Little Rant about Hawks

[Rosieposie6]

Howdy everyone!
Just wanted to jump on here and see if anyone else in the Midwest has been seeing more hawks lately??
Call me dumb but I thought hawks migrate when winter hits well not in my area I’ve seen 5 around on our properly in the past two weeks. I’ve been leaving my chickens and ducks in their run because it seems like everytime we get a nice day with no snow hawks are out hunting. Just can’t risk it and I feel so bad cause I know they want to get outta their run! I swear hawks are some of the most pesky predators because you just never know when they’re coming. It’s not like they only attack at night like others it’s like all day anytime of the day. I saw one yesterday chasing a small bird around our trees and instantly put all the girls inside. Small birds are coming around because when I clean out their run some of their food is in there so their hanging around their run a lot but now it’s a problem because it’s attracting hungry hawks
Just can never let your guard up I swear!

 

[alinas2010]

I feel your pain to some degree. We don’t see as many in winter, but then again it’s probably because the snow impedes the girls from leaving their run here most of the winter. Even the run gets hit with snow, though as it’s not totally covered, so there are even times (very few) that they don’t get to leave the coop. I know how antsy ours are to get out of their run during nice weather - I just wish we could explain to them that it’s much safer in there!

Maybe providing foraging material and dig boxes would help by giving them more to do in their run? I moved my grow containers into my girls run for the winter and sprinkle in scratch and BSFL when they’re stuck in the run for the day. Gives them one more thing to do and climb on.

 

[nan4848]

Howdy everyone!
Just wanted to jump on here and see if anyone else in the Midwest has been seeing more hawks lately??
Call me dumb but I thought hawks migrate when winter hits well not in my area I’ve seen 5 around on our properly in the past two weeks. I’ve been leaving my chickens and ducks in their run because it seems like everytime we get a nice day with no snow hawks are out hunting. Just can’t risk it and I feel so bad cause I know they want to get outta their run! I swear hawks are some of the most pesky predators because you just never know when they’re coming. It’s not like they only attack at night like others it’s like all day anytime of the day. I saw one yesterday chasing a small bird around our trees and instantly put all the girls inside. Small birds are coming around because when I clean out their run some of their food is in there so their hanging around their run a lot but now it’s a problem because it’s attracting hungry hawks
Just can never let your guard up I swear!

I'm in Iowa and we've had an explosion of hawks. I feel like I can't let the chickens out unless I'm out with them. My husband is 'so what ' about it and says we can get more. We only have 4 at the moment so that attitude doesn't work for me.

 

[Rosieposie6]

Yeees my husband is the same exact same way! They don’t understand the love we have for these little creatures haha!
Yea we got really nice sunny weather the past two weeks in the Mitten and it seems like the hawks disappeared from the area but we hit up two sets of netting above the chickens. So they’re extra protected! The hawks seemed to be out way more during December and January months. I read a post from a man who trains falcons and he said the most hawk attacks he’s seen over his 30 years experience is in the December through late January months. Obviously they can attack any time of the year but I their food supply is more limited during these months cause of the snow in certain states.