Emergency run ideas.

[Dona Worry]

My chickens have been free ranging for a few weeks without incident, but today I noticed a hawk lurking in the hedgerow only a few hundred yards from my house, and in direct line of sight.
For today, I hid watermelon chunks, frozen fruit and scratch grain in my lilac bushes, and made a big fuss about moving their food and water there as well. They should hang out there, then dust bath in the ashes. A friend offered me a metal pool frame, and I think I have enough chicken wire to go around the sides and top, but then what? These guys are used to roaming!

 

[OlePainless]

Well, I had the same problem. First and foremost, roaming or not, they need to be covered while the hawk situation is taken care of.

My fix, was to buy heavy gauge 10 year netting and chain link fence and cover/surround their coop/run.

Not practical for everyone.

I think your only safe option is to contain them in an area that is covered. Let them roam when you are going to be outside with them.

I'm not sure how many chickens you have but a pool frame sounds like plenty of space for quite a few chickens. If you're going to invest in netting, don't skimp like I did the first time. I bought a $30 roll on ebay that deteriorated over 1 year - not worth the headache for the time it took to put up.

 

[OlePainless]

Also,

Hawks can see a mouse from a 100 feet in the air. Don't trust a bush to keep your chickens safe.

 

[True Patriot]

For a temporary fix. Conduit or pvc pipe can be used to hold some netting up. Those bushes will not keep a hawk off your flock. They will get used to being confined relatively quickly. As long as their needs are met there will be no ill effects.

 

[Dona Worry]

Also,

Hawks can see a mouse from a 100 feet in the air. Don't trust a bush to keep your chickens safe.

It's hopefully just for the day. Depending on how long it takes me to put the run together, they should be in it by tonight.
The field between the hawk and my chickens is freshly clipped, leaving hundreds of small animals totally exposed. I am not thinking the bushes will hide my chickens-- hawk 100% knows they are there-- but makes them too much effort to go and hunt, especially when there is so much easy prey between him and them.

 

[Beer can]

My chickens have been free ranging for a few weeks without incident, but today I noticed a hawk lurking in the hedgerow only a few hundred yards from my house, and in direct line of sight.
For today, I hid watermelon chunks, frozen fruit and scratch grain in my lilac bushes, and made a big fuss about moving their food and water there as well. They should hang out there, then dust bath in the ashes. A friend offered me a metal pool frame, and I think I have enough chicken wire to go around the sides and top, but then what? These guys are used to roaming!

I've lost a few to hawks, kinda hard to prevent it entirely if and when you free range when hawks are around. Losses can be minimized but not completely prevented in a free range situation.

Excellent article on the subject;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging.65895/

 

[Dona Worry]

For a temporary fix. Conduit or pvc pipe can be used to hold some netting up. Those bushes will not keep a hawk off your flock. They will get used to being confined relatively quickly. As long as their needs are met there will be no ill effects.

I am planning to put a calf hutch inside the run to keep their food and water in the shade, plus I have some logs and boards to prop up so they have things to climb on and explore.
Will chicken wire keep a hawk out? I won't be able to get anything stronger until monday.

 

[True Patriot]

It's hopefully just for the day. Depending on how long it takes me to put the run together, they should be in it by tonight.
The field between the hawk and my chickens is freshly clipped, leaving hundreds of small animals totally exposed. I am not thinking the bushes will hide my chickens-- hawk 100% knows they are there-- but makes them too much effort to go and hunt, especially when there is so much easy prey between him and them.

I am planning to put a calf hutch inside the run to keep their food and water in the shade, plus I have some logs and boards to prop up so they have things to climb on and explore.
Will chicken wire keep a hawk out? I won't be able to get anything stronger until monday.

As far as Hawks yes chicken wire will work. But not for any other ground based predator. Anything a hawk sees that it can't fly through will keep it out.

 

[Dona Worry]

As far as Hawks yes chicken wire will work. But not for any other ground based predator. Anything a hawk sees that it can't fly through will keep it out.

Yeah, it will need a lot more to make it coyote or fox proof, but the hawk is definitely the immediate threat.

 

[Dona Worry]

I've lost a few to hawks, kinda hard to prevent it entirely if and when you free range when hawks are around. Losses can be minimized but not completely prevented in a free range situation.

Excellent article on the subject;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging.65895/

Well, I have about half the points on the list. My rooster tries hard, the girls listen to him, and they've been outside since they were only a few weeks old, but they are all pretty young, and he is a polish crested.
Lots of bushes, all VERY close to the house, and they already like to spend 90% of their time in there.
My dog is not a guard dog, and does not live outside. She does however patrol the area, and it was her relentless harrassment of a fox den in the same hedgerow that convinced them to relocate this spring, so sue isn't totally useless.