Red tailed hawk killed my chicken

Finally... I took some pict! (we had a bit of rain so painting was delayed!). The chickens seem to love their new digs.


I love the fake windown my boyfriend made for it.

Nice looking coop @meghanshane if It wasn't 20 degrees here in CT right now I could have made a nicer coop like yours. But it's been to cold to put a lot of time. But yours looks real nice

@kevomxracer... Thanks. We are not fully done but its getting there
Stay warm in that CT weather. All of my extenders fam is back east and I use to live there. I know that cold well!!!

I'm sorry for everyone who has lost their chicken babies to Hawks or other predator attacks. I had rehomed my entire flock of rare bantams and green egg layers a few years back because I wasn't able to stop them from being attacked daily by a family of hawks we had nesting on our farm, plus random attacks from the raccoons, possum, foxes and coyotes who all hunted them as well. I regretted the decision to give my chickens away because the hawks and coyotes didn't leave and in fact just go for my small dogs and my neighbors' small dogs and cats now instead. I've put up electric fencing on the top of a wire mesh fence around the yard where I plan to let the chickens roam when I can watch them. I'm considering barbed wire for along the bottom outer side of the fencing to keep the digging predators from finding their way underneath the fence. I am also building an extension to our outdoor chicken run for when I can't have them free range so that on the days I'm not able to babysit them they don't have to be cooped up inside. Lastly, I'm considering running fishing wire from barn to treeline over the fenced in yard where I plan to let my next chickens free range (when I can watch and protect them) to deter the hawks. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with doing this. I'm trying anything and everything I can because I don't want to lose birds like I did last time. It's too heartbreaking. I know there has to be ways to outsmart the predators so my chickens can be happy and healthy running around in their yard and anything that wants to eat them realizes it's futile and moves on to other hunting grounds . If anyone has any other ideas I'm open to trying out whatever will keep my chickens safe.

We just lost 2 Rhode Island red hens to a red tailed hawk the other day while at work.. They were 1 yr and 4 yr olds. The hawk could not carry them off but fed on them in their run. Part of run was covered part was not but will be now. Poor girls and my rooster put up a good fight from the looks of him...fortunately he and the rest of the flock are OK just a bit traumatized.