Hawks

[cmarlowdrive]

OMG, he is my hero too. Great job. Give that boy extra worms. He is earning his keep. We are in residential area and can't have roosters, unfortunately.

 

[Lelilamom]

One more thing. I witnessed a hawk attack one of my large hens. It was so fast if I had not been standing there I would have missed it. My gentle, kind rooster immediately sprang into action. The hawk was on the hen and the rooster jumped on the hawk. I could not believe it. He dug into that hawk and the hawk turned loose of the hen and flew away. He is now my hero. There is no substitute for a good rooster or two or three, if they can get along.

Good Rooster! I had a rooster do the same thing. Both my husband and I were amazed. The hawk wasn't impressed and came back a week later and killed the rooster, I believe out of spite because the Hawk left the rooster for dead without even eating it, in the chicken yard. That was in December. That hawk has gotten two more hens since then and tried for two others, but I interrupted it and saved them both. If I hadn't been on watch, I would have lost those too.

 

[anaflorida]

My chickens were attacked twice in two days, but thankfully I was there to chase the hawk away. I now have a screened canopy to protect my girls while in the yard. I feel bad they are limited to an 11 foot by 11 foot area when outside their run, but they are safe (I hope).

 

[careneasterday]

I have hawks, owls, and eagles also. I also have Shetland Sheepdogs that are used to work our sheep flock. I learned early on that these dogs have a passion for not allowing these predators in their territory. I have ducks in an open 60 foot round pen during the day which is not covered, approximately 100 feet from the dog yard (ducks are in the barn at night). I have not lost any ducks since moving here 4 yrs. ago. The dogs run and bark at anything flying overhead which is the only deterrent I have right now, so I believe they are doing the job of keeping our hawks etc. at bay. On the Shetland islands, it is my understanding, that the birds of prey are their main wild predator. Now, if I lived where I had a lot of neighbors the dogs barking might prove to be a problem. I also have some wyandotte bantams in a new coop down from the dog yard and plan to keep the ducks in this coop area eventually. I am planning on putting a roof on the coop runs, but for now will just use bird netting as a 2nd deterrent to our flying predators.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I hate hawks, they are horrible birds! I know they are God's creatures, and they are so awesome but cruel, and ready to tear apart your favorite bird! A red tail murdered our beloved Polish Lacey and tore off her head, and our big oaf of a dog didn't do anything about it. I now hate hawks with a vengeance, even if they are so cool and beautiful.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A small wire topped cage with a white pullet inside and a couple of #1 steel traps set on the top of the cage will work wonders in keeping hawks away from your birds. I am not advocating that you kill, harm or harass these cool, cruel, beautiful hawks, but that you use the opportunity to break them from their chicken killing ways.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

They say that you are what you eat so a chicken hawk should taste exactly like chicken.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Thank you for the Tee Pee idea that is ingenius! Get a tacky fake owl statue they say owls repel hawks. I always wondered why the farm supply sold those things.

The farm store sells owl decoys because
1: people use them to distract crows into coming into shotgun range.
2: People plunk down good money for fake owls because today's urban and suburban citizens buy phony owls in stead of a double barreled shotgun to keep their back yard chicken flock safe.

Maybe you already read this whole thread and saw this?

 

[GldnValleyHens]

haha no way do those fake owls work! That is a good idea, the #1 steel trap.