A Hawk

[Lareebell]

i originally had 2 roosters. They are gone now. I don’t know of any hawk problems before. The second time we let the 3 - 3 month old pullets out to free range. A hawk flew onto the fence and attacked at least 1 of the pullets to the face. My husband was out there and was able to put the pullets back in the coop. This was the smallest out of 3 pullets.
She seems to be ok, gash next to her beak.
If we had a rooster that would help the situation? It’s sad if they can’t free range here.
If they get bigger would hawk still come around?
Funny our neighbor has 4 chickens with no problems free ranging.
Thank you in advance.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Predator problems come and go, and you can't predict them. I've had hawks take birds, than it stops. A rooster may help with being a lookout, but not all roosters are good at it. Many times the roosters get taken first. Cover can help keep chickens safer, but it isn't guaranteed. Free ranging always comes with risks. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose unfortunately. The only guaranteed way to keep them safe is to keep them in a secure coop and run.

 

[chicknmania]

i originally had 2 roosters. They are gone now. I don’t know of any hawk problems before. The second time we let the 3 - 3 month old pullets out to free range. A hawk flew onto the fence and attacked at least 1 of the pullets to the face. My husband was out there and was able to put the pullets back in the coop. This was the smallest out of 3 pullets.
She seems to be ok, gash next to her beak.
If we had a rooster that would help the situation? It’s sad if they can’t free range here.
If they get bigger would hawk still come around?
Funny our neighbor has 4 chickens with no problems free ranging.
Thank you in advance.

Haws are hungry this time of year as food gets scarcer, and also, some are migrating.
Just in case anyone makes any comments otherwise, hawks are protected by Federal law. However, there's some things you can do.

1) Make sure the chicken run is covered. An open run does not give them protection.

2) you can hang wind spinners, or make a mobile out of old CD's or DVD's. The spinning and flashing helps a lot with keeping hawks away. They think that it is fire, supposedly. You don't have to hang them everywhere, just put them close to areas where your birds would run for cover.

3) Make sure they DO have cover....lots of it, and different kinds.

4) Yes, roosters do help,. So do Guinea Fowl, and peafowl (especially the peahens!; geese too.

5) Get some Black Cat firecrackers, and just set them off randomly for a few days....at different times and places throughout the day. We use Bird Bombs, which are very effective; they're like bottle rockets, only for scaring off birds. But you have to have a permit to have those, which we do. You can check it out to see if you qualify, but bottle rockets would do the same thing too Just please don't fire them AT the birds.

6) if you can feed the crows and blue jays, do that! They are great alarm systems to begin with, and will hang around if you're feeding them. They will drive off hawks if they see them.

7) Spend as much time as you can outside, or go out at times that you normally would not.

Good luck! After November, the hawks will be pretty much dispersed for a while. Yes, free ranging has it's risks...but so does keeping them in a coop and run where, if something does get in, the chickens can't get away.

 

[Lareebell]

Haws are hungry this time of year as food gets scarcer, and also, some are migrating.
Just in case anyone makes any comments otherwise, hawks are protected by Federal law. However, there's some things you can do.

1) Make sure the chicken run is covered. An open run does not give them protection.

2) you can hang wind spinners, or make a mobile out of old CD's or DVD's. The spinning and flashing helps a lot with keeping hawks away. They think that it is fire, supposedly. You don't have to hang them everywhere, just put them close to areas where your birds would run for cover.

3) Make sure they DO have cover....lots of it, and different kinds.

4) Yes, roosters do help,. So do Guinea Fowl, and peafowl (especially the peahens!; geese too.

5) Get some Black Cat firecrackers, and just set them off randomly for a few days....at different times and places throughout the day. We use Bird Bombs, which are very effective; they're like bottle rockets, only for scaring off birds. But you have to have a permit to have those, which we do. You can check it out to see if you qualify, but bottle rockets would do the same thing too Just please don't fire them AT the birds.

6) if you can feed the crows and blue jays, do that! They are great alarm systems to begin with, and will hang around if you're feeding them. They will drive off hawks if they see them.

7) Spend as much time as you can outside, or go out at times that you normally would not.

Good luck! After November, the hawks will be pretty much dispersed for a while. Yes, free ranging has it's risks...but so does keeping them in a coop and run where, if something does get in, the chickens can't get away.

Thank you! That is some good ideas! My neighbor has more “junk” they can hide under. Haha. We do feed the birds with birdseed. Usually I see more crows. We are going to build a bigger run. It’s fun to let them roam. I hope we get it figured out. The hawks I never even considered!

 

[Lareebell]

Predator problems come and go, and you can't predict them. I've had hawks take birds, than it stops. A rooster may help with being a lookout, but not all roosters are good at it. Many times the roosters get taken first. Cover can help keep chickens safer, but it isn't guaranteed. Free ranging always comes with risks. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose unfortunately. The only guaranteed way to keep them safe is to keep them in a secure coop and run.

I am hoping the pullets get a little bigger maybe less of a problem? Like I said the roosters were bigger and nothing I know of happened with them. I guess they just go for the face! I hope to figure something out. Thank you!

 

[RoosterML]

Do not stop feeding the crows. Crows are very good at being a Pain in the ... to hawks.

 

[chicknmania]

Try peanuts to help attract jays and crows.yes gross as it may be, hawks try to rip off the chickens head and that's what they eat. They usually leave the body.

 

[cmom]

A hawk will take a cockerel or a rooster too. Not long ago a big Red Tail hawk got into one of my pens, which are covered and killed several birds. I found the gap in the netting and fixed it.

 

[cmom]

I don't free range anymore due to losses but I have large pens that are covered, concrete under the gates and electric wire around my coops and pens. Now when I have left a gate open so the birds can come out, they may but usually go right back into their pens. We have mostly open pasture so there is no place they can hide if necessary. I let my favorite bird out but she was special and needed special care so she had her own coop and pen and I would let her out. She was 3 years old when a fox got her during the middle of the day while I was occupied. I knew it was a risk. I was heart broken because she was such a sweetheart. No more free ranging unless I'm right there with them.