Big birds as a hawk deterrent?

[DottieWharton]

I live in central Virginia and have a Cooper’s hawk that has become quite a nuisance! No love for this hawk.. it comes to my yard several times a week that I observe so likely more than that. Sits in my trees and watches my chickens. Has tried to fly off with one before but I got to it in time. Has successfully taken a wild bird off our feeder (we’ve taken those down now).

Has anyone had any luck deterring hawks with a large bird like ducks, geese, guinea or turkeys? If so, how many did you need? We would like to let our girls free range several hours a day which is why I am looking for a companion. They love to roam.

Also open to other suggestions!

 

[Sequel]

This is really unproven but I hang old hoodies and coats on my fences. With the arms out in kind of a w shape. I move them EVERY day. The only time I lost a bird in 4 years I’ve been doing this was when the wind blew one of them off. I had a dead chicken right next to the crumpled sweat shirt. Like I said, I could be mostly lucky but so far so good. Good luck to you!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Some people hear suggest big black hens. They look like ravens to haeks, so they'll leave them alone

 

[centrarchid]

I use fully adult standard sized roosters kept with juvenile chickens either in pens the hawk can squeeze into and free-range. The roosters do not actually fight hawk, but some clearly show an interest in doing so. My juveniles are more vulnerable than hens.

 

[cmom]

I built nice large pens for my birds. I was tired of loosing them to predators. I have electric wires around the pens, concrete under the gates and good heavy duty netting covering my pens, all due to losses in the past. I do have a grass collector on my mowers and collect grass and put piles in every pen and let the birds scratch through the piles. I have also given them flock blocks which they like to peck at.

 

[cmom]

I have also made flock blocks but haven't made them in awhile but I have a lot of birds.

 

[Jeanw]

I left out full size Halloween zombies last fall and move them around the yard. It seemed to work as a hawk deterrent or maybe I am nuts....

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

I have ducks, geese and chickens and still have hawks hanging around. So far, the only thing the geese have tried protecting the other birds from is an armadillo who wasn't interested in them at all.

 

[TLCMidMichigan]

I have also made flock blocks but haven't made them in awhile but I have a lot of birds.
View attachment 2355626View attachment 2355627View attachment 2355628

Any chance of getting that recipe? Up here in Michigan that would be good for winter.

 

[centrarchid]

In effort to keep this on topic with answer options of interest to OP. I have messed with Coopers Hawks a lot. Most poultry keepers do not appear to distinguish between types of hawks or the differing threats they present. I am seeing signs of that in responses to this thread. Coopers tend to target immature chickens and hens in hen only flocks. They appear confused by flocks with mixed sizes where larger birds attack hawk while hawk prefers smaller victims. Coopers Hawks do not seem to like foes that stand up to them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coopers-hawk-working-barn-area-hard.1139715/page-2