Coopers Hawk

[centrarchid]

I am running about 80 immature chickens around the house. About 20 are split up between 4 game hens. The balance are weaned or brooder raised. Most are exceptionally vulnerable to Coopers Hawks with exception of those on cusp of adulthood. About 45 minutes before birds went to roost a female Coopers Hawk flew right over the yard a little over a 100 feet up as she flew in a easterly direction. Her crop was clearly distended and she was flying high and level without trying to be stealthy. Roosters gave a soft warning for hawk, but most of the chicks just looked up with few actually moving. I have hawk warning myself and most chickens dove for cover. If the hawk thinks like I do, then it will be coming back to check flock out. We may be having fun if that occurs. First change will be to tie out a couple game roosters. Dogs will likely step in too once commotion starts.

 

[chicknmania]

Hawks are protected by Federal law. Get some Bird Bombs. You can get a permit for them if you have that many birds. Very effective and they don't kill anything,

 

[centrarchid]

Hawks are protected by Federal law. Get some Bird Bombs. You can get a permit for them if you have that many birds. Very effective and they don't kill anything,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coopers-hawk-working-barn-area-hard.1139715/#post-17695959

https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php

 

[chicknmania]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coopers-hawk-working-barn-area-hard.1139715/#post-17695959

https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php

Not sure what this is supposed to mean. Hawks are migratory birds and are not on the updated list. I suggested bird bombs as an easy and effective means of deterring them. Not everyone qualifies to get them...but you would.

 

[centrarchid]

Not sure what this is supposed to mean. Hawks are migratory birds and are not on the updated list. I suggested bird bombs as an easy and effective means of deterring them. Not everyone qualifies to get them...but you would.

No, I would not qualify, nor do I feel I should. Very few people on this site would be able to justify concerted methods for driving hawks away. Some of the justification must consider cost of their application. Like most, I do not have time to sit out all day to activate a repellent for hawks that will be very irregular or infrequent in their visits.


Links posted indicate I know the rules (where to find them) and have experience with hawks.

 

[chicknmania]

No, I would not qualify, nor do I feel I should. Very few people on this site would be able to justify concerted methods for driving hawks away. Some of the justification must consider cost of their application. Like most, I do not have time to sit out all day to activate a repellent for hawks that will be very irregular or infrequent in their visits.


Links posted indicate I know the rules (where to find them) and have experience with hawks.

Uh, yeah, you would qualify. You have a lot more birds than we do, and we qualify. And cost of application....no idea what you're talking about there.

Basically, what it sounds to me like is...you feel you're justified in killing hawks. Not in so many words.

 

[centrarchid]

Uh, yeah, you would qualify. You have a lot more birds than we do, and we qualify. And cost of application....no idea what you're talking about there.

Basically, what it sounds to me like is...you feel you're justified in killing hawks. Not in so many words.

No, you said that for me and the statement is more than a little incorrect. Nothing I wrote in this thread or anywhere where else on this forum align with your accusation.

You also do not have an understanding as to why hawk repelling methods may require more effort than they are worth, when they require you to activate them.

 

[chicknmania]

I've had chickens for 15 years and have repelled many many hawks. I never felt like it was more effort than it was worth. It's no effort at all, really.

 

[centrarchid]

I've had chickens for 15 years and have repelled many many hawks. I never felt like it was more effort than it was worth. It's no effort at all, really.

If you have a job or responsibilities that take you immediately away from the chickens, you cannot personally and reliably repel a hawk. The approach you suggested above requires someone to make the contraption work and thus be present and aware of the hawk's activities. My chickens are spread out. My methods of choice do not require my direct involvement. Mere presence of adult roosters and dogs generally get the job of impressing hawk that the risk to benefit ratio is too high. I have chased a hawks off with videos showing one event, yet that is a very infrequent. Chasing the hawks off myself is not a good use of time, nor is firing off some sort of noise maker as I do not have time to have a trigger at ready all times the chickens are out.

 

[chicknmania]

I'm glad it works for you. Wonderful! You don't have to stand out there with the bird bomb at all hours. If you have diligent roosters..which we do....they will sound an alarm first. We are home most of the time so we hear them, it just takes a few seconds to fire off a bird bomb. Once one or two are fired off, the hawk doesn't come back as a general rule. Someone came up with the bird bomb idea to begin with, so I'm sure it works for other people for various types of birds, and they don't have to stand out there at all hours, either.

We use other repellant methods too...everything helps

Just because you think our methods won't work for you doesn't mean they don't work for us. It's just another way. I'm glad you are not killing the hawks. They only see food, they don't understand anything else about a chicken.