California - Northern

[HighNDryFarm]

Cali Chick! I'm north of your area so I don't know where to recommend but our local nursery has it for cheep.

 

[ronott1]

Hi California People

,
I'm right here north of Sacramento, near Rio Linda. One day I hope to buy a little "hobby farm" near Rio Linda or Elverta. As of right now, I'm the only one in my neighborhood that has chickens. And, that's only possible because of the zoning ordinance that states "your property must meet a minimum of 10,000 square feet...". We have 10,019 sf...LOL!

Right now I've got 3 hens: RIR, BO and a PBR. They have a coop and chicken yard, but I put them in a chicken tractor each day. I've wanted to let them free range during the day, but am fearful about the hawks attacking them. Does anyone know where I could buy poultry netting locally? I've seen it in Stromberg's for $133 (for 25' X 100'), but they want another $60 for shipping.

Or, does anyone have any other ideas to keep the chickens safe from hawks (besides keeping them in the tractor)?

Hi Cali Chick,

If you give them places to hide you should be ok. Also, you can consider letting them free range when you are home. Hawks usually don't go after big chickens like yours. Also, yours are a bit camouflaged, not being a pure white. I read that hawks swoop down to get their pray and don't dive bomb straight down, so they need a bit of space to get the chicken. How big is the space where your chickens are free ranging?

By the way, a BYC member in Texas had a very large hawk break through the netting and get three of her juvenile chickens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/625456/mahonris-3rd-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long/6340

Check out post 6346

We have big hawks here in Woodland and I have not had a problem with them yet.

 

[CALI CHICK]

ronott, our yard has a strange "triangular" shape, which gets wider in the backyard. One side has many trees and low shrubs they can hide under. But the other side (which is larger) is pretty open to the sky and fly-over preditors. It's about 50' X 100' at the widest space. the hawks fly by and occasionally roost in the top branch of a neighbors' tree.........I just know they are licking their beaks as they watch my girls.

Yes, they are big girls and I wondered if hawks would bother with them, but I don't want to take a chance. Better safe than sorry! Today they got to free range for about 3 hours (and loved it) while I worked in the yard. Becuase they've lived such a sheltered life, I'm not sure if they would run for cover on their own or realize the danger of preditors. They are very sweet and follow me around like dogs rather than chickens.

BigDaddysMom, I hadn't thought of checking a nursery...Good idea! Maybe I can find more of a tree-netting instead of the expensive Olefin-fiber netting? I'm using shade-cloth over their chicken yard but it is only 6 feet wide X 25 feet and was over $30. I also plan to hang fishing line and CDs in some of the uncovered areas.

 

[ronott1]

With that kind of a yard I would get some netting too

Ron

ronott, our yard has a strange "triangular" shape, which gets wider in the backyard. One side has many trees and low shrubs they can hide under. But the other side (which is larger) is pretty open to the sky and fly-over preditors. It's about 50' X 100' at the widest space. the hawks fly by and occasionally roost in the top branch of a neighbors' tree.........I just know they are licking their beaks as they watch my girls.

Yes, they are big girls and I wondered if hawks would bother with them, but I don't want to take a chance. Better safe than sorry! Today they got to free range for about 3 hours (and loved it) while I worked in the yard. Becuase they've lived such a sheltered life, I'm not sure if they would run for cover on their own or realize the danger of preditors. They are very sweet and follow me around like dogs rather than chickens.

BigDaddysMom, I hadn't thought of checking a nursery...Good idea! Maybe I can find more of a tree-netting instead of the expensive Olefin-fiber netting? I'm using shade-cloth over their chicken yard but it is only 6 feet wide X 25 feet and was over $30. I also plan to hang fishing line and CDs in some of the uncovered areas.

 

[capayvalleychick]

You could put some sort of simple portable shelter for them in the open area. They'll enjoy that for the shade in the summer, too.

I have a mobile coop in acres of open pasture. The chickens naturally like to spend part of the day resting under the coop. There is a resident redtail hawk who hangs out on a telephone pole at the edge of the pasture. I don't understand why, but he leaves my chickens alone. I've only had 2 losses to hawks in 11 years and they were chicks and a very young bird. The attacks were in the Fall and may have been migrating hawks, since the local hawks don't seem to have an interest in my large fowl.

I do keep young birds in an area near my house that is surrounded by plants, where they can run for cover. The instinct to hide seems to be innate in all chickens as far as I can tell. JMO

Kim

 

[sewandgrow]

I wish I could free range mine but it is not just the hawks that nest in the pasture I worry about but more so the free ranging neighboring dogs that have in the past gotten my others chickens. The sheriff said to shoot them but that didn't save the chickens they already got & I am not going to shoot a dog even as upsetting as it was.

 

[PetRock]

How expensive is electric fencing? That would teach those wandering dogs a lesson! Who was I talking to at the poultry class who has electric fencing? (I'm sorry that I so bad with names!) I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before the class and was not at peak mental condition!

 

[capayvalleychick]

I use Premier's electric fencing. My pastures have 4 strands of electric rope, which keeps dogs out but doesn't contain chickens. I have their multipurpose netting, which many people use for chickens. The roll is heavy, I can't set it up myself. It would work for dogs etc. It contains most chickens. Some fly over it and youngsters either go through it or sometimes get their head stuck in it. I had a steer get his horns caught in it and rolled himself up in it, so I don't use it in the pasture any more. I'm thinking about getting it out again and using it as a grow out pen for cockerels, though. I also have their pig QuickFence, which is awesome for pigs and also keeps dogs out. All these electric fences work for dogs.

In addition to the electric fences, my dogs patrol the property and have fought off other dogs and predators. I did training with my dogs so that they know and respect my property lines. I LOVE dogs but can't allow my animals to be hurt. A couple people have called animal control on me when their dogs came onto my property and were either chased off or injured by my dogs. AC is very supportive of my working farm dogs and has always says that I should just shoot the wandering dogs, which I could never do.

Other people in this area have major predator problems, and I have not. So the combination of electric fence and farm dogs works for me.
Probably TMI

Kim

 

[CALI CHICK]

You could put some sort of simple portable shelter for them in the open area. They'll enjoy that for the shade in the summer, too.

I have a mobile coop in acres of open pasture. The chickens naturally like to spend part of the day resting under the coop. There is a resident redtail hawk who hangs out on a telephone pole at the edge of the pasture. I don't understand why, but he leaves my chickens alone. I've only had 2 losses to hawks in 11 years and they were chicks and a very young bird. The attacks were in the Fall and may have been migrating hawks, since the local hawks don't seem to have an interest in my large fowl.

I do keep young birds in an area near my house that is surrounded by plants, where they can run for cover. The instinct to hide seems to be innate in all chickens as far as I can tell. JMO

Kim

That is very interesting about your resident hawk and also about the attacks in the fall only.

The ones here are either redtail or red shouldered hawks also. But, I've never gotten close enough to see the red parts!

Thank you for the great suggestions. I've been rethinking my "plan" and might have to limit the amount of total-free-range time to when I am outside. But, I think I will get a pop-up "gazebo thingy" to put in the side yard near their coop. With the additional cover of several bushes, trees, fences and the house they will have plenty of hiding places and not much ground open to the sky. And hawks would have almost zero landing areas between the many obstacles. They will still have a 40' X 30' area to roam instead of the 4 foot X 3 foot tractor! Then, when one of us is outside they can truly free range in the more open side of the yard and that will seem like a treat! Now I just need to build some type of gate or partition to block them from leaving "their" area. I'm looking at the "instant cages" which are sold starting at 14' by 50' lengths. It looks just like the safety netting on my sons trampoline.......I wonder if he would miss that if I re-purposed it as a "yard divider"-LOL

 

[sewandgrow]

How expensive is electric fencing? That would teach those wandering dogs a lesson! Who was I talking to at the poultry class who has electric fencing? (I'm sorry that I so bad with names!) I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before the class and was not at peak mental condition!

I can sooooooo idenify with that Debi. I woke up at 2:44 the night before class with my pea brain racing. I never did get back to sleep & my only regret about the class is that I didn't think to take name tags for everyone so we could learn all the new people we didn't already know & let thm get to know us. I have been looking at the pictures people have posted & trying to put names to the people I don't know. I was so happy to see so many new faces & so upset that I didn't get them memorized.