Stupid hawks

[chickchick224]

Well it happened. I lost my first chicken. I believe it was a red tailed hawk. I cried like a baby. I witnessed it happen but was too late to save her. My chicks have a coop that is surrounded by a fence. The coop is nice and secure. For when they're in there at night. But the defence around it is only about 4 ft high. And nothing covering the top. I feel like my only option is to redo the fence. Make it smaller and put a top over it. Will that even keep the Hawks out? Or are they persistent? Oh man.

 

[limited25]

I've read a lot of posts where people plants bushes, have boards over blocks, things like that so their chickens can run underneath them and protect themselves from hawks. Of course one of the chickens has to sound the alarm.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[iLikeMineFried]

We have hawks, vultures, and eagles that circle our house daily looking for an easy meal. We attached 8 foot tall pvc pipe to the corners of our run, put tees on the tops and strung fishing line between them, crisscrossing as much as possible. Then we took that foil tape for duct work and made little tags of it that blow in the wind. Birds of prey will not swoop down to tackle prey if they don't have a quick exit, and they can see the fishing line from above, so they don't bother. I'm sorry you had a loss.

 

[chickchick224]

Maybe I'll make something like that. They can all run under the coop. Which is where they've been hiding for the last 7 hours. My area isn't out in the ooen. It's pretty covered w trees. But I guess a hawk could just sit in one of those trees and swoop down.

 

[Isaac 0]

Most of my area is covered by plants bushes trees chickens tend to stay in the weeds and not in the middle of the yard also put cds in the trees the sun reflecting off the cd will scare hawks away

 

[chickchick224]

I tried uploading a pic of my area. It's not working for some reason.

 

[Isaac 0]

Are you on your phone or laptop people keep having trouble posting pics on there phone

 

[carlf]

Bird netting is easy to support and cover the top. Not strong enough to keep out raccoons but will keep out hawks & owls.
Online poultry supply places have it.

 

[chickchick224]

I'm on my phone

 

[JoshFig]

Bird netting is easy to support and cover the top. Not strong enough to keep out raccoons but will keep out hawks & owls.
Online poultry supply places have it.

Agree on this. I have a 4.5' fence around my run w/ a secure coop. Deer netting over the top. I have had no issues w/ hawks. Agree that it won't keep coons and possums out, but they usually won't come around during the day.

At 4' your chickens will fly out when they get bigger as well so you will need something over the top.