I have a huge backyard with shrubbery and some cover and a five foot chain link fence surrounding the property.
In a year I have lost SEVEN hens/pullets to hawks. My girls free range. At first it was sad, but I realized it was part of the expense of allowing them to free range, I only lost one at a time sporadically.
Lately, like over the last month it has become a real problem and much more regular. I suspect a hawk or a pair of hawks has decided to take up residence in my neighborhood. I tried not letting the hens out at dawn and making sure they were in at dusk...but now the hawk is coming right into my yard, right up to the house and in the middle of the day!
I scared the hawk off of one of my girls on Sunday and she is okay, not even injured, just lots of feathers everywhere. Then lost a hen when I was not home yesterday. Today, neighbor knocked on the door, she spotted the hawk again trying to get a hen, this hen got away.
What can I do? I only keep a small flock of hens (no roos per town ordinance) and at this rate, I'll have no hens left in a week!
**** hawks are wasteful to top it off just eating the head and neck and leaving the poor mangled bodies
What if I pen the girls for a few days and put up one of those owls...will that deter the hawks enough they move on?
HELP!
In a year I have lost SEVEN hens/pullets to hawks. My girls free range. At first it was sad, but I realized it was part of the expense of allowing them to free range, I only lost one at a time sporadically.
Lately, like over the last month it has become a real problem and much more regular. I suspect a hawk or a pair of hawks has decided to take up residence in my neighborhood. I tried not letting the hens out at dawn and making sure they were in at dusk...but now the hawk is coming right into my yard, right up to the house and in the middle of the day!
I scared the hawk off of one of my girls on Sunday and she is okay, not even injured, just lots of feathers everywhere. Then lost a hen when I was not home yesterday. Today, neighbor knocked on the door, she spotted the hawk again trying to get a hen, this hen got away.
What can I do? I only keep a small flock of hens (no roos per town ordinance) and at this rate, I'll have no hens left in a week!
**** hawks are wasteful to top it off just eating the head and neck and leaving the poor mangled bodies
What if I pen the girls for a few days and put up one of those owls...will that deter the hawks enough they move on?
HELP!