Hawks! How can I keep the hawks away from my chickens?

[dwcrwr]

I had a great year last year. I lost none of my babies to predators. This year has been awful. They figured out where to take food now. I got two batches of chicks this year a total of 25 or so I think. I had foxes snatching them up after I got that under control we had hawks snatching them up. So between the normal random dying, foxes 4 of them drowning and hawks. I'm down to 5 from the first batch and 2 out of 16 from the second batch also they got a duckling.

I've learned my lesson now. Rough year. I'm devastated by the loss but grateful for the 30+ that are still with us. I thought we were safe like last year but unfortunately not. Those predators have it figured out now.

There's nothing like chickies wandering around the yard looking for bugs and worms.

The secret gets out sooner or later. EVERYONE likes chicken. Afterall, it tastes like... chicken!

 

[TXSCHICK]

I have lost 8 chickens to hawks in my rural area in less then 6 months, with 3 of them only in the last couple weeks. I can't let my bantams out anymore, unfortunately. Some neighbors said they just let the chickens out only in the last afternoon, since hawks like to eat early in the day, so they would go somewhere else. I lost one yesterday at about 7PM   I'll have to keep them cooped up 24/7 now, unfortunately.

Getting a dog and training it to stay with the chickens is a lot of work, but I would consider it. Problem is, my chickens are not next to my house where I can see them; they're hidden away on a hill, so they're just open bait. I'd need the dog to stay there rather than at my front door =) A german shepherd maybe.

The only other option, as of now, is to get some full sized chickens. From what I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong, full size chickens are far too big for hawks. Is that correct? Does anyone know of any regular sized chickens getting picked up by hawks? It'd be good to know before I get some.

I lost one of my full size hens to a hawk yesterday. Left to run a quick errand and came home to a hawk hovering over my hen on the ground. All the other hens were in the run squawking like crazy. I think it's time to get a rooster.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I lost one of my full size hens to a hawk yesterday. Left to run a quick errand and came home to a hawk hovering over my hen on the ground. All the other hens were in the run squawking like crazy. I think it's time to get a rooster.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Yes, a good rooster is invaluable. My birds are in several paddocks, and when three terrier-type dogs got into my yard on Wednesday, my little Cream Legbar rooster took it upon himself to fly out of his paddock and lure the dogs completely out of the yard and away form all the there chickens. I came home to a driveway full of feathers, and chased off the dogs - I was sure he had to be dead with that many feathers, but I found him. And though he has no tail and the back half of his body and most of his wings are bare of feathers, he only had shallow bites. He's inside and on antibiotics and pain meds, and doing well - he crowed this AM! Anyhow, he's a super hero - a good rooster is so valuable!

Regarding hawks, I don't know how your birds range and if this is possible for you, but I criss-crossed surveyor tape over all the pens - older hawks now know they can't get in and out, newer ones sit in the trees to try to figure it out before finally giving up. It's not perfect - some hawks are very clever, I'm sure. And it's not so attractive. But it has worked well for me in conjunction with strong roosters in each pen.








- Ant Farm

 

[grama bailey]

just lost a full size hen to a hawk, and roosters dont help out here.

 

[CrackerBoy]

I had a Coopers Hawk sitting on our fence with the girls screaming at it the other day.  They are full grown layers now so hopefully they are too big for the hawk.  It flew as soon as I went out side.  The girls were free ranging in the yard and not in their covered pen this time.  As to how to keep them away a covered area and a dog probally would help.  Our dog was inside when this happened so he did not react.

Cover your cool with a mesh that is sold at tractor supply

 

[CrackerBoy]

I lost 4 chickens to raccoons in December but a dog proof trap helped me get 3 coins in 1 week! Havnt lost any since. And I lost 1 to a falcon last year, he can back the next day and well I Havnt seen him since

 

[CrackerBoy]

I lost 4 chickens to raccoons in December but a dog proof trap helped me get 3 coons in 1 week! Havnt lost any since. And I lost 1 to a falcon last year, he came back the next day and well I Havnt seen him since Also a trail camera helped me figure out what was getting my girls.

 

[PNWMountains]

All this hawk talk is making me paranoid again.

A few months ago we lost two hens to a hawk a week apart from one another (one Black Autralorp and a Red Star Sexlink) and this hawk also attacked our Red Bourbon turkeys, pulling out a few of one's tail feathers. This hawk flew down a week before the attack and perched on the posts of the fenced pen not 10 feet from my fiance and our two friends - so there were 4 humans standing around that it didn't pay any mind to. It sat there looking down at the turkeys sizing them up while the turkeys just stood there with a perplexed look on their faces looking up at it. After we saw it we were formulating a plan for the pen when the first attack happened.

We put bird netting up around most of the pen except for the slight spaces between the fruit trees, which we thought would give them cover. Imagine my surprise when we found this guy/gal finishing his meal in the corner of the pen right by the coop. He had flown in between the empty netting spaces and chased the flock all around the pen, feathers were strewn everywhere.




So then we only had 6 chickens left. My fiance's boss was kind enough to give us his two Black Australorps from his flock.
This winter the weight from the snow busted up the light bird netting and so once again the chickens are vulnerable. Tomorrow we are making a special smaller sectioned-off pen area for the chickens until we get better fencing.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

All this hawk talk is making me paranoid again.

A few months ago we lost two hens to a hawk a week apart from one another (one Black Autralorp and a Red Star Sexlink) and this hawk also attacked our Red Bourbon turkeys, pulling out a few of one's tail feathers. This hawk flew down a week before the attack and perched on the posts of the fenced pen not 10 feet from my fiance and our two friends - so there were 4 humans standing around that it didn't pay any mind to. It sat there looking down at the turkeys sizing them up while the turkeys just stood there with a perplexed look on their faces looking up at it. After we saw it we were formulating a plan for the pen when the first attack happened.

We put bird netting up around most of the pen except for the slight spaces between the fruit trees, which we thought would give them cover. Imagine my surprise when we found this guy/gal finishing his meal in the corner of the pen right by the coop. He had flown in between the empty netting spaces and chased the flock all around the pen, feathers were strewn everywhere.




So then we only had 6 chickens left. My fiance's boss was kind enough to give us his two Black Australorps from his flock.
This winter the weight from the snow busted up the light bird netting and so once again the chickens are vulnerable. Tomorrow we are making a special smaller sectioned-off pen area for the chickens until we get better fencing.

Yeah, this sort of story terrifies me, because I realize my solution is not any sort of guarantee. Alas, I came to the conclusion that I had to balance the chickens' protection with their happiness - if they stayed locked up, they would be alive, but unhappy (at least mine would). For me, I just realize it's a deterrent and accept the risk. I wish it was more secure. Heavy hawks in my area, dreading the day I have a loss.

I do wonder about whether the fact that the surveyors' tape blows and moves around makes them more wary...

- Ant Farm

 

[PNWMountains]

I understand the sentiment.

Our pen is 50ft x 25ft and I wish the hens could explore and taste all the yummy bugs out there like the turkeys do, but when I move them I'm making sure to have all kinds of shrubbery, flowers, and grasses for them to run around in. We are planning on switching to geese after the turkeys, so perhaps the geese will be good guards.

We haven't had a chance to try out the flash tape for hawks but I think it'd work for a little while at least.
I know fake owls didn't work for my neighbors when a different hawk killed their chicken while I was housesitting for them!

Our new pen will have 8ft high posts and have chicken wire over the top.