Remember now, a Red Tailed Hawk is the largest of the chicken hawks.I currently have a 10' x 30' enclosed run. One side of my run is made from a 4'x 10' section of cattle panel. The holes in the cattle panel are about 5" x 5". I had put chicken wire over the whole panel, except for the top 5" that was left exposed. Two weekends ago was the first week that I moved my flock of 15 pullers, 2 Roos, and 10 guineas to the new coop and run. I came home from work on the next Monday to spot a hawk flying up in the area of the run. I stop in the drive to inspect, and saw that he had killed 2 guinea's, 1 Easter eager, and my favorite Buff Orpington little Roo, Johnny cash. The Guineas were both partially eaten, and had been dead for a while. The Easter eager had part of the head missing. Couldn't find any damage to Johnny Cash except that he was dead, and still warm.
If I had not seen the hawk flying up, I would still be wondering what killed my birds. I never would have thought a hawk would make his way into a 5" x 5" hole in the side of a fence. So, I fix the fence that evening, come home from work the next day to spot the hawk flying up from the run area again. All the chicks were okay, but had taken cover inside the coop. The guineas looked terrified, and four of them had bruising to their head like they had been flying at the fence in panic.
I stay home from work the next two days, hide out, and watch for the hawk. (No, I wasn't going to kill him, just shoot above him) However, as of yet I still haven't seen that hawk again.
