Again. With the hawk.

[mkeawsh]

Yesterday evening I found a dead hen inside my secure run. She was wedged under the ramp to the pop door. Two piles of feathers; one near the carcass. The head was missing and the neck stripped to the breast. I thought maybe a racoon or mink did the deed by pulling her head through the WWM, but the other pile of feathers confused me. This morning saw a red tail hawk in a tree near the coop, so now think after the initial attack the hen hid under the ramp where the hawk finished the job. I hope my rooster then drove the hawk away. He has never had to deal with a predator close-up and hope he gained some experience. Never had this problem before but I guess I'll need to somehow cover the run now and perhaps pick off the hawk with my .22 if he's persistent.

Raccoons. Until I figured out a solution, I lost at least 8 - 10 chickens to raccoons reaching in any where they could to get at a sleeping chicken. They pull and pull them and eventually rip off what they can get through the hole and the head is always gone along with some upper body that is in shreds. I don't have chicken wire size I have the 1/2" fencing on everything. Raccoons can reach into what they call "chicken wire".

 

[suezqz_64]

Is it a standard sized rooster? i am surprised he's running off for a cooper's hawk. My only rooster that just screams out alerts and then dives for cover is the serama, but, he IS pint sized, so i think it's impressive he even keeps an eye out! I do have trees on the property where they free range though, which helps. I would definitely consider getting a dog, like a great pyrenees. They are supposed to be great with chickens. And they super gorgeous!

Oh yes, he's a black sex link roo. Almost 12 lbs. Thanks for the tip on dogs, I will have to give that a try!

 

[buffbrahmaboy]

"There is no open season on Raptors, however Section 26(2) provides landowners with an exemption to hunt, take, trap, wound, of kill wildlife that is a menace to a domestic animal or bird at a time not within the open season (and a few other exemptions that are underlined above). It is my interpretation that you may use a .22 calibre rifle to kill a red tailed hawk that is a menace to your chickens. If you do kill the hawk you are required to report the killing and the location to the Conservation Officer Service, as per Section 75 copied above. Note that all of these exemptions apply only to private land, if the raptor is on crown land there is no exemption."

Killing / harming hawk will not be a legal option even in Canada. Look into covering run which will work even when you are not present against hawks.

Hi Centrachid, first I want to state that I do not want to kill any hawks. They are probably more valuable to me alive for ongoing rodent control, so I can accept the (very) occasional loss of a chicken. Besides, the flock is quite wary now and seems to have learned from the experience. Hopefully they will still be so when I allow them back in the pasture for the summer. Your statement got me wondering about my legal options, though, so I posed the question to a Conservation Officer. His reply is above:

 

[centrarchid]

I was under the impression the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was enforce throught Canada and U.S. Double check that to see how exemptions apply as I am unable to find references to your specific area.

 

[buffbrahmaboy]

I was under the impression the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was enforce throught Canada and U.S. Double check that to see how exemptions apply as I am unable to find references to your specific area.

Now you really got me interested, so I looked into the MBTA. My examination was cursory, but it's interesting that the lawmakers of the time treat migratory birds as human property that is deserving of protection only to the extent that they continue to serve human interests. One thing I noticed, the Canadian Convention granted freedom to kill migratory birds that “under extraordinary conditions, may become seriously injurious to agriculture or other interests in any particular community.” In other words, some property (my chickens) may be more valuable within my community than other property (red tail hawks), and I believe the Conservation Officer who gave his ruling was simply being pragmatic; the hawks are not rare around here, nor do they seem to actually migrate. That said, I find the treaty quite refreshing with the intent of preventing indiscriminate slaughter, and we should all reflect on the tenor of the Act before killing any perceived predator.

 

[centrarchid]

The migratory bird act of 1918 does have provisions for take under exceptional conditions although a permit is required and it is that permit that is so hard to get, at least with respect to raptors. All native North American birds are migratory with possible exception of some game birds like quail, turkey, and some ptarmigan. Juvenile raptors are especially so, and local year round residents will likely enjoy protection because their offspring or populations of same species in other areas are migratory.

Get input from another authority dealing with wildlife management / protection. Some individuals can be mistaken as to how law be interpretted and I have dealt with that occasionally here. Laws are complex. Having conservation officer confer with others should correct or solidify his position which is needed if hawk removal to be legally realized.

 

[Fernleaf]

It was my understanding the while the "Migratory Bird Treaty Act" was so-named because when first enacted it protected migratory species primarily for the conservation of hunting availability (waterfowl in particular.) Whereas it is now expanded to cover ALL native species regardless of whether they actually migrate or not...