Table 5.
Attacks on hens by birds of prey (BOP) seen during field observations, numbered in chronological order.
| Attack | Date & Time 1 | Farm | Flock Age (weeks) | Bird of Prey Species | Condition 2 of Hen Prior to Attack | Predator Killed Hen | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 16:01–17:31 |
9 | 31 | Accipiter gentilis | Healthy | Yes | Hen was attacked next to fence. Immediately after the BOP left, other hens ran to the killed hen and cannibalized it. |
| 2 | 10 September 19:09–20:29 |
8 | 43 | Buteo buteo | Healthy | No | Hen was attacked in open field, next to the fence. Immediately at the start of the attack, roosters ran to BOP and chased it away. Hen survived. |
| 3 | 11 September 16:22–17:57 |
5 | 42 | Accipiter gentilis | Healthy | No | Hens were attacked under the trees. BOP attacked 3 hens, and was chased away by roosters. Hens survived. While flying away, the BOP was also chased by Buteo buteo. |
| 4 | 29 September 17:00–18:30 |
10 | 32 | Buteo buteo | Healthy | Yes | BOP1 attacked hen in open field, next to fence. Hen first dropped down, but then resisted. BOP2 flew over BOP1 during attack. BOPs ate together from the hen. BOP3 flew over and disappeared. |
| 5 | 6 October 17:52–19:22 |
8 | 47 | Buteo buteo | Healthy | No | BOP attacked solitary hen in open field, next to fence, while other hens and roosters had gone inside. Hen first dropped down, but then resisted. BOP scared off by the observer and fled. Hen was euthanised by the farmer because of a severe breast wound. |
| 6 | 8 October 12:55–14:52 |
9 | 35 | Accipiter gentilis | Healthy | No | BOP attacked hen in open field, next to fence. Hen first dropped down, but then resisted, fled and got attacked again. Fled again and BOP flew into tree. Hen ran away. |
| 7 | 23 October 15:30–17:00 |
4 | 58 | Accipiter gentilis | Healthy | No | BOP attacked hen under a tree, next to fence. Hen first dropped down, but then resisted and fled, right into an electric fence. BOP flew away, flew back over hen and disappeared. |
| 8 | 26 October 16:00–7:27 |
10 | 36 | Buteo buteo | Healthy | Yes | BOP attacked hen in open field, next to fence. Hen dropped down, screamed and did not resist. Other hens ran towards hen house. BOP left hen after 15 min eating breast. Hens ran to killed hen and cannibalised it. |
| 9 | 5 November 13:27–15:00 |
4 | 60 | Buteo buteo | Healthy | No | BOP attacked hen in open field, next to artificial shelter. Hen ran under shelter. BOP disappeared. |
| 10 | 5 November 15:27–17:27 |
10 | 37 | Buteo buteo | Healthy | No | BOP attacked hen in open field. Hen first dropped down, but then resisted and after 5 min BOP disappeared. Hen ran towards hen house. |
1 Start and end times of observations. 2 A hen was considered ‘healthy’ if she was displaying normal free-range behaviour (alternating standing, pecking, walking and foraging [11]) and no other behaviour or particularities were seen that would suggest the hen to be somehow impaired, diseased or weakened.