Argggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

This pair of Hawks built their nest to raise their family in the woods behind the barn. For the past 3 weeks their 3 or 4 babies have been buzzing my coop and scaring the poop out of my poor hens.

Rusty has been making himself look 3 times as large trying to protect his flock. I'm glad that he's taking his job seriously but it's costing me alot of eggs. I got maybe 35 eggs last week when I usally get 70 eggs. I'm SO frustrated. My father said that he "take care of them" for me but I warned him that if he was caught killing the hawks he could get slapped with a $500 dollar fine. Then he said that he would throw lighted firecrakers at them but I said what if you were caught!? He said that he called the Game control and they told him to do that.

What do YOU think that I should do until my father can come over and help me?

 

[ranchhand]

Cover the coop and run securely, so they can't see the hawks and vice versa.

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

Yeah but how do I make sure that they get the correct amount of sunlight when the coop's covered up? I don't have electricity in the coop and don't have the money to hook some up.

 

[PeepsInc]

Frozen painballs work. If you dont have a paintball gun. Use a sling shot. My full auto paint marker throws about 9 shots a second. Great for critters on the move.

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

Quote:

 

[NMbirds]

Here is an excerpt from: http://icwdm.org/handbook/birds/HawksOwls.asp

There are many techniques that can be used to scare hawks and owls from an area where they are causing damage. Some are inexpensive and easy to use,while others are not. The effectiveness of frightening devices depends greatly on the bird, area, season, and method of application. Generally, if birds are hungry, they quickly get used to and ignore frightening devices. Frightening devices are usually a means of reducing losses rather than totally eliminating them. Landowners who use them must be willing to tolerate occasional losses. Increasing human activity in the threatened area will keep most raptors at a distance. The most common and easily implemented frightening device is a shotgun fired into the air in the direction of (not at) the raptor. Scarecrows are effective at repelling raptors when they are moved regularly and used in conjunction with shotgun fire or pyrotechnics.

Pyrotechnics include a variety of exploding or noise-making devices. The most commonly used are shell crackers, which are 12-gauge shotgun shells containing a firecracker that is projected 50 to 100 yards (45 to 90 m) before it explodes. Fire shell crackers in the direction of hawks or owls that are found within the threatened area. An inexpensive open-choke shotgun is recommended. Check the gun barrel after each shot and remove any wadding from the shells that may become lodged in the barrel.

Noise, whistle, and bird bombs are also commercially available. They are fired from pistols and are less expensive to use than shell crackers, but their range is limited to 25 to 75 yards (23 to 68 m). Your local fire warden can provide information on local or state permits that are required to possess and use pyrotechnics.

The electric pole shocker is a device developed by R.W. Schmitt of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to protect game farms and poultry operations (Fig. 3). It has proven very effective in several different settings in Wisconsin. Each unit consists of a ground wire running 1 inch (2.5 cm) from and parallel to a wire that is connected to an electric fence charger. Install electrical shocking units on top of 14- to 16-foot (4- to 5-m) poles and erect the poles around the threatened area at 50- to 100-foot (15- to 30-m) intervals. When a raptor lands on a pole, it receives an electric shock and is repelled from the immediate area. Other perching sites in the area should be removed or made unattractive. Energize the shocking unit only from dusk until dawn for owls and during daylight hours for hawks. The electric pole shocker keeps raptors from perching within a threatened area but does not exclude them from nesting in or using a nearby area. Most hawks and owls are highly territorial. A pair that is allowed to remain will aggressively defend the area and usually exclude other hawks and owls. Thus, farmers may actually find it beneficial to coexist with a pair of hawks or owls that have learned to avoid an area protected by pole shockers.

 

[Big dreams]

A friend of mine does the firecracker thing and also just makes a lot of noise ect. Good luck, I hope they decide thats not a good place to live and move on. I would try a shade screen maybe, they should get enough light from the sides of your run even if you have the top covered.

 

[purpletree23]

Birds of prey are usually protected. Frozen paint balls are not such a good idea unless jail is a good thing. Before long the baby birds will move on and hopefully will nest somewhere else next year.

Is your run open? Is that where they are causing the problem? How big is the run?

 

[eggdicted]

Edited to remove lethal suggestion. Birds of prey are protected and dealing with them should be done through the wildlife authority for the area.