Hawk-Neighbor Painted the Devil on the Wall

[gourdlady]

So yesterday as I'm getting ready to unload some new pullets I just acquired, my neighbor comes to the fence. As we are chit chatting he starts telling me the story (for about the 20th time) about the hawk problems he had when he used to have chickens. I tell him I'm glad we have never had any problems with hawks. Plenty of problems with raccoons, coyotes, opossums but never hawks....at least that I know of. We discuss for awhile then I make my excuses and leave my boyfriend to continue chatting. Just a few minutes later as I'm introducing the new girls to the flock my boyfriend comes into the barn. As they were talking they watched as a hawk circles overhead then dive bombs into the chicken yard and kills a bantam rooster right before their eyes !!!!! Talk about painting the devil on the wall !

Today I'm going to see if my neighbor can shed any light on winning the lottery.

I used to free range and the chickens had more cover. I had to fence them in because the guineas kept going into the street and getting killed. I'm thinking of running caution tape around the top of the run in a zigzag pattern. Maybe cutting some brush and laying it inside the run.

Any and all advice on hawk deterrents appreciated.

 

[snowflake]

dog trained to leave chickens alone helps but best bet is fence over the run, heavy duty rolls of plastic netting zip tie together hawk will not get in.

 

[houseofknauss]

So yesterday as I'm getting ready to unload some new pullets I just acquired, my neighbor comes to the fence. As we are chit chatting he starts telling me the story (for about the 20th time) about the hawk problems he had when he used to have chickens. I tell him I'm glad we have never had any problems with hawks. Plenty of problems with raccoons, coyotes, opossums but never hawks....at least that I know of. We discuss for awhile then I make my excuses and leave my boyfriend to continue chatting. Just a few minutes later as I'm introducing the new girls to the flock my boyfriend comes into the barn. As they were talking they watched as a hawk circles overhead then dive bombs into the chicken yard and kills a bantam rooster right before their eyes !!!!! Talk about painting the devil on the wall !

Today I'm going to see if my neighbor can shed any light on winning the lottery.

I used to free range and the chickens had more cover. I had to fence them in because the guineas kept going into the street and getting killed. I'm thinking of running caution tape around the top of the run in a zigzag pattern. Maybe cutting some brush and laying it inside the run.

Any and all advice on hawk deterrents appreciated.

fishing line strung back and forth if possible--with some iridescent bird tape attached here and there. works for some and pretty cheap--hawks don't like discovering fish line--they try to swoop in between the bird tape and get a surprise with their wings spread.

 

[gourdlady]

I was thinking of adding some fishing line in here and there as well as the caution tape. Excellent suggestion. Ultimately I think I will have to cover the pen with netting the biggest fear I have with that is my fence is only 4' and I'm a little concerned my fowl might get caught in it as they occasionally fly a bit. Guess they could get caught up in fishing line and tape as well though. I also have to enter the pen to close them up at night so I'll have to crouch under the netting. Bummer even worse now I can't let the peafowl adults and babies out at all as they have no outdoor run.....That will be next on the drawing table.

 

[foreverlearning]

Stick posts in the center of your yard to hold it higher. Nothing fancy, just something tall enough for you to stand under. That way you don't loose all of your yard and your birds can still fly. Your birds will learn quickly where it is.

 

[pommom]

We just had a hawk attack this morning. It went after one of my Easter Eggers. Poor girl was frightened to death and lost some feathers but I didn't see any puncture wounds or blood on her chest. She hid most of the morning but this afternoon, she was out with the flock pecking for snacks and when I put some treat out, she came right over and started eating. This August has been terrible for my birds. This is my first flock and I'm sharing with some friends of mine who have the property and have had chickens many times before. So far though, it's not been the greatest. First one turned out to be a rooster and he was culled for crowing at 4am. Then my favorite chicken, my Blue Andalusian started laying and had prolapsed uterus so she was culled. Then two weeks ago we found rats in the coop and some holes in the run where they've tunneled in. Set traps and put locked poison boxes and caught some but we're still finding tunnels. Then early this morning, a hawk attacked. All this and my friends swore they never had trouble with hawks raccoons or anything else but they did have rats one time before. We spent the day cleaning out the coop and then bleaching it and now it's closed up to dry out and then we'll add clean shavings. We're going to stop feeding them during the night and remove all food late in the afternoon. Hopefully, the rats will get the message.