagle take one of my two day old kids a couple of years ago and after that my Anatolian would raise all kinds of hell when any big bird came around. he would circle the tree they had landed in and bark till they left. chickens all hid when he would bark at the birds, goats didn't know what his problem was but kept an eye open anyway.

 

[Sumi]

I was asking because I have a GP in our small back yard. She was a chicken killer "gift" that took 2 years to set right. Now she is an awesome chicken guard! I was outside one evening when a hawk swooped in, barely 10 feet off the ground. Paris leaped in the air, teeth clicking and raised cane at the fence where the hawk had landed in a neighboring tree. I don't know if she had ever done this before or if she was showing off for me.

I have a trio of runner ducks that I recently observed (I was in the house looking out the window) them looking skyward. Paris looked at the ducks, then looked up and went nuts. The chickens ran for the bushes at her alarm and I went outside to check on things. There was a flock of migratory birds nervously flying from tree to tree, being stalked by no less than 5 hawks. Paris ran around the yard barking and I put the chickens and ducks in the coop.

I have seen Paris on multiple occasions barking and leaping in the air at hawks and buzzards flying overhead. I didn't know if this was a learned behavior or if other LGD's did this as well. Or maybe I just have a super obsessive, possessive dog! LOL

Either way @Baymule That dog is a keeper!