we have a pair of buzzards living behind our house since last year and luckily they seemed to prefer the farmers prized racing pigeons instead of our animals....so we've been lucky. But...last year the couple had babies. i think 3. but two disappeared in the autumn so i presumed they had gone off to find their own patch or died or something. however one young buzzard stuck around. And seems to have taken residence on our land. He's out there 24/7, in my fields, and i've begun to find chickens missing, then featherpiles under the buzzards tree. i think he's picking off my chickens but havent 'seen' him do it .
my chickens free range 24/7, they have houses for night but in the day they roam the land so putting up fencing is a no no (id need nets to cover 100m x 500m) so i need a way to deter the young buzzard........
any ideas?
ive added extra hiding spots for the chickens....ive took a bunch of old pallets, given them legs to raise them up a bit...but not all the chickens use them.
i have 12 roosters that are on constant lookout and sound the alarm when the buzzard leaves the tree but it seems its not enough.
according to the local authorities the buzzards only eat worms and bugs, but i think otherwise!!! i saw the pair last year plucking pigeons out the sky!
my chickens free range 24/7, they have houses for night but in the day they roam the land so putting up fencing is a no no (id need nets to cover 100m x 500m) so i need a way to deter the young buzzard........
any ideas?
ive added extra hiding spots for the chickens....ive took a bunch of old pallets, given them legs to raise them up a bit...but not all the chickens use them.
i have 12 roosters that are on constant lookout and sound the alarm when the buzzard leaves the tree but it seems its not enough.
according to the local authorities the buzzards only eat worms and bugs, but i think otherwise!!! i saw the pair last year plucking pigeons out the sky!