Any other animal that I can buy that will keep hawks away?

[Cetawin]

If you free-range them, prepare to lose some. There is nothing that is going to stop the hawk really. A dog, if it is close enough but if it is not, a hawk will carry off a adult standard.

Unless you are reallllly far out in the country with no chance of getting caught...do not kill the hawk. All raptors/birds of prey are protected from harm. Fines for harrassing, harming or killing them start at 5,000.00 and jail is possible. (included in the list....hawks, owls ospreys, falcons and eagles). I know people will say shoot them and be done with it, but know the possible results before you decide.

I would put them in a covered run myself. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

 

[JordanFamily]

ruth....Can I have your dog? PLEEEEEASE!

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
I was thinking about a german shepherd, but was unsure of how they would do with the chickens. That's great to know! They are awesome dogs!!! They also help keep unwanted human visitors away!

 

[greyhorsewoman]

There are a number of herding specific; herding/guarding combos; guarding specific breeds of dogs. But it won't be as easy as 'buy a pup' ~~ all will need good training and socialization to know their duties.

Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, Maremmas are 'guardians' ~ pups are normally raised with the livestock they are to protect. Some are so intense, that they will attack not only animal predators, but human, as well. (My friend has Maremmas with her sheep to protect them from coyotes. She is the only one that can approach the dogs with the sheep.)

Corgis, Shelties are primarily herders. They do protect the flock, but have a lot less prey drive, so probably easier to train not to bother the chickens. (Our corgi LOVES all her animals here on the farm.)

Shepherds, Belgians are duel purpose. They have herding and prey drive. If not properly trained, they will prey on your livestock instead of guard it. Had a Belgian that had killed every cat he could get close to. Have had them 'worry' sheep to death and dispense with chickens in one quick shake.

We freerange our bantam chickens around the barnyard and rarely lose any to air predators (and we have lots). There is a lot of various types of cover for them (trees/buildings/farm equipment). Roosters will set up an alarm too. I think the bantams get a bit of savvy about them. We also have some geese that stay on top of things.

 

[ruth]

Quote:
I kind of wish he kept unwanted human visitors away but I was so busy socializing Rex that he runs up to every stranger with a ball or stick or pine cone or can or whatever he can find, wagging his tail and wanting to play. His favorite manuever is to shove his head between their legs from behind when they aren't watching or expecting it. Next thing you know they're riding a German Shepherd. Now while that might give a stranger a heart attack, it's the only way he's keeping them away. He's learned that most visitors just tell him to sit or "no" so if he runs up from behind and shoves his head between your legs you can't tell him anything.

As another poster posted, it is important to train and socialize a dog like a GSD. I wouldn't say that Rex is "trained" he just knows. It only took once to show him that first baby chick that I cuddled and kissed and showed him and told him to guard before he knew that the chick was important to me. He has slept in bathroom with cardboard box of every batch of newly hatched chicks ever since.

For the hawks, it only took once for him to see me running after one and waving my arms yelling at it to go away and he knew that hawks were bad and ever since he watches the skyline. He takes off as soon as he sees one on the horizon.

Of course we have lots of buzzards that circle too and he's after them as well. They can work him up into a frenzy because there are 10 or more of them and he really has his job cut out for him. I don't dare tell him they're o.k. because they look the same to him and me so they're "hawks" also. I can just say the word "hawk" and he starts running around looking up.

He is a great dog and I wouldn't be able to have all my chickens, including itty bitty ones, running around farm loose if it weren't for him. But I do have another dog, a stray mixed-breed, Lucy that also hangs out with the chicks/ducks and keeps predators away and our 4 cats hang out with them as well. Maybe since we don't use fences/cages no one feels like they have to get at the others - really don't know - just know everyone/thing here sleeps, eats, plays together.

 

[wilded]

Quote:
It is a violation of Federal as well as State law to harm a raptor of any kind. You can not even posess a feather. It is a serious charge and can cost you a fortune as well as jail time. Hawks are afraid of Great Horned Owls but will still go after poultry if given half a chance.

 

[mmajw]

Donkeys keep Coyotes away maybe they could scare off Hawks...

 

[coopist]

Well, here's a suggestion, but it's one that I make with qualifications. We put up gourds and houses for the purple martins every year, and the martins, while they can be victims of hawks too, will mob and fight hawks as a group. Our colony is well enough established that any hawk coming within the bounds of the property is likely to face about 20-30 angry male martins. It's a big job, though, putting up and maintaining the martin housing every year, and it's also not easy to get them to establish a colony. But if you can get them, you can congratulate yourself on purple martin conservation, flying insect control, as well as some hawk protection for your poultry. I watched them chase away a sharp-shinned hawk the other day.

 

[Portia]

My Junebug is a german shepard, beagle and a few other things mix. So far she has done a nice job of keeping the predators away from the chickens. Still, we are prepared to loose some over time but are doing all we can to keep them safe short of putting them in a run. They free range with our 2 dogs in our fenced yard that is a little under an acre. Knowing the risks we tried to minimize by providing plenty of cover around the yard, going with heavy breeds of darker colors and locking them in a secure coop every night.

As far as hawks vs owls, they do not predate eachother but thrive in identical prey niches. Hawks hunt by daylight, owls at dawn and dusk.