Anyone with large breeds still having hawk problems?

[LRH97]

I lived in your area for 10 years in and around Carbondale. Hawks you are up against are Red-Tailed hawk and Coopers Hawk Most likely the smaller hawk is male Coopers although very similar looking Sharp-shinned Hawks may also be chasing small birds in your filed of view..

Cool! I haven't met anyone (that I know of) on BYC that has lived around here. Thanks for the info! So far, they've all been Cooper's Hawks. The Red Tails haven't found us....yet.

 

[LanceTN]

Sounds like you need a good sized Roo. A hawk will be discouraged to attack if it thinks it may get injured in the process and a heavy breed a rooster standing on the ground puffing itself up to look even bigger and alerting all the hens to the danger with a call will discourage many smaller hawks.

 

[FarmerWife]

Its a tough one short term. I have cooper hawks and have a few attacks but no loses yet. Here's what I know crows hate hawks entering their territory so I provide scratch to also attract the families of crows who will chase them out of the area. They do reappear on occasion but the crows greet them and you can watch the chaos in the sky. Its not a solution to the problem but does deter. I range my birds and lose most to stray dogs which usually meet their maker with some assistance from my 12 ga. Just this summer I have been plagued with what turned out to be a Bobcat and he's history now and will soon be a throw on my recliner. Living very rurally I have all the predators. Im thinking also of bringing home a Great Pyrenees who are wonderful protectors from ground preds but I havent talked my wife into that one yet. research crows and how to attract them also put out Owl decoys I have them on a pole so the wind can make them move and hang a pie pan from the pole and the racket as it bang the pole is annoying to hawks. The slightest wind can bang a pie pan all day or night.

Sounds like good sound advice, thank you. I've got plenty of pie pans, so I'll add that to my list of things. We are on a pecan orchard, so we get crows pretty regularly, but it seems like they're never here when the hawks are

We had a large brown hawk swoop down in the orchard today trying to catch one of the orpington hens, but she magaged to get away. We ran out as quick as we could to try and scare it away, it sat watching in the neighbors hay field for a little while, but so did we. Eventually it left. I went to talk to the lady with the guinea hens, but no one was home, so I think I may try to find eggs and hatch them in the bator. We also get mountain lions in our area, they ate the lady's chihuahuas down the road, but they've never done anything on our property. YET. I don't have a 12ga. , but I do have a 22. I'm not a great shot, but if I need to shoot I'll make sure it at least gets the message. Thanks to everyone who's answered to my post, I appreciate all the advice, and I will take all I can get. If anyone can point me in the direction of some Brahma eggs to purchase, I would greatly appreciate it. I want to at least make it a little more difficult by bringing in large chickens. Have a nice night everyone!

Dianna

 

[TinyBirds]

We're getting lucky this year as far as the hawks. A couple years ago, we lost 33 roosters (including LF cochins) in 1 month to hawks that were hunting in packs (or families, not sure, but 3 or more hawks at once!) I tried netting above their area, etc, but the hawks would just get in anyway. I also have better pens with 5 ft fencing and covered nets, and the hawks still go in those too sometimes, but with all the extra roosters, I had them in a less protected area and they were easy prey. We don't have a dog, so I think that's probably the main deterrent for hawks. I knew other chicken farmers at that time that hadn't lost any to hawks, but they all had dogs.

Oh, but I forgot to add that we did have one neighbor that same year that had turkeys and she saw 5 hawks come together and pick a huge heavy turkey up off the ground up into the air. They didn't get far before dropping it, but still! That was a bad year, but I assume the hawkwatchers (birdwatching folks do hawk counts I think) were having a blast!

 

[centrarchid]

We're getting lucky this year as far as the hawks.  A couple years ago, we lost 33 roosters (including LF cochins) in 1 month to hawks that were hunting in packs (or families, not sure, but 3 or more hawks at once!) I tried netting above their area, etc, but the hawks would just get in anyway.  I also have better pens with 5 ft fencing and covered nets, and the hawks still go in those too sometimes, but with all the extra roosters, I had them in a less protected area and they were easy prey.  We don't have a dog, so I think that's probably the main deterrent for hawks.  I knew other chicken farmers at that time that hadn't lost any to hawks, but they all had dogs.

Oh, but I forgot to add that we did have one neighbor that same year that had turkeys and she saw 5 hawks come together and pick a huge heavy turkey up off the ground up into the air.  They didn't get far before dropping it, but still!  That was a bad year, but I assume the hawkwatchers (birdwatching folks do hawk counts I think) were having a blast!

Harris hawks most of us do not deal with. On those get a dog or cover run or get out of chickens.

 

[Tenneesse]

Sounds like good sound advice, thank you. I've got plenty of pie pans, so I'll add that to my list of things. We are on a pecan orchard, so we get crows pretty regularly, but it seems like they're never here when the hawks are

We had a large brown hawk swoop down in the orchard today trying to catch one of the orpington hens, but she magaged to get away. We ran out as quick as we could to try and scare it away, it sat watching in the neighbors hay field for a little while, but so did we. Eventually it left. I went to talk to the lady with the guinea hens, but no one was home, so I think I may try to find eggs and hatch them in the bator. We also get mountain lions in our area, they ate the lady's chihuahuas down the road, but they've never done anything on our property. YET. I don't have a 12ga. , but I do have a 22. I'm not a great shot, but if I need to shoot I'll make sure it at least gets the message. Thanks to everyone who's answered to my post, I appreciate all the advice, and I will take all I can get. If anyone can point me in the direction of some Brahma eggs to purchase, I would greatly appreciate it. I want to at least make it a little more difficult by bringing in large chickens. Have a nice night everyone

Dianna

Sounds like you really have a challenge going on to say the least. Pie pans in your case may help and hang plenty so they can hit limbs or like what works for me is from a tomato stake that way it just continuous annoyance. I slip the owl decoy over the top of the stake and every few days i move them to a different stakes. Mountain Lions my gosh maybe invest in a larger caliber rifle of even a 20ga with buckshot I'd go for the 12. Id guess the lions are hunting at night? I have a friend in Carlsbad Ca who lost his goats to a mt lion. He finally killed the Lion and the "greenies" really gave him a hard time,. Imagine that. I sure the pans make a difference for you. Tom (by the way the .22 can help but you have to do some target practice, the shotgun to you have to shoot it a little. Good luck Di

 

[FarmerWife]

Sounds like you really have a challenge going on to say the least. Pie pans in your case may help and hang plenty so they can hit limbs or like what works for me is from a tomato stake that way it just continuous annoyance. I slip the owl decoy over the top of the stake and every few days i move them to a different stakes. Mountain Lions my gosh maybe invest in a larger caliber rifle of even a 20ga with buckshot I'd go for the 12. Id guess the lions are hunting at night? I have a friend in Carlsbad Ca who lost his goats to a mt lion. He finally killed the Lion and the "greenies" really gave him a hard time,. Imagine that. I sure the pans make a difference for you. Tom (by the way the .22 can help but you have to do some target practice, the shotgun to you have to shoot it a little. Good luck Di

Thanks Tenneesse, I do have quite a challenge. My daughter and I made two scare crows yesterday, and hung some pie plates. No hawks today, but that may be a fluke. We'll keep watching. As for the greenies, lol, well, we live in a small farming community, and the farmers here have had their fair share of troubles with them. Anyway, gotta get back to the flock and check on one of them, I have a very sick roo, and I hope I don't lose him. Keep your fingers crossed, he's one sick rooster.

Dianna

 

[Tenneesse]

Hows the rooster doing? I get pretty angst when my birds are in distress. Do you know what is causing the problem? Its so hard the waiting for them to show some sign. Im a terrible worrier, never had kids so I guess I make up for it with the birds. Hang in there

 

[FarmerWife]

Hi,
I gave him another dose of antibiotic last night, and started him on Tetracycline this morning. He seems a little bit more alert, but is still weak, and his comb is still pale. I hope I can get him through this. With no vet to tell me what the problem is I just have to wing it. I'm so glad I can come here and ask for advice!!! I know what you mean, I kept getting up to check on him and make sure he was still with us. I hate it when they're sick, especially as sick as he he is, I feel helpless because I don't know what to do. I'm keeping a close watch on him, going out now to give him his next dose of Tetracycline. This morning he looked like he also had sour crop, because he was spitting up, so I helped him get that out. Soon after that he picked up some. Thanks for checking up on Big Red, he's one sick roo. I'll be back later to update.

Dianna