What can I do to scare away a hawk?

[bigoledude]

So, luvemchickens could be arrested for

Quote: ???

 

[The Big Dog]

Yeah well I dont understand.........every animal that is native to Australia is protected by federal law. Even snakes and hawks are protected......All snakes.
I kill snakes, I kill hawks and if I find anybody snooping around my property they could be in trouble to.
Some of you people sound like you would be scared of your own shadow.
The law says this, the law says that, Jesus, stand up for you and yours.
I went around a mates place the other day, he breeds quail and has a lot of trouble with Hawks reaching through and grabbing his birds. He said, "hey have a look at this", he had 4 hawks he had caught in live traps. We sprayed yellow paint on each of their tails and gave them a big fright then let them go, if they get caught again they are dead. At least he is trying to not kill them.
No, as I said....I dont understand, one thing I do know is, me and mine are on top of the food chain at our place.


Cheers..........The Dog

 

[RaeRae2]

In my personal experience, there is NO, and I mean N.O. real deterrent for Red Tail hawks, except possibly a very large, obnoxious, harrassing murder of crows chasing them off. I think it's worse if:

1. The local, natural prey population is low (rabbits, mice, voles, small songbirds)
2. The Red Tails ever actually get a chicken ONCE. They learn it's easy prey!
3. They raise their babies and teach them that chicken is easy prey

People who say they have Red Tails living on their property, and never a problem - well, I think there is most likely very abundant natural prey, and the hawks haven't caught a chicken yet so they just don't know how easy and tasty it is, and they weren't taught by their parents to hunt chickens.

The Red Tails on my property are vicious, undeterrable predators of my chickens. Over the years, I have lost count of how many chickens I've had killed. Finally we built the nice big covered run and the chickens are locked up 21-22 hours per day. I let them out 2-3 hours each evening right before bed. By that time the hawks have gone to roost, or otherwise left the area. But still, I stay out there with them CONSTANTLY. Constantly means I do not go in the house and watch TV for 30 minutes. I do not go make dinner. I do not walk the dogs. I do not take my eyes off those chickens, EVER. I will sit under a tree with my drink and snacks and read a magazine and keep watch on the sky every minute.

You have no idea how bold and vicious a mature pair of Red Tails can become if the conditions are right. They will perch directly on top of my silo, which is 5 feet away from my chicken run and stare down inside at the chickens.

When we built the run, we built it so that 50% of it is covered in solid, corrugated steel roofing. The other 50% is heavy duty plastic bird netting. If the chickens go under the steel roofing portion, they can go up the ladder into their house. And they DO if those hawks are circling close!

I am very fortunate that my super old EE (in my avatar - 7 years old) is THE most hawk savy, watchful bird I've ever seen. Over all the years since she was hatched her, she has been the only survivor of hawk attack after hawk attack after hawk attack..... She watches the sky constantly and will shriek and growl if she detects a hawk. She will run up that ladder and go into their house in a flash. The others are too young and dumb to list to her but they are "just" starting to pay attention and "get it." A few of them now will freeze and then bolt and run along behind her. It won't be long and they will all be conditioned to know what her alarm call means.

CDs, scarecrows, owls, barking dogs, NONE of that makes a danged bit of difference with a mature breeding pair of Red Tails determined to feed their family in a scarce food area. If you're relying on those things to protect your flock, you are sadly mistaken. Give it enough time, let some drought or extreme cold kill off your local rabbit population, and the CDs and fishing twine you thought worked, will do nothing. Been there, done that, got 14 t-shirts already. Those items are only a very mild deterrent that are somewhat "kind of" annoying to a Red Tail and if easy food is to be found outside the CDs and scare crows, they will pick that off first. But I'm not kidding, let all that food dry up, and they no longer care about your deterrent efforts. I have had one swoop down and near crash INTO ME as it tried to grab a chicken.

I am not deluded either into thinking that my flock is safe that 2-3 hours I'm out there watching them. They're not. I feel they are about 90% safe but only total lock up is almost 100% safe from hawks.

 

[chickortreat]

Yeah well I dont understand.........every animal that is native to Australia is protected by federal law. Even snakes and hawks are protected......All snakes.
I kill snakes, I kill hawks and if I find anybody snooping around my property they could be in trouble to.
Some of you people sound like you would be scared of your own shadow.
The law says this, the law says that, Jesus, stand up for you and yours.
I went around a mates place the other day, he breeds quail and has a lot of trouble with Hawks reaching through and grabbing his birds. He said, "hey have a look at this", he had 4 hawks he had caught in live traps. We sprayed yellow paint on each of their tails and gave them a big fright then let them go, if they get caught again they are dead. At least he is trying to not kill them.
No, as I said....I dont understand, one thing I do know is, me and mine are on top of the food chain at our place.


Cheers..........The Dog

I've often said I believe if they outlawed urinating except on Tuesdays and Fridays, some folks would just swell up and die. Anybody remember the old Dukes of Hazzard theme song......"Life's just a little bit longer than the law will allow..."

 

[JuliaMGrz]

My English Lab scared a GIANT hawk away and I have not seen it again. My chickens are in a dog run (large) to keep the dog form getting at them and I do have netting on the top of the run but a Hawk was trying just the same...perched in a tree to get at my chickens until the 65 pound dog ran out of the house.

 

[Ted n Ms]

I like The Big Dog.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Feed your crow and bluejay populations- I have a good size flock of both (the Jays are well fed by my messy dog bowls) and noticed the Hawks fly right on by my big coop and 18 free ranging birds)-- one stopped to look, never came back (which I thought was weird)....

 

[The Big Dog]

Oh Shucks Ted, ............I like you too.

Cheers.......The Dog

 

[helgajones]

Anyone try Crow recordings? I have heard of talk radio....for foxes, etc...but if Crows trump Hawk, I shall lean on .wav files and good speakers over politics any day....would love to have feedback on my attempts (steep learning curve for an ex-urban girl here). Oh how I loved my Greta....and with a poof of feathers she was gone...

Also - Turkey Vultures hanging with a circling hawk today...assuming this was the Red Tail who now has taken two of my girls. At first assumed it was a ground resident - but my second went during afternoon hours. Thanks to all!

 

[MollyG]

So, will hawks not go after fully grown standard chickens? I'm new, so need tips. I plan to get chickens next spring and have hawks almost every morning nearby. I hope keeping them under netting until grown will be enough. I'd like to let them free range (supervised) at some point. Anyone lose adults to hawks?

OH YES THEY WILL.... a hawk killed my Rooster last Saturday.... he was 4 x bigger than the hawk... yesterday the hawk kill a leghorn, Penny was 5 x bigger than the dang hawk !!