Best breed to attack hawks

[Debsci]

Im so mad i hate hawks so much they keep killing my birds ive lost 3 roosters and a whole flock of ducks. What breed is strong enough to fight predators but not attack the flock, like aggresive but also not

 

[Debsci]

I haven't lost any hens to Hawks in quite a few years, so sad loosing them to hawks or coyotes. I have a variety of breeds, lost couple over winter to age... now 11 hens and 1 rooster. They do look out for each other, the rooster or a hen is always on alert and warn with sounds and then they run for cover under a tree, bush, back in coupe yard... as they free range during day. My coupe yard around hen house is about 6 feet high and about 50 feet out and 30 feet wide. I string orange bailing string across the width about every 6 inches and it's lasts a few years and then replace strings across as needed. Your fencing may be too low and large for that. Scarecrows that look like people, I have a half mannequin that helps, also loud chimes help. I also turn a radio up so sounds like people around. Plant some shrubs, bushes or trees they can run under for safety, or old wheelbarrow upside down partly so they can get under. You can also make tent shapes out of plywood or other scrap metal. I have an English Springer spaniel that will bark to keep them away too(he is good protector!) Hope this helps with some ideas since we can't shoot the darn hawks! Best wishes!

 

[11th Hour Poultry]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/it-really-works-don’t-laugh.1597808/

I like the disco ball idea.

 

[Ensaino]

Know your enemy!
I noticed wires stretching from the hotel roof down over the pool and patio the last time we vacationed down at the beach. I asked one of the maintenance workers why and what the purpose of it was. It keeps the gulls and pelicans from landing on the patio and around the pool and therefore not much for the groundskeepers to clean up. Gulls, pelicans and birds of prey all have 1 thing in common - they need room to land and take off. Little song birds can just sort of lift off - birds of prey don't. I've done something similar over my entire yard, which is pretty open with trees and bushes around the perimeter.

• Pick up some 50lb fishing line and a few of those silver mylar emergency blankets that you'd keep in the glovebox of the car.
• String the fishing line randomly overhead (use poles if necessary) in a crisscross pattern.
• Cut the emergency blanket into strips an inch or two wide and maybe a foot long and tie those strips on all the fishing line maybe 6 feet or so apart. Yes it'll look like a party but who cares, it's your yard!

What will happen is as those strips are stirred in a breeze it will create a distraction to the hawk's line of sight where they won't know where or how to land or take off, making it choose other places to hunt.

Planting some living cover or providing built cover spots for your birds should be done as well. Not just one big one, but several around the entire yard. Flocks scatter when a predator swoops down so one large shelter won't really work well. So long as the hens can get under and out of sight, they'll be safe.

We also taught our Labrador to chase off all other birds except the hens. I feel sorry for the blue-jays, robins and cardinals but the dog isn't outside 24/7 so they do get some relief.

I also came across this solution. I ran fishing line across my back yard and also purchased some mini disco balls from an online retailer. I hung them with some fishing line so they spin and wave in the wind and throw a lot of glaring light when it’s sunny out. I’m not sure if the hawks will get used to it but so far so good.

Good luck!

 

[Cornflower]

well i cant cover my run since it is very large and it would be very difficult and expensive, from a picture i put in the replies u can see, so is there anything else that can work?

I see your area has absolutely no cover for your chickens in the photo. Until you find your solution perfect for you, here's some things you can do now and hopefully alleviate the problem:

Plant some thick tree shrubs in the chicken yard. You want a shrub or tree whose foliage goes all the way down to the ground. In the wild, chickens take cover in tall grasses and thick hedges, and nest in the boughs of trees to avoid being seen by predators above. If your have neighbors with lilac trees, ask for some babies. These are a prolific slow spreading tree and make very thick cover in the summer if you don't shape the shrub like a vase as is done on town properties.

Make a pallet fort tunnel across the chicken yard, with 1 foot crawl space underneath. Prop it up on sturdy stumps, cinderblocks or old tires. This doesn't have to look pretty. It's temporary and provides the chickens cover as the travel across the chicken yard and allows them some shade also. Make hidey shacks along the tunnel that birds of prey can't reach into. This breaks off the attack when the chicken run to the tunnel and gives them more cover to get to the hidey hole. Always leave a few exits so chickens can escape and run to another cover if one isn't good enough. They instinctively know how to do this. Watch how they use it so you can improve your design.

Trimmed branches make a good temporary cover. Stick them in the ground around the chicken yard in the fashion of duck blinds or deer stands. If you've done some trimming or are going to, you can use that free material to buy you some time while you experiment and try to work something out. It will last until the leaves wilt, but the bare branches can still confuse they eye of the hawk and block his swoop.

Plant tall grass patches and don't mow them. If they grow in your area and aren't invasive, grasses with fronds (just look that term up and you'll probably jump into a new hobby planting beautiful ornamentals all over your property). Check species for chicken safety. These will also attract insects for your chickens to eat! You may have to fence off the new plants until they get established so the chickens' scratching habits don't kill them. Once the grasses grow up they chickens won't hurt them, but spend a lot of time in them foraging.

Make places for your chickens to run far under. Predator birds won't enter underground tunnels because it's no use for them. They can't grab their prey and get out. They can only reach in a little. Make the hidey holes large enough to protect a few chickens.
When chickens are attacked, they scatter in all directions. So put those hidey holes in all directions.

Employ all these methods together and create a diverse environment. Make it hard for predators to have an open yard with lots of wing room. Let the predator lose sight of the chickens with many diverse obstacles.

I hope these suggestions help and give you more ideas of your own. Predator birds are relentless and not easily deterred, but the chickens have instincts that you can work with to help them escape attacks. Your roosters will sound alarms and get the hens running in plenty of time find a safe place.

G-d willing, you won't need to buy expensive over-fencing, but if you do, may it be that you can reduce your losses as you save up to get it.

 

[OFWGKTA]

I see your area has absolutely no cover for your chickens in the photo. Until you find your solution perfect for you, here's some things you can do now and hopefully alleviate the problem:

Plant some thick tree shrubs in the chicken yard. You want a shrub or tree whose foliage goes all the way down to the ground. In the wild, chickens take cover in tall grasses and thick hedges, and nest in the boughs of trees to avoid being seen by predators above. If your have neighbors with lilac trees, ask for some babies. These are a prolific slow spreading tree and make very thick cover in the summer if you don't shape the shrub like a vase as is done on town properties.

Make a pallet fort tunnel across the chicken yard, with 1 foot crawl space underneath. Prop it up on sturdy stumps, cinderblocks or old tires. This doesn't have to look pretty. It's temporary and provides the chickens cover as the travel across the chicken yard and allows them some shade also. Make hidey shacks along the tunnel that birds of prey can't reach into. This breaks off the attack when the chicken run to the tunnel and gives them more cover to get to the hidey hole. Always leave a few exits so chickens can escape and run to another cover if one isn't good enough. They instinctively know how to do this. Watch how they use it so you can improve your design.

Trimmed branches make a good temporary cover. Stick them in the ground around the chicken yard in the fashion of duck blinds or deer stands. If you've done some trimming or are going to, you can use that free material to buy you some time while you experiment and try to work something out. It will last until the leaves wilt, but the bare branches can still confuse they eye of the hawk and block his swoop.

Plant tall grass patches and don't mow them. If they grow in your area and aren't invasive, grasses with fronds (just look that term up and you'll probably jump into a new hobby planting beautiful ornamentals all over your property). Check species for chicken safety. These will also attract insects for your chickens to eat! You may have to fence off the new plants until they get established so the chickens' scratching habits don't kill them. Once the grasses grow up they chickens won't hurt them, but spend a lot of time in them foraging.

Make places for your chickens to run far under. Predator birds won't enter underground tunnels because it's no use for them. They can't grab their prey and get out. They can only reach in a little. Make the hidey holes large enough to protect a few chickens.
When chickens are attacked, they scatter in all directions. So put those hidey holes in all directions.

Employ all these methods together and create a diverse environment. Make it hard for predators to have an open yard with lots of wing room. Let the predator lose sight of the chickens with many diverse obstacles.

I hope these suggestions help and give you more ideas of your own. Predator birds are relentless and not easily deterred, but the chickens have instincts that you can work with to help them escape attacks. Your roosters will sound alarms and get the hens running in plenty of time find a safe place.

G-d willing, you won't need to buy expensive over-fencing, but if you do, may it be that you can reduce your losses as you save up to get it.

I have pretty much all of these, sorry the picture i sent was terrible and only showed the barn, all that space was actually my back yard, sorry for the mix up idk why i posted that one, that red barn has a whole underside where the chickens can run and some of what you described inside the run

 

[LexiLou27]

I use a tarp to cover my large runs; but as far as breeds go I’d say your best bet is to get a goose. There’s a couple breeds of geese known/bred to fight off hawks and other predators.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Someone probably already mentioned this but if they haven't, have you considered attracting the kind of birds that tend to drive away hawks and other birds of prey? Crows ought to do it. The right kind of feed, maybe some shiny trinkets in a pile.... given that spring is almost here some sort of appropriate nest boxes?

 

[Rock17]

Ayam cemani x black araucana looks exactly like a raven but crow sized

 

[Konstantinos]

I am surprised noone suggested a Liege fighter rooster so far...