Day 1 close call with hawk

[Ckicken;[boy]

A hawk got one of my 8 week old buff
Orphington last week. Only left feathers. I don't let them in the run unless im right there. I keep them in a big barn that is secured with wire and electric fence.

 

[micstrachan]

Hawks! I hung CD’s in my tree and low and behold haven’t had any red tails in my yard. The truth of it is that the juvenile hawks were run off by their Mother. She’s been nesting in a cemetery by my house for the last 5 years. She’s mature and hunts in the meadows. She’s huge and I never caught her around my yard.
However the CD’s did little to discourage the Harrison hawks which I’ve only seen this year for the first time. Bigger way bigger than red tails.
Sigh...
Enclose your coop on top. Be with them when they’re out, yeah I know. I’ve built Hawk hideouts and planted bushes for cover. Mine don’t leave my fenced yard. 1/3 of an acre. It’s a crap-shoot if they are anywhere other than a secured coop.
I hate them hawks!

Holy crap, way bigger than red tails? Red tail hawks are the biggest hawks we have here. But then, we have a couple local bald eagles, the occasional golden eagle, and great horned owls.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Holy crap, way bigger than red tails? Red tail hawks are the biggest hawks we have here. But then, we have a couple local bald eagles, the occasional golden eagle, and great horned owls.

Yassss they have about a 4ft wing span. Their popular with falconers just a tidbit of information I found out when I had to look them up. And in the desert where I live they are usually to the south but not this year.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't really free range (just for short periods, but only when I'm outside as well). For hawks I have my run covered with heavy duty netting and it's worked fine, my husband even saw a hawk dive towards the run and then swerve off when it realized there was something there over the top.

For your runaway chicken, how much handling have you done with these birds? Young chickens are pretty fast but I don't have problems wrangling my birds - they don't like being picked up but they don't really run away either. Training your chickens to come is a good idea too - use a treat jar or bag that rattles a little (like scratch or mealworms in a plastic container), and every time before you toss them a treat, shake the container, call out to them (mine's "Chook chook chook"), and then toss a few treats. Do this consistently and they'll learn quickly to come back when called. Much less stressful than chasing them.

 

[Chickassan]

The hawks best thing I can tell you is plant bushes, lots of bushes. If you don't have a rooster get one. He probably won't fight a hawk "but he might" he will give a good warning though so they'll run under those bushes i'm pushing. Even a tiny bantam rooster will do the job if you can have one.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I used to have a tiny game bantam rooster and he was the best thing we ever did but seriously get one they do the job and that’s what you need