big red tail hawk watching my chicken coop

[realsis]

I came out this morning and saw a big ol hawk sitting on the telephone wire above my backyard just watching my chicken coop. It's not the first time I've saw him. What can I do to deter him away from my backyard. ? I've seen him circling before but this is the first time he was this close. Is there s anything I can do to keep him away?? Help.

 

[aart]

Keep your chickens safe in the run or coop. If it can't get a meal it will soon move on.

 

[theoldchick]

Do not allow your chickens to free range,and cover your run with wire. I have two breeding pairs on my property and they do an excellent job keeping rats out of the coop. One even nabbed a black snake.

Do your job protecting your flock and the hawks will take care of the vermin around the coop.

 

[cochinator]

These beasts are as common as subway rats and about as useful. They are the roaches of the sky. It is an absolute shame that a law created in 1916 to protect raptors that are actually endangered has created an gross overpopulation of these killers. There needs to be an open season on them, and soon.

edited by staff

 

[cochinator]

My above post was edited by staff for encouraging illegal activity. Suffice it to say, find a way within the bounds of the law the get rid of the thing or it will reproduce like a roach and kill every chicken you ever own.

Putting my chickens in jail to protect them from hawks is not an option for me. The way I operate, the one doing the killing gets the punishment.

 

[Talon830]

I have a plastic GHO that I move around the perimeter of my run. That seems to keep the hawks at bay. I have also heard if you hang some CDs around the run when the sun reflects off them it scares the hawks away. The best way to keep the hawks from your chickens is to cover your run with some poultry netting.

 

[Sarevan]

Last summer when our chickens were 4 months old a hawk landed on the peak of their run (a fairly young hawk). We built the run as an A frame so they couldn't be taken by hawks, eagles, owls etc. We want to extend the run so they can wander more and be protected. After the prey birds have been denied the meal I am confident our chickens are safe from overhead dangers.

The girls were terrified and now they keep an eye out even though they are safe. Coyotes and dogs on the other hand we buried old chicken wire double thickness around the perimeter to keep them from trying to dig under.