Crazy Hawk Deterrent Idea...Haha!

[hokankai]

Ok, so after a juvenile hawk was stalking my property for awhile, I've kept my girls locked up unless I can be out there with them. I was reading about hawk deterrents because I feel bad keeping my girls in the run all day long...this led me to a CRAZY idea yesterday when I was messing around with my little brother's bubble maker!

Do you think an automatic bubble machine would deter a hawk from swooping? I read that they don't like erratic movement or shiny things (blank CDs and such), and I was wondering if the movements and reflective quality of the bubbles would throw off a hawk. It would need to be a machine that produced several hundred bubbles at a time using a fan of some sort, and would be ideal if the machine went off at random time intervals from 30 seconds-2 minutes apart. The chickens would also need to be trained to not be afraid of the bubbles.

Haha, what do you think? Am I completely crazy for thinking this up? I think it would work well for us because we live in a pretty heavily forested area with patches of space open like meadows or something. I would think that one or two elevated in the center area of the spaces would cover a pretty good area.

 

[Sandy16]

Interesting idea! I have no idea if it will work, but I will be checking back to this thread to see your progress.

Good Luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

Might work. I found that kids running around blowing bubbles with those wands and jars didn't bother the chickens but rather had them wanting to eat them. LOL

I took care of my hawk problem by removing fencing and giving lots of hiding spaces they can run to if they see one. By also keeping around older birds and a wise rooster when I replace the majority of layers allows for the young ones to learn fast what is danger (hawk) and what is not (airplane).

Guess my broody who went and did a smack down on a hawk twice in a row who tried to eat her only chick kept them away for a few years too.

 

[hokankai]

Quote:
That's probably the best method. I think my girls and the chicks my broody is raising have become very wise and very paranoid of hawks now. I had the juvenile hawk attack some of my banty chicks when they escaped their pen in the "meadow", and all the other girls were hiding in a big bush until they heard me. The banty chicks who survived had also bolted for the woods or were wedged under some grass somehow, thank goodness they responded to me when I called for them. There was also another instance when the young hawk was watching them from a tree when I had just let them out. The hawk flew over the coop but was far too close to dive. Mama freaked and the babies dashed for the grass in a millisecond. I've also noticed that they will spontaneously freak out and run for cover if they feel threatened, so they're being kept on their toes.

Thankfully I haven't seen the hawk around, as it hasn't been treated to a free meal (it didn't get a chance to eat the chicks it attacked...I bolted down there too quick), and it's been a couple weeks without a siting.

I'm going to see if I can get a bubble machine to my liking and try it out. It wouldn't keep me completely at ease, but I think it would allow be to breathe a little easier.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I was wondering if a figure that looks like a person that could be moved around might help. Like a scarecrow, but maybe with a Halloween mask face so it looks a bit more real. Maybe paint a broom handle black for a "gun" ?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I was wondering if a figure that looks like a person that could be moved around might help

It wouldn't help at all unless it moved all the time, and even then it might not do much since the hawk will be focused on the chickens​