Deterring Gosh Hawks...

[HereChickChickChick88]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my post and to respond with advice - I appreciate it all (love the backyard chickens community!) and will get as creative with hawk prevention as I can... it's always a rough day when a chicken is lost - thanks for not judging me for being a bad chicken mom... I'm trying!

 

[HereChickChickChick88]

The bush in question is by our koi pond - the hens like to hide under it, eat the bugs, and drink from the pond... so I think I'm going to get some obnoxious lawn ornaments around that area - something that moves with the wind, reflective, and I need a new Blue Heron decoy anyway (and honestly we didn't have this problem before our old decoy broke so maybe the decoy of another predatory bird will help deter the Hawks, anyway?)... I also read that other birds like crows and sparrows will pester hawks since the hawks will eat their babies and to try and draw in other birds with bird feeders - so I'm going to try that as well, in addition to roosters/guineas... wish me luck and thanks for your time again!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Good luck and I don't think you'll find judgement here. You're doing your best for your child with the help of the birds and trying to protect them. You sure have a persistent predator on your hands there. Maybe the guineas will prove wilier for you.

I hope your daughter is ok. We live surrounded by Lyme here also, scary stuff.

 

[ThatParrotLady]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-defender-chicken-coop

^ How about this

Or this

http://www.hensaver.com/FAQ.html < Preditor eye aprons


It's not that fair to let them die because they're getting cornered by hawks so I'm thankful you came here instead of being apathetic. (My neighbor lets his get eaten and doesn't seem to care when I think it's mean just because he has 20 and can lose a few. Also makes me angry because then my girls can't go outside without me worrying they'll think it's a two stop buffet) at least either option here will do you well, that, or get a turkey. My sister's turkey sat on a hawk trying to eat her goslings she was god mothering and pecked his head quite bald before she had to save the hawk from thirty pounds of angry auntie turkey bird.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Northern Goshawk is my main predatory bird. And they are tough, persistent. ... You might also try putting up some obstacles and barriers around your yard....

Goshawks are very adept at flying over around and through every obstacle known to man.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/...=582b46c8016f06423d7502cfbf7aa473&action=view
I call your attention to 1:20 in the video in the above link. I am pretty sure that a goshawk can fly at full speed through thickets that chickens would be unable to tiptoe through at any speed.

 

[happyfrenchman]

I know this will get removed but it is the most effective thing. You don't wave at it, you shoot it square in the chest as it is sitting there picking it's beak. When it falls out of the tree, you pick it up and make it disappear. Some people will say they are protected. I have found that for something that is touted all the time, their protection was actually non existent. It was almost like there was no protection at all and there was really nothing between me and that bird.
I have found, that, as distasteful as it may be to some, that this discourages them best. This hanging tape etc never works unless you build a blind out of it. That might be helpful. This thing has no apparent fear which is unnatural. He will continue to trust in his "protection" until you clip him. (The natural consequence of his thinking he can treat your birds as his buffet. ). Otherwise you can hang nets and CDs but they don't work. Be brave and take control of your own property. Good luck.

 

[canalcolt]

Rhode Island Red Temperament
"Since the RIR’s ancestry includes both non-aggressive breeds (Shanghai, Leghorn and Java) and aggressive breeds (Malay), their turnout (temperament-wise) is about as predictable as a coin toss. Some Rhode Island Reds are mellow and gentle while others are highly aggressive. It depends largely on the parent stock. (You can read more about Rhode Island Reds here)

I have had 4 Rhode Island Red roosters. we only have one now but they have always been sweet. The one we have now comes up on our deck and we have coffee and sometimes break fast (no coffee for him though!). We have another rooster a white one and I'm pretty sure he is a Rhode Island white. First year with RIW he was mean and we'd be kick boxing. Second year he mellowed out and we can walk together .. he's now 3 and still mellow and the RHR is 2 and still visits with us on the deck

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... You don't wave at it, you shoot it square in the chest... That discourages them best. This hanging tape etc never works unless you build a blind out of it. [to shoot from]

By all means be a gentleman or lady about it so don't forget to administer the Coup de grace or the lick of graciousness.

 

[centrarchid]

Sometimes it is not worth the effort. You could get rid of poultry, burn everything within a 100 yard radius of house and keep as short grass thereafter, and get rid of dog to keep ticks away. Predator and tick issues would largely be resolved. Another option is to move. I moved get away from something.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... Another option is to move. I moved get away from something.

centrachid, are you in the witness protection program????