Cooper Hawk

[centrarchid]

It was suggested to me to hang CD's in my fruit tree's to keep birds away. What do I know?? so I tried it...It actually appeared to work..but only for a very short time..The birds got used to them and continued there feast...

So the question one has to ask themselves is...are you willing to gamble and/or risk the protection of your birds on hanging CD's? Only you can answer that....

If hawks cannot get to your birds, they can't kill them.

Your results alone are a far cry form what is required to refute the value of the CD's. More people having tried need to come forward indicating results of using them.

 

[Teery]

Your results alone are a far cry form what is required to refute the value of the CD's. More people having tried need to come forward indicating results of using them.

Well, that was my results.

You do understand the difference between So California and many mid-west states don't you? See, here in California we are well known for our "fruits" and "nuts" and our glam and glitter... California bird species are use to unusual or strange things on or near the ground.

 

[scooter147]

Well, that was my results.

You do understand the difference between So California and many mid-west states don't you? See, here in California we are well known for our "fruits" and "nuts" and our glam and glitter... California bird species are use to unusual or strange things on or near the ground.

 

[chicknmania]

It was suggested to me to hang CD's in my fruit tree's to keep birds away. What do I know?? so I tried it...It actually appeared to work..but only for a very short time..The birds got used to them and continued there feast...

So the question one has to ask themselves is...are you willing to gamble and/or risk the protection of your birds on hanging CD's? Only you can answer that....

If hawks cannot get to your birds, they can't kill them.

You have to be innovative, as in attempts to control ALL predator harassment. We move the CD's around frequently. We also use bird bombs whenever the flock alarms. I have an advantage in that I work from home, and my husband is retired, our adult children are sometimes here, so we can make trips out throughout the day to check on our birds. A dog helps. Roosters and bigger birds (we have peafowl) definitely help. Roosters will (unfortunately) sacrifice themselves for the hens, so that is one reason why we have more than one rooster, and yes they do coexist more or less peacefully. I can't say that we have not lost any chickens to predators, but hawks are low on the list lately and our loss to predators overall is amazingly low, considering that we live on a (yes, beautiful) piece of wooded twenty acres, with corn and bean fields, woods, and wetlands surrounding us.

 

[chicknmania]

Well, that was my results.

You do understand the difference between So California and many mid-west states don't you? See, here in California we are well known for our "fruits" and "nuts" and our glam and glitter... California bird species are use to unusual or strange things on or near the ground.

And that is absolutely true. A few months ago we had a fox problem. I was told by many that coyote urine and bobcat urine would not work to deter them. I started thinking and reasoned that yeah, coyote urine would probably not work because they are used to smelling it. But bobcat urine? hmmm. We tried to be innovative in using it the way a bobcat would actually spray, only sparingly and every few days. And guess what.....haven't seen the fox for six weeks at least now. Again, efforts that I previously mentioned probably helped too, but I have no doubt that the bobcat urine was a factor in discouraging them. (I see the humor in Teery's post but the point is, you have to use things that the predators are not used to).

 

[Teery]

You have to be innovative, as in attempts to control ALL predator harassment. We move the CD's around frequently. We also use bird bombs whenever the flock alarms. I have an advantage in that I work from home, and my husband is retired, our adult children are sometimes here, so we can make trips out throughout the day to check on our birds. A dog helps. Roosters and bigger birds (we have peafowl) definitely help. Roosters will (unfortunately) sacrifice themselves for the hens, so that is one reason why we have more than one rooster, and yes they do coexist more or less peacefully. I can't say that we have not lost any chickens to predators, but hawks are low on the list lately and our loss to predators overall is amazingly low, considering that we live on a (yes, beautiful) piece of wooded twenty acres, with corn and bean fields, woods, and wetlands surrounding us.

I have 18 fruit / citrus trees in one area (middle back half of my acre). The rest is dirt when my garden is not growing. The CD's were in all 18 tree's. Moving CD's around from one tree that already had CD's in them to another tree that has CD's in them I assume would have little affect..

Why the CD's didn't work is anyone's guess. I have seen others do it in this area. I am not sure how successful they are but I suspect they are not affective.

Although my previous post was meant to show some humor, there is some things to consider with it. California has a population larger than all of Canada. There are millions of cars, houses, etc. Many items can and will reflect light (i.e. wind shields, windows, solar panels, etc.) The birds around here may not associate reflective light with any sort of danger...

Of coarse, this is just speculation on my part as I haven't a way of testing my thoughts / theory (at least not with birds). I have witnessed mid west people come to California for the first time..The culture shock on there faces can be best described as a deer in headlights.

 

[JoeG]

I would also recommend large breed roosters. Mine is a Marans and he has no fear of anything. He's also pretty big, about two feet tall. Definitely protective of the hens. Tolerates me pretty well though. The red tails are all over the place here in valley center but they don't even fly within a couple hundred feet of the ground. And the Cooper's hawk hasn't been back since the last altercation with the rooster. Dogs are also an immense help if they aren't chicken killers.

 

[Poulet Mama]

a big tough rooster should be able to chase off a coopers hawk but no rooster can handle a red tail or a goshawk

I had a rooster that held off a Red-tail hawk, but I don't know for how long. All I know is that the hawk got into our covered run and had no feathers on his breast when I found it. It was just Bill and the hawk in the run - the girls were all inside. When I opened the door to the run the hawk flew off and I'm pretty sure he didn't come back around. I am unsure of Bill's breed, but I know he descended from fighting cocks. He was a pretty boy, and brave. He fathered many, MANY babies after that.

I think if he had been in there for a long time, Bill would not have been so successful in defending his ladies. Those Red-tailed hawks are right ********, and strong.

 

[Teery]

I would also recommend large breed roosters. Mine is a Marans and he has no fear of anything. He's also pretty big, about two feet tall. Definitely protective of the hens. Tolerates me pretty well though. The red tails are all over the place here in valley center but they don't even fly within a couple hundred feet of the ground. And the Cooper's hawk hasn't been back since the last altercation with the rooster. Dogs are also an immense help if they aren't chicken killers.

Hows the Raven population (AKA crows) up there in Valley Center? Around here (nuevo), they chase the Red Tails off. I have a pair of mocking birds that chase the Ravens off..so all is good (in my vegetable garden)..

A friend of mine just moved to Valley Center (5 / 6 months ago). He has major ground squirrel and gopher issues. He is trapping the squirrel's and using Blackhole traps / exhaust for the gophers. I use blackhole and exhaust as well for gopher control. Keeps the native food source down.

 

[Teery]

I had a rooster that held off a Red-tail hawk, but I don't know for how long. All I know is that the hawk got into our covered run and had no feathers on his breast when I found it. It was just Bill and the hawk in the run - the girls were all inside. When I opened the door to the run the hawk flew off and I'm pretty sure he didn't come back around. I am unsure of Bill's breed, but I know he descended from fighting cocks. He was a pretty boy, and brave. He fathered many, MANY babies after that.

I think if he had been in there for a long time, Bill would not have been so successful in defending his ladies. Those Red-tailed hawks are right ********, and strong.

I have seen some pretty nice sized red tails over here but usually they have a couple of ravens on there 6 o'clock..LOL..I have seen one raptor (I am no expert) that I am not sure what it was. Small in size (12 inches) and more falcon looking wings and face...I am not sure what cooper's look like.