Cockerels vs. Hawks?

[KWestVA]

I have a broody pullet that is currently segregated from my other chickens and my dog, whom she has tried to attack on a couple of occasions (presumably due to her broodiness, since previously there were no conflicts). I've been taking her outside daily and supervising while she takes care of business, but hawks start circling and calling within a few minutes, despite my literally standing over her, so I have to take her back inside.

I allow my two cockerels to "free-range" in my backyard during the day. Should I be worried that they could be attacked/killed by the hawks? We have a pair of red-shouldered hawks plus at least one sharp-shinned hawk in our neighborhood. My boys are pretty big and my dog also provides security, but the hawks showing up for my pullet are making me really anxious.

These are my guys; they are 7 months old.

 

[Al Gerhart]

That is kind of their job, to watch for hawks. If there are plenty of area they can retreat to they stand a decent chance of surviving but probably won't be able to protect the hen. When a raptor attacks, it is quite a body blow and the force of those talons. I held an owl once wearing very thick welding gauntlets thinking that would protect me. Hope, those talons are like razors with enormous grip. The first blow will likely off the hen. Short of a large amount of bird nets it would be very risky to allow any chickens free range. This is the thin times of the year, the hawks will be motivated.

 

[FrostRanger]

A hawk could absolutely kill a cockerel. Roos do occasionally kill hawks but those are the exception rather than the rule. Given it's winter and food is more scarce they might be more desperate rn. I would look into netting or some other type of cover so they have some protection. Doesn't have to be expensive or fancy, even a large tarp hung up over an area will do to block line of sight. Bushes and whatnot are also good shelter from hawks. That said, letting the cockerels hang around is still good as they will sound the alarm, just be careful

 

[KWestVA]

That is kind of their job, to watch for hawks. If there are plenty of area they can retreat to they stand a decent chance of surviving but probably won't be able to protect the hen. When a raptor attacks, it is quite a body blow and the force of those talons. I held an owl once wearing very thick welding gauntlets thinking that would protect me. Hope, those talons are like razors with enormous grip. The first blow will likely off the hen. Short of a large amount of bird nets it would be very risky to allow any chickens free range. This is the thin times of the year, the hawks will be motivated.

I totally believe that - I once walked out of my back porch to see why the jays and crows were making a fuss, and practically walked into an enormous owl in an adjacent tree. The cockerels are pretty good at running under the deck or porch when they perceive a threat, but I've read that raptors can dispatch them lightning fast. My dilemma: is the pro of better activity/enrichment inherent in free-ranging worth the con of additional exposure to predators? (Note that all of my chickens are secured inside at nightfall, so daytime predators are the main concern.)

 

[KWestVA]

A hawk could absolutely kill a cockerel. Roos do occasionally kill hawks but those are the exception rather than the rule. Given it's winter and food is more scarce they might be more desperate rn. I would look into netting or some other type of cover so they have some protection. Doesn't have to be expensive or fancy, even a large tarp hung up over an area will do to block line of sight. Bushes and whatnot are also good shelter from hawks. That said, letting the cockerels hang around is still good as they will sound the alarm, just be careful

Absolutely! I am semi-retired and work from home, so the chickens are never unsupervised - but I appreciate that a hawk could act faster than I could intervene.

I'm also spending way to much money on food and grocery delivery because I'm afraid to leave them alone. I need to invest in either better security or DoorDash stock!

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

While we do have hawks here, ours typically don't go after the chickens so I can't give much first-hand advice
But the areas the chickens free-range have plenty of places to dart that would make it annoying for a hawk to hunt them here, I suppose?

Would you be able to provide more areas for the chickens to dart? It could look tasteful, like benches, picnic tables, bushes. I'm not sure what your area looks like, so maybe this isn't a useful option.

 

[FrostRanger]

Absolutely! I am semi-retired and work from home, so the chickens are never unsupervised - but I appreciate that a hawk could act faster than I could intervene.

I'm also spending way to much money on food and grocery delivery because I'm afraid to leave them alone. I need to invest in either better security or DoorDash stock!

For everyone's sake you might want to invest in a covered run then that way you don't have to worry about hawks. Chickens do love to freerange but it's also not necessary. Whether you do it or not depends on predator load and your personal comfort. At the very least a covered run will give you peace of mind they will be fine while you run errands even if you do decide to let them free range otherwise

 

[KWestVA]

While we do have hawks here, ours typically don't go after the chickens so I can't give much first-hand advice
But the areas the chickens free-range have plenty of places to dart that would make it annoying for a hawk to hunt them here, I suppose?

Would you be able to provide more areas for the chickens to dart? It could look tasteful, like benches, picnic tables, bushes. I'm not sure what your area looks like, so maybe this isn't a useful option.

They do have places to go - my lot is pretty wooded, with bushes, a ravine, and under the deck/porch. I was pretty comfortable over the summer and early fall when there was plenty of foliage providing cover, but with the leaves all down now, I'm getting paranoid!

That being said, there are a lot of squirrels and small birds in my neighborhood. While I'm not thrilled about any of them being potential "bait", wouldn't a hawk see that kind of target as a better option than a big chicken?