How to deter hawks?

[megan13]

I used to have a duck named Ming-Ming. She was one those big, heavy meat ducks. One day she was gone. We found no feathers or anything. Do you think that a hawk could have killed her and flew off? She was pretty heavy, but something had to take her away because there wasn't any feathers.

I've also had a few hawks try to take my dog! She a little 4lb yorkie. One time I saw the hawk coming in and without thinking I ran out of the house and dove onto her and the hawk scratched my back. Now I always go outside with her and I got a rooster to help me keep my hens safe. It's a scary world.

 

[Zwolf84]

I have several geese that seem to be a good hawk deterrents. There is actually a pair of large hawks nesting in a neighbors tree a couple hundred feet from my fence line and those hawks are always flying over my property yet have never lost a bird to them. The geese look up at them and honk, I think the hawks don't want to mess with them. My livestock dog goes after the foxes but I haven't seen him react to hawks.

 

[Big Cluck]

A hawk took my 9 y/o daughters 3week old SL Polish today. I was less the 6 ft away and my 4 y/o was with in arms reach. We are devisated except my 4 y/o who believes that the hawk took our chicken to be her baby, cuz she didn't have one.
We don't let the chickens free range unless we are with them, clearly though we are not enough to deter them.
Any suggestions on how to keep our girls safe?

 

[centrarchid]

A hawk took my 9 y/o daughters 3week old SL Polish today. I was less the 6 ft away and my 4 y/o was with in arms reach. We are devisated except my 4 y/o who believes that the hawk took our chicken to be her baby, cuz she didn't have one.
We don't let the chickens free range unless we are with them, clearly though we are not enough to deter them.
Any suggestions on how to keep our girls safe?

Adult standard sizes boys will shut down what you observed very well. Rooster do more than alert flock when hawks are involved. Provide cover. Chicks of that age should also be tended by hen when free-range as she will engage hawk as well.

 

[youtubeminer]

Get a take goose that are good defense

 

[Fancychooklady]

A hawk took my 9 y/o daughters 3week old SL Polish today. I was less the 6 ft away and my 4 y/o was with in arms reach. We are devisated except my 4 y/o who believes that the hawk took our chicken to be her baby, cuz she didn't have one.
We don't let the chickens free range unless we are with them, clearly though we are not enough to deter them.
Any suggestions on how to keep our girls safe?

That's very sad. As suggested , a big burley rooster would give them a run for their money. My dogs help to some degree and I have a goat in the run.

 

[Big Cluck]

Thank you for your suggestions. I fear my neighbors would have problems with Roos. I have done some reading and decided that I will keep the girls inside until their coop is finished (it is almost finished and has a covered run) and that is where they will stay until I install "chicken webs" over my yard. I plan to use wire instead of fishing line, so I don't have to worry about it breaking and coming down or replacing it every year or so. I also plan to hang pie plates, wind socks, wind chimes ect. And a wonderfully thoughtful friend has provided me with a slightly used plastic owl! If anyone sees potential problems with these ideas, please let me know! Any other suggestions are welcome. Thank you!

 

[LPeezy]

I had a red tail hawk jump my hen three feet from me. I was sitting in a chair looking down then heard my RIR make a startled noise. I casually glanced over and must have startled the hawk because it was flapping up to a low hanging branch! Thankfully when i moved it must have released my little hen. It flew off, but i see them check back every now and again. The scary thing is that i didn't even hear it land, only her startled clucks. My hen was not harmed. She is now sky predator say and keeps everyone on their toes! And because they are not fully mature, they never free range without supervision!

 

[suebee]

After losing a free ranging pullet to a hawk I bought these fake crows. You can hang them or stake them. Haven't had any hawks come in the yard since.

 

[amanda1]

I love the fake crow idea! We just had a terrible scare. We'd been in the house about 1/2 hour and were driving out past the chicken yard, when a HUGE Redtailed Hawk took flight from our chicken yard! One of our hens was running frantically around the yard, while the rest were no where to be seen. I searched everywhere for the 6 other chickens. Our lone Austrolorpe had sustained injuries to her head. We were heartbroken. A bit later we realized ALL the rest of our chickens had scrunched themselves behind and under the nesting boxes! They were all alive! We treated the injured bird's head with antibiotic ointment and secured them in the chicken house. They were still hiding 30 minutes later. I really hope they learned a valuable lesson! Now we are trying to figure out how to keep them safer. There are a few dwarf fruit trees in their enclosure, but apparently that's not enough. One time while my husband was hunting, a Redtailed took a squirrel about a foot from my husbands head. He said it dropped straight down, grabbed the squirrel and went straight up. This was in the woods, so I guess it takes more than a few trees to deter them. Meanwhile the field behind our chicken yard was full of crows on the ground, looking much like the fake ones above after all of this happened. But, I have seen crows tormenting Hawks many times. I think we are going to try the fake crows!