Hawks?

[azahn]

Aybryant: contact a falconer. They'll come get him.

 

[chickbee]

We live in the vicinity of Louisville .. No where near in need of a Hawk at our residence .. We have a huge hawk who has decided to use our chimneytop as his murder room .. It's horrible .. We can hear small birds crying for their life .. We come out every day and parts of small birds and freathers are all over our back patio .. This is a loud - mean bird .. And he's spreading possible diseases on our property with his killing spree .. This has been since early spring .. We need this bird to go away .. Like I said .. He's spreading possible diseases on our living quarters .. Daily .. It's gross and nasty to say the least - on top of being the biggest bird bully ever! Poor little birds being torn to pieces every day ! It's horrible ! I hate this ugly hawk ! Who ever says they are beautiful can can come get this beauty of a killer hawk .. Take it and admire it forever ! We want it gone !!

 

[chickbee]

That's awful!!! I don't blame you. Can you put a chimney cover/mesh cover over the top??

 

[Delmara]

A hawk was flying around our acreage and the next day I found one of my barred rock hens half eaten in the yard

. I had all of my babies free ranging all day, but now they're confined to the barn and run until I come up with a solution to our predator problem. I would let them out at certain times as suggested, but I don't get home until after dark and no one is home to watch over them during the day time hours.

 

[MichelleNickel]

Not sure if you received a reply that fully helped. Predators were our main worry and I saw my first Hawk today! Yikes, now all panicked and have them back in the coop. Not happy hens, as they love their freedom. Anyhow there are a TON of great sites, birding sites that can help with what your local birds might be, and what time of year to be most cautious. Planting bushes will help with shade and keep your girls safer and less bored.

 

[Delmara]

Thanks

 

[allbirds]

I have been keeping and raising chickens for 20+ years and have around 100 chickens including juveniles and chicks and hawks are my biggest predator problem and always have been. I've lived in two different places with my chickens and hawks have gotten more of my chickens then all other predators combined. Granted, both places I've lived have been in the country and good news is I've only lost one adult bird to the hawks through all my years. They mainly get chicks and juvenile birds and they are hard on them. They get one or sometimes two a day and keep coming until they get them all. My chickens free range all day and I don't want to pen them up because that would defete the purpose of having them to eat ticks and bugs around the house and barn so I've done everything I can to detour them. I still loose quite a few chicks every spring and summer but it's something I've learned I'm going to have to deal with if I want to raise chickens. My detourants are only that, a detour. So if your going to be getting chickens that are already grown or almost grown you shouldn't have any problems with hawks bothering them! Red tails are the only hawk large enough to kill a grown chicken but it would be a last resort type of situation for one to try. Get you a few chickens and enjoy! Beware though, raising chickens is very addictive! Lol three or four turns into 30-40 very easily!!

 

[Larix76]

I learn hard way.
Before I finished fencing:
https://goo.gl/photos/azbQ9UoegfRBCahw5

Problem with chipmunk solved
https://goo.gl/photos/ERcbPPC5ux6SBEvr6

Before I made double fences
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPoU1OCijk3pcXw79okggYFq3lceDn6dRj09pr1

 

[Taterrtots]

I read your comment on planting bushes. What kind would you suggest? Can you post the web sites you mentioned?
Yesterday, a hawk (no idea which kind) killed one of my Rhode Island Red hens. My chickens have been outside for over 1 1/2 years (this is the first year without a rooster, maybe we need to get another?). I also have 16 ducks. They have a small man made pond. One portion of their pens is netted overhead, that's where they are now, locked up tight. I would like to have them in their extended area again because I like them to be able to graze and so the ducks can enjoy their pond.
I've read a few suggestions: buying a Gander Goose, putting up an owl/wolf decoy, hanging old CD's/pie pans, encouraging crows/blue jays to hang around, and obviously netting the top. It's a large area and I'm curious to how many of these ideas work. Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.

 

[LI chickie]

Saturday before dusk I went to lock the remaining 5 RIR's in the coop, there were only 4. My girls had the whole 1/4 acre horse corral since last spring to roam in. I walked over to the far back corner and found her ripped up. In the morning I went to the coop and out of the corner of my eye I saw something. At first I thought it was Walking Dead Chicken and as I got closer I saw it was a hawk, a pretty proud hawk come back for the rest of my chicken. So the remaining 4 are on lockdown in the run indefinitely.