bird netting for hawks.

[wanttobefarmer]

This morning I found my speckled sussex Agnes out of the chicken run (her wings are clipped) and her skin was removed under her wing. I had let my dogs out first and my Mastiff Owen was laying beside her. She was in shock and I'm sure a lot of pain. I put her out of her misery wich was so hard and I buried her in the back yard. I first got chickens in January and this is our first loss. I want to avoid this happening again and I wanted advice on where to get cheap local bird netting for the top of the run. I want local so I can go get it today. I'm not looking for chicken wire. A light weigh netting to drape on top of the run is fine. Any help would be appreciated on this sad morning.

Sweet Agnes Rest in Peace.

 

[KenLamWV]

Check Lowes or Home depot in the garden center. Also there is a heavier gauge plastic deer fencing out there.

 

[huntercf]

I have light netting on top of my coop and that keeps my girls in, however I had to go with chicken wire on top of my quail aviary because the cats would tear right through it. If they hawks don't fly into your coop then the netting will be fine to keep your birds in, however if the hawks are getting into your pen you will need to use chicken wire. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Also nylon net wrap for hay bales will work, if you know someone that bails. You definitely won't need a whole roll.

 

[wanttobefarmer]

Quote:
would that keep out the hawks or would they tear through it? I thought the bird netting would detour the hawks because it was there. I didn't think they would land and try to tear through it. Maybe I should go with chicken wire. I just hate to wire the whole run

 

[wanttobefarmer]

The hawk, I'm assuming it was a hawk because She couldn't get out of the run herself, and we found a hawk feather a few feet away from her, would have had to of gotten her out of the coop. She is a speckled sussex so she is a little smaller than the other birds, but she wasn't small. It had stripped the skin aside under her wing and had expsosed the flesh and left some deep wounds. I think the hawk was interrupted. It could have been another predator but I can't guess what.
Quote:

 

[JOSEYWALES]

I string 30 pound fishing line every three feet in both directions and hang old cd's every couple of feet. When the sun is shining it looks like a chicken disco but I havent lost any girls yet. They are locked in the coop at night. Good luck!

 

[FarmGirl01]

I went on EBAY and searched poultry netting. It comes straight from the manufacture. No middle person. Works great.
This is how its held up in the center.

Its hard to see but its up there.

We got lots of hawks and not one has be caught in the netting. The brace wire is easy for them to see and I think that has helped

 

[Pam Allan]

I had the same thing happen with a chick - the skin ripped off under the wing and some other injuries - this one did survive but it sure looked painful. I kept it in the bathroom for a while with neosporin on the wound The chick was in the coop and there was no way a hawk had gotten in there - the door was closed. I'm pretty sure it was a rat snake - which I have a bunch of. I think the snake tried to grab it and the chick managed to get away. They usually constrict but something could have interrupted it - it wasn't a tiny chick but still pretty young and hadn't feathered yet. I removed a 6 foot rat snake from the chicken coop just the other day - carried it across the street while it was trying to "kill" my arm - Unfortunately the stupid county decided to mow the next day and apparently killed it - because I saw it beside the road.
I suppose it could also have been a rat but chick didn't really look bit.

 

[crperdue]

Quote:
Ditto what she said. I have two of these nets off of Ebay and they are great.
I have lost many birds to hawks and owls bur once I put up these nets I have
not lost a single bird. Well worth it.