Hawks and Poisonous Prey Colors

CindyJeann

Songster
8 Years
Mar 29, 2011
224
10
108
Miller County Arkansas
Has anyone ever tried dyeing your chickens to protect them from hawks? I saw this article online and thought it might be a cool idea if it works. The logic behind the idea is that if your chicken is the color of poisonous prey (like brightly colored frogs) the hawk will avoid them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/case-...aint-chickens-pink-and-purple-to-thwart-hawks

https://www.google.com/search?q=poi...=1242&bih=585#tbm=isch&q=poisonous+frog+color


I am having to raise chicks to restart my flock all over again because I lost all my birds to hawks last winter. But I don’t have any white chickens and I bet that is the only color that would take the dye well. I also thought about using chicken saddles that are brightly colored or have predator eyes on them. If someone has had success with one of these methods let me know. I have even considered using some non toxic paint on them.
 
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Has anyone ever tried dyeing your chickens to protect them from hawks? I saw this article online and thought it might be a cool idea if it works. The logic behind the idea is that if your chicken is the color of poisonous prey (like brightly colored frogs) the hawk will avoid them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/case-...aint-chickens-pink-and-purple-to-thwart-hawks

https://www.google.com/search?q=poi...=1242&bih=585#tbm=isch&q=poisonous+frog+color


I am having to raise chicks to restart my flock all over again because I lost all my birds to hawks last winter. But I don’t have any white chickens and I bet that is the only color that would take the dye well. I also thought about using chicken saddles that are brightly colored or have predator eyes on them. If someone has had success with one of these methods let me know. I have even considered using some non toxic paint on them.

This might be a good idea for light colored chickens, gentian violet is fairly harmless as far as I know. I usually keep mostly dark breeds bc of hawks but I have an addiction to BO's! This past year, I broke my rule and got amberlinks, which I thought would have more brown but they are almost entirely white. I have done nothing for the rooster who shouldn't be,( I ordered all pullets) but the hens wear camo saddles which are also reversible to hunter orange. I don't know if it will do anything helpful and right now everyone is confined to the run bc of a fox I am having trouble hunting! Hawks are also really on the move here right now, I'm seeing them circling daily.
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I think this would probably only work if there were poisonous brightly colored prey animals that were native to the area that the species of hawk had already evolved to have the instinct to stay away from.
 
I just found a site that sells saddles and they have "Predator Eye Decals" to put on them. Has anyone tried these and had any luck?

http://www.chickenarmor.com/#!produ...ator-eye-deterrent-set-decal---price-per-pair

I have not used those. A plus is no elastic to wear out, don't know how the go on or stay on. I guess it's cute that you can draw on them and more sanitary maybe than canvas saddles. they say they are cheap, they look it. Just MO. I use heavy duty double/cross strap. Not had one hen get out of her saddle!
 

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