Capturing/Killing a hawk??

[microchick]

So sorry about your loss. Please do not blame the hawk for acting like a hawk. As advised, the safest place for your birds until if and or when the hawk moves on is safe inside a covered coop/run.

We have a serious hawk/owl/eagle problem where we live. It is not unusual to have them either flying over our run or roosting in a nearby tree just watching the birds. Luckily we have our run netted and watching is all they can do. Hawks have the law on their side. So as much as we would like to free range our birds, it is out of the question if we want to keep them safe and sound. You might have to face the fact that you are not going to be able to free range your birds either. Our hawks do not move on. They breed and nest in our timber. As long as you have a food source for the birds besides chicken, namely, rabbit, squirrel, snakes and rodents, you will have hawks around. Many of our hawks winter over in the area and are now fighting for territory with other hawks.

You didn't say if you have a rooster or two in your flock. Best protection for your girls that money can buy.

Please do not kill a bird of prey. You are only opening up a world of hurt for yourself with the law if you do. Cover your run, keep your birds safe and if the problem persists, call your local conservation dept and ask them for help. They do not want wild life to become nuisance problems for anyone.

 

[Howard E]

My suggestion is to not intentionally harm the hawk. It has more rights than you do.

Better plan is to frustrate the hawk by confining your birds in a safe area. One way is to keep them cooped up.....another is to allow them more room, but room that is protected from above. In both cases, that means lightweight netting of some type above the run. Hawks generally dive in from above or from the side. Anything that gets in their way will slow them down or impede their progress will also impede their success. It also helps if there is cover around the birds can duck under. Out in the open is too easy a target.

One way is light mesh netting.......either stretched over a lite frame or grid of twine. Hawks can't fly through that.....and if they hit it at speed, will do a face plant of sorts. The other is a play on the old traditional way, which is simply a grid of twine......about 2' x 2' on center. In one case, I've heard of using heavy mono fishing line.....about 50 pound test or more. They might see that, they might not. If the don't, and they hit it at speed, likely they won't forget that when it knocks them for a loop.........if they are able to limp off at all. To paraphrase Arnold from the movie "Twins"......."the twine was your enemy.......not me".

 

[eagrbeavr]

Hey well, sure do everything you can to keep them out to begin with, but honestly, if a hawk was killing my chickens, dead hawk. Too bad, so sad. Keep your mouth shut about it.

My run is covered but my girls do free range at some point nearly everyday, so. I caught a tip about crow decoys deterring them, so I bought some crow targets. Plan on scattering them in the trees near the coop and in the yard. No idea if it'll work. If nothing else, they should look neat in Oct.

 

[MichiganSilkie]

I keep my silkies in a very secure outdoor yard (chain link fence with chain-link roof) I knew before I acquired them that they are essentially walking Chicken McNuggets. I can't blame predators for wanting to try and eat them.

I often see a beautiful Red-Tail (or sometimes a Cooper's) hawk sitting on top of the roof of the enclosure and staring at my chickens. They still run back into the coop when the hawk comes around but they aren't too bothered. It's actually given me a great opportunity to observe a gorgeous raptor and get some beautiful photos. If I lost a chicken to a hawk I would be upset, but I can't blame a beautiful raptor for just doing what comes to it naturally. Instead I would take it as a lesson that my enclosure was not secure enough. Something to also keep in mind, hawks are territorial and if one moves on (or is killed) another will acquire the territory.

I let them free-range in the attached fenced-in garden but only when I'm out there working so that predators are deterred from approaching, when I go back into the house, the chickens go back into their enclosure (lured by treats). I did have a neighbor's free-roaming dog try to dig under the fence to get at the silkies, the dog stopped digging after it realized the fence is also buried under the ground for two feet

 

[Sfraker]

It is a $10,000 fine for harassing, injuring or killing a hawk. put up a fake owl and keep the girls in for a couple weeks to help it move along to other hunting grounds.
The more human activity outside the better as that will also move it along.

 

[chicken 101]

I like that old saying it sounds like something that my dad wound say thank you that just made my day

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

I had a coopers hawk get my favorite hen jan 1st. I made my run larger and kept them in the run for a long time the hawk would come by and sit in the coop waiting for them. I just started letting them free range again from time to time the hawk moved on but i know they are around because i see them while running errands. Keep your birds locked up for a few weeks because once the hawk sees it can't get your birds it will move on to look for a new food source. If you dont lock them up you can bet it will continue to kill your birds.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

On the coop not in it -_-

 

[bigoledude]

Ah, the famous but useless plastic owl. I have some for sale. I'll sell you one for a paltry $89.95. But if you act now.....

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Your birds need to be in their safe coop and covered run for the next two weeks or so, until that hawk moves on. That's the choice, and will work fine. Raptors are federally protected everywhere in the USA. Mary

I don't disagree with you Mary, but at this time of year hawks are territorial because the adults are tied to nesting sights and they are busy feeding chicks.