Are certain breeds less susceptible to hawk attack?

[shandiane78]

Thanks for all your replies! I saw a couple of Buckeye hens on CL and picked them up today. I've read that they have a semi-gamey disposition. They do seem very aware, curious, and brave. We have a lot of cover around, but we are also surrounded by tall trees. I have noticed that since the attacks, the chickens aren't spending time in the front yard like usual. They are staying close to the coop, and also near the deck where they can run under.

I will be on the lookout for a more active and assertive rooster for sure. Until then....

 

[chickortreat]

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My chickens are Federally protected. Some other brands I shoot include Remington and Winchester. Of course you can't shoot birds of prey, only frighten them away. I wouldn't want anyone to take me wrong.

 

[highcountrychickens]

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My chickens are Federally protected. Some other brands I shoot include Remington and Winchester.

Whatever you brandish, birds of prey are protected under the federal migratory species act. Like them or not, shooting one is a federal offense. It really is ill-advised to recommend this as a solution to anyone, 'lest they take you seriuosly

. I'd suggest putting netting over your run or yard, or keeping them in a tractor... Or, to answer the OPs post, if you're looking for a breed less susceptible to predation, raptor predation especially, try Jersey Giants. A hawk generally won't attack anything it can't carry, so bigger is better. I haven't lost a bird in 2 years from hawks or foxes since switching breeds (they wreaked havoc on my Columbian Wyandottes... poor babies)

So sorry you lost a bird, Wild Trapper

 

[Wild Trapper]

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Most of them ended up in the pot anyway. My Daughter-in Law is Thai and they were really hers, I just had been keeping them in the chicken tractor and letting them range during the day. We raise a lot of chickens around here some get eaten, some get sold and some are for eating. Several of the batch (fall hatch) were sold, I kept 6 for myself to replace some hens my wife sold. My DIL also lost one hen earlier in the summer, or so she thought. However she lets hers free range while I keep mine in a run or fenced yard. She likes the Jersey Black Giants, The one she lost would have been a Golden Comet.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I have read somewhere that the coloring on an Ancona is the hardest for a hawk to see.

 

[Carols Clucks]

One thing you can do (probably will not win you best garden) is leave some of the larger limbs around when you trim trees. It gives them some cover to duck under. Ours love to hid under the tree trimmings, they nap there. You just need a limb with a few longer branches to raise it up off the ground and give them the cover they want.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Velociraptors are seldom attacked by hawks.

http://images.wikia.com/jurassicpark/images/

All other breeds can be

 

[centrarchid]

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Brush piles! Work very well. Now we are talking habitat management.

 

[Wild Trapper]

We had a real aggressive hawk here when we first built our chicken run, darn thing was so brave it'd come and sit on one of the fence posts. The young birds would all scramble for the coop. It never got any and eventual quit bothering them, course we go screaming at it if we saw it.

Maybe it thought it was endanger of becoming lunch.

There is a brush row about 20 foot from the run I've been thinking of including in the run, just have to buy a little fencing and some posts. Good project for spring. When I let the chickens range, a lot of days I'd find them kind of buried in there out of the sun, taking dust baths, scratching around or catching bugs. Chickens love mulberries and there are some mulberry bushes in that brush row. Also, lots of protection from hawks.

I could also cut down on the amount of grass I'd have to mow. Doing that and also putting in a well place lot for my pig, could mean more time fishing and less time mowing.

 

[centrarchid]

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Recently I have had to mow corridors between patches of heavy cover. My birds do no readily go through thick fescue or other heavy vegetation that completely cover ground unless it has tunnels through it. Mowing took 15 minutes about once a month. I like to keep perimeter of brush piles open so they (birds) can see foxes and coyotes coming and take appropriate action. Appropriate action is flying up into tree and cackling to get me or dog involved. Presently my gamefowl are using powerlines instead of trees but many young can not fly 20 feet up and land. My dominiques are kinda screwed when coyotes are coming through as they can not fly much higher than 10 feet. Will be planting Osage oranges this spring to provide elevated refuges for the dumpy butts.

I am going to plant brambles next to some of the brush piles for addtional cover and eats for me. Also getting a nice stand of bamboo coming up that will be really good during extremes of hot and cold.