Hawks

centrarchid said:

Red-shouldered Hawks likely not going to be a problem. What do you mean by "chicken hawk", Red-tailed or Cooper's Hawk? I am not familiar with anything called a grey hawk but adult Coopers are blue-gray. Management can vary as a function of hawk species and type of chickens you have.

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So are Sharp Shinned Hawks, the third species of "Chicken" hawk. Another name for the Sharp Shinned Hawk is a "Blue Darter"

I'm not familiar with all the species of hawks and I had trouble finding info about hawks from my area but most of them are brown or red and varied from a foot tall to a foot and a half and wing lengths of 2-3 ft. some have brown spots on there chest and some have white chest, and the grey or blue one I saw was on the smaller side of what I described on sizes. At my old house I walked out the back slider door and took a few steps forward and one of these blue one's swooped right by my face, seriously like 3 inches from my face.
That got the old heart going.

chickengeorgeto said:

So are Sharp Shinned Hawks, the third species of "Chicken" hawk.  Another name for the Sharp Shinned Hawk is a "Blue Darter"

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In area I am in three species will take chickens; Red-tailed Hawk, Coopers Hawks, and Ferruginous Hawk (larger but otherwise similar to Red-tailed Hawk) which also normally further to west. I have lost chickens to all three. Sharp-shinned also present outside the breeding season does not go after chickens on a consistent basis and a hen could kill one in seconds if she can catch in the ground..

Cochins Elite said:

I'm not familiar with all the species of hawks and I had trouble finding info about hawks from my area but most of them are brown or red and varied from a foot tall to a foot and a half and wing lengths of 2-3 ft. some have brown spots on there chest and some have white chest, and the grey or blue one I saw was on the smaller side of what I described on sizes. At my old house I walked out the back slider door and took a few steps forward and one of these blue one's swooped right by my face, seriously like 3 inches from my face.
That got the old heart going.

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Blue or gray ones that are relatively small and hunt in close proximity to you are likely either Coopers or Sharp-shinned and they look a lot alike excepting for size. Both are brownish instead of gray during the first year of life and up close adults have almost red eyes.

Others most likely to be Red-tailed.

Bantams are vulnerable to all. Young chickens and hens particularly vulnerable to Coopers unless adult rooster present. Red-tailed is a particular problem even for rooster if not enough cover chickens can retreat to and in my setting rooster can launch counter attacks from.

There is cover but I have a lot of room for them so if one ventured farther out it could be attacked. I have full size cochins and a very protective flock rooster.