Hawks and fishing line - am I wasting my time?

[lynnehd]

I have a tortoise enclosure (open top, large) with fishing line criss crossed over the open area. Small birds fly in and out (fine), but not hawks or crows. The fishing line interferes because they just have bigger wing spans, so can't glide in and out easily.

Birds can see much more detail than humans, so the line is very obvious to them.

I believe that it will help, depending on how close the lines are. And it certainly sounds worth it!

I saw another post about using fishing line, I'll try to find it.

OK, here it is. Scroll down especially to post #15
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...en-to-repel-hawks-question-answered-thanks/10

and this
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/124228/using-30lbs-fishing-line-on-top-of-run/10
especially post #15

 

[Naser]

I read here people are putting shiny CDs to deter birds. if you put some in your fishing lines?

 

[BonRae67]

I read here people are putting shiny CDs to deter birds. if you put some in your fishing lines?

Good idea and also get surveyors tape, the pink and orange not sticky tape surveyors put on stakes, and tie it all over the fishing to flap around in the breeze to help deter them as well. Hardware department at Home Depot is where it is located.

 

[123RedBeard]

Could work, but ... chickens need a place to hide ... bushes work OK, even a short table like contraption that they can scoot under when the "hawk alert" is given ... some people like the truck caps as it gives them a place to hide ... give them a few places to hide under ...

Plant some raspberry or blackberry plants in the open areas, that will give them a place to hide, and treats in the summer!

I don't know how long fishing line will hold up to the sun ... you may be re-doing it in a year or two.

 

[teamjessie]

Small birds fly in and out (fine), but not hawks or crows. The fishing line interferes because they just have bigger wing spans, so can't glide in and out easily.

Birds can see much more detail than humans, so the line is very obvious to them.

This is exactly what I'm hoping for!! My biggest challenge will be to keep them from landing on the fence, and hopping down through a gap... Still workshopping that issue.

 

[teamjessie]

Could work, but ... chickens need a place to hide ... bushes work OK, even a short table like contraption that they can scoot under when the "hawk alert" is given ... some people like the truck caps as it gives them a place to hide ... give them a few places to hide under ...

Plant some raspberry or blackberry plants in the open areas, that will give them a place to hide, and treats in the summer!

I don't know how long fishing line will hold up to the sun ... you may be re-doing it in a year or two.

We were hoping to have a few berry bushes this summer anyway! Win Win!

Right now, we have a play structure, a picnic table and a trampoline for them to get under, but more is always better!

As for redoing the lines, I'll be surprised if we even make it a whole year without needing repairs. We have a large Maple in the yard, which I refer to as a "self-pruning" tree. We lose big branches pretty much every year. At some point, it's going to tear some wires down. Luckily fishing line is cheap

 

[lynnehd]

Could work, but ... chickens need a place to hide ... bushes work OK, even a short table like contraption that they can scoot under when the "hawk alert" is given ... some people like the truck caps as it gives them a place to hide ... give them a few places to hide under ...

Plant some raspberry or blackberry plants in the open areas, that will give them a place to hide, and treats in the summer!

I don't know how long fishing line will hold up to the sun ... you may be re-doing it in a year or two.

These are great suggestions, too.
My coop/run will be covered, but I am hoping to free range part time when we are home. It's still a risk.

I have an open area of grass with a smaller tree on one side. I thought I would add a long curved berm of soil from the tree over, and add berries and a couple of small trees, ferns. Then add a picnic table in front.

I'm sure the fishing line will have to be replaced, no doubt. My thought is that nothing is a 100% guarantee, but everything probably helps some.

 

[teamjessie]

Hawk update:

This **** thing is watching our yard every day. I never quite see him, until I startle him out of a nearby tree, and he flaps away.

Our neighbors have chickens in an uncovered run (real "fish in a barrel" situation) and no Hawks to speak of on THAT side of the street. Not that I want their chickens to get hurt, mind. I just mean to illustrate that this is becoming a "nuisance predator" specifically in my yard.

Right now, the girls are staying in the covered run for at least 2 weeks. If these Hawks are migratory, apparently 2 weeks is the magic number for them to go away. Hopefully we're starving him out.

To be clear, we have Redtails all over the place. I've watched them circle, seen them land in nearby trees, etc. we had to scare off a "window shopper" once, but never an attack until now. I am afraid he's going to keep coming around until he picks another one off - then at that point, why stop?

I've heard too many stories about people saying things like "Oh yeah, we lost 15 chickens to hawks this winter..." etc. We only have 8 (well, 7 now ) and while I understand the occasional loss is inevitable, I certainly didn't invest all this time and money into raising laying hens just so they could become a buffet for local predators.

 

[lynnehd]

Sounds like an excellent plan. I agree, you work hard to raise your chicks to hens, no need to sacrifice them.
I'll keep the 'two week' concept in mind for the future. I'm sure we will get hawks, I've seen them in the past. I only like them in the distance.

 

[HotDesertChick]

I think you are wasting your time with fishing line. In WA, GA, and NM any decent small bird hawk..."Kestrels" will defeat your system. In western WA, large hawks were often a "migratory problem" coming through our area. And most were/are protected by law.

In WA, clever, much-smaller, bird hawks often picked off flying homers (pigeons) and bantams. Black professional bird netting can help cut down on losses, but some smarter hawks learn to grab panicked birds (other than "mainly-terrestrial" chickens) right through the netting. The hawk can attack through the flexible netting if the prey is panicked. The knitted bird netting "cheats" the hawk of an easy meal, but many flying/exotic birds will be, unfortunately, dead.

Chickens are "Sitting Ducks", if not protected from all directions?