Hawk attack! What now???

[Layniep3]

After 3 years I've had my first fatality due to a hawk attack. My poor girl was ripped open in front of her flock a mere 10 minutes before I got home. I've been keeping everyone in their covered run since then, but I feel terrible since they love to free-range and forage in the backyard. I've been trying to provide stimulating activities to keep them entertained, but it isn't the same as being able to run free. I've read about scarecrows, strings of lights across the yard, netting, etc. In your experience, have any of these proven effective? The damn hawk was back the next day so I don't dare risk letting them out unless I'm right there with them.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I’m so sorry this happened
You are doing the right thing locking them up for now
Many say 2-3 weeks to make sure he moves on from easy meals
There are many things one can try but if a hawk is truly desperate to eat they will come even with you standing there
I have a husky that stays with my birds
I have wind chimes as hawks don’t like noise
We have had many close calls and luckily I have been out there spraying my hose and yelling at the hawks
So far in 2.5 years I have been lucky not to have one get one
This summer it was close
I didn’t see the hawk I was under the covered deck about 5-8 feet from one of my ducks when the hawk swooped down hitting the ground missing my duck who ran to me

 

[Red Mangrove]

I would recommend planting more vegetation, ideally many shrubs and bushes all over the place. I've watched hawks attack my flock but not once have they ever caught anything. Small plants always save my birds

Big empty areas are a death sentence for chickens. Remember that the red junglefowl is primarily a forest dwelling animal

 

[Layniep3]

I would recommend planting more vegetation, ideally many shrubs and bushes all over the place. I've watched hawks attack my flock but not once have they ever caught anything. Small plants always save my birds

Big empty areas are a death sentence for chickens. Remember that the red junglefowl is primarily a forest dwelling animal

My backyard has several trees, shrubs, and lawn furniture. I thought I had plenty of hiding spots but I guess it wasn't enough

 

[Jenbirdee]

My backyard has several trees, shrubs, and lawn furniture. I thought I had plenty of hiding spots but I guess it wasn't enough

my shrubs trees lawn furniture and children’s playhouses are all not more than 6 feet apart from each other in my 3000 sq ft duck/chicken yard. therefore a duck/chicken never has to run more than 3 feet to hide. yep it’s an obstacle course.

 

[dadbern]

I have used reflective crinkly tape I got on amazon. The hawks don't like the reflection and the don't like the noise it makes. I put it as high up as I can in trees and also near the ground. I have not had a hawk return since I started using it, but I have seen them fly right by to go to my neighbor's flock.... until they started using flashy garland.

 

[cbsfusek]

I can commiserate! I've had two very close calls with my girls (6 bantams) in the past month - so close that the hawk was tumbling around with the bird each time until I ran all the way over to scare it off.

After the first attack, in which my husband and I were standing about 30 ft away, I kept the girls locked up and it returned 2 days later, perched on the fence a foot from the coop, and just stared down at them while they cowered in the corner. I kept them locked up for 2+ weeks after that, and only let them back out once we had put up string lights and an owl decoy with a moving head (which i also moved frequently, but i know they are smart predators so i wasn't all that sure it'd work)...we also did a trial for about a week where they were only out if we were with them.

Then, a month later (yesterday) we had another attack. This time it was a much larger hawk. The crows scared her off after I got her to leave the immediate area, but apparently weren't much of a deterrent in the first instance. They are also mostly under a huge cedar tree with only a few totally open areas, yet none of this has been enough. I always saw hawks around and was surprised this didn't happen sooner (we've lived here 2.5 years now). But now that they know, I'm wondering if they will ever give up...considering netting next, but am worried about other wildlife getting caught in it...

All to say, I totally understand! And I sure wish the hawks would focus on the LOADS of squirrels around here instead...

 

[McChooky]

After 3 years I've had my first fatality due to a hawk attack. My poor girl was ripped open in front of her flock a mere 10 minutes before I got home. I've been keeping everyone in their covered run since then, but I feel terrible since they love to free-range and forage in the backyard. I've been trying to provide stimulating activities to keep them entertained, but it isn't the same as being able to run free. I've read about scarecrows, strings of lights across the yard, netting, etc. In your experience, have any of these proven effective? The damn hawk was back the next day so I don't dare risk letting them out unless I'm right there with them.

Be proud you can look at their faces and and still not let them out. Its hard! After a bobcat killed my neighbors chickens I rescued his only hen and now its hunting mine. The only way to guarantee chickens are safe from predators is to provide them secure coops and runs until all dangers passed ( permanently).There are no guarantees any of us can keep all of them alive all of the time but you've done remarkable job in 3 yrs! Sorry for your loss!

 

[Soujrnr]

We lost one last November. I am going to be building a fully enclosed "play pen" for them that will probably measure 30x40 feet or so. I'm going to make it an enclosure I can walk around in as well, so it'll be six feet high with a welded wire top to keep flying predators out.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]