Best animals for hawk protection

[bigz1983]

I want to let my chickens free range in the pasture with my goats but I'm really worried about hawks. Aside from installing a netting top over my entire pasture ( which would be a pain in the butt) the only thing I can think of is getting a guardian type animal.

What's the best chicken guard? Would a donkey keep hawks away? Is there a type of bird like a turkey that could keep hawks away?

 

[Hillaire]

protecting from predation from the air without netting is tough even with a guardian dog or lama you are still prone to a loss or two from time to time from hawks....

 

[bigz1983]

protecting from predation from the air without netting is tough even with a guardian dog or lama you are still prone to a loss or two from time to time from hawks....

Ok. So there's really no way to have reliable protection against hawks without a top?

 

[centrarchid]

I employ an integrated approach using standard sized breeds. First I try to avoid having flocks made up of solely of females or young birds that are not protected by adults (i.e. broody hen). A fully adult rooster can be adventagous from roughly the winter solstice through the fall equinox. Such roosters will often attack a hack going after offspring or potential mothers of offspring. Then I have patches of cover chickens can retreat to quickly that deny hawks, especially larger species, a flying approach. Poultry netting arranged as fence near such cover patches is also good. Additionally I use dogs that have been trained to treat hawks and anything else that riles chickens with prejudice.

 

[CoolBeans]

You could try stringing heavy fishing line (20 or 30 pound test) across the area, high enough where it's out of the way as you walk around. Just random strings of line can deter hawks as they "learn" there is some sort of invisible defense that their wings hit as they try to swoop in. They wont feel safe flying in an area where they know their wings can get tangled when landing or flying.

For hawks and birds of prey, "They want to look cool, swooping in and attacking" with fishing line in the way they risk swooping in getting tangled and landing on their head, "looking like a fool"... I am sure the other hawks would tease him...

But seriously though the fishing line should help deter them.