Hawk coming to attack!!!

[hellotrixie]

It may not be what you want to hear, but if you free range your chickens for a long enough period of time, you will have losses. We literally had a honeymoon period of 2 years with our first flock free rangin before we lost one to a hawk. Don't get me wrong. I still let my girls free range a lot of the time (for various reasons). But I have gotten over the idea that I can protect them fully while they do it. I have a covered/secure run where I can lock them up during hawk migrations and when they are fledging their young. I've been able to train mine to come to the run for certain sounds, like soldier fly larvae shaking in a plastic cup, or a plastic bag crinkling. When I hear/see the hawks, I put the girls up. Sometimes for days at a time.

 

[tsperry88]

This is mine. I don't have a photo of it completed, but I added roosts between the center supports and added electric fence on the outside. It was more effort and money than I intended, but it should last.

 

[hellotrixie]

The string method does HELP. It isn't 100%, but I used fishing line on my run before I got the bird netting up and there were a ton of hawks migrating/watching, but no incursions.

 

[Chickstarrs]

Even something simple and temporary would be helpful. I have also heard of people hanging cd's from string around the area. The reflections from the sun affect the hawk's ability to see their target, but you would need sun and lots of things to hang them from.

 

[ValerieJ]

Thank you I will try the string method, but we have tried a run but it did not seem to work. We have a lot of neighbors and the chickens get mad when they cannot roam.

Well, we can't have angry birds! I think there are economic ways to create a fairly large run for them. I got my bird netting at Amazon.com. Here is a link to the one I bought. I use 4 of these for my space, and run it right over my trees. (They are in an orchard). Of course you can't do that with large pine trees, but you could run it between the trees. Here is a photo of mine. Not beautiful, but effective.

 

[Sonya9]

An economical way to create a large run is to use pound in stakes and attach welded wire fencing to it, then top with good quality avian netting. It should be a quick project and can create a very large run.

Letting them free range all day is courting disaster. I live in rural Georgia where there are lots of hawks, coyotes etc... and the birds only free range a couple of hours before dusk to minimize temptation.