Devastating loss. Graphic pictures please help!

[ivan3]

When i called the department of fish and game about killing or relocating the Great horned owl that got into my coop.  the conservation officer told me to open my coop and release the owl (it had got in during the night and couldn't get out.). I told her it would come back and get more of my birds and she said "then you better build a better coop."  she said birds of prey are protected and killing them for any reason is illegal via federal law.

so unless we can convince Obama to institute another one of his stupid executive actions to allow us to shoot birds of prey that kill chickens.  The hawks and owls can eat all of our chickens with no penalty.

However,  I did find a falconer that was willing to trap a red-tailed hawk that was killing my hens.  he said that his falconers license allowed him to trap wild birds of prey to be trained as hunters.  the hawk ended up never coming back after the 3rd hen is consumed. so he never got her trapped.  

I don't know if will have any luck with this route but it is worth a shot.

http://www.fws.gov/pacific/migratorybirds/Permits/dprd.html

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The whole thing? It was nearly an hour long. Anything useful for a backyard chicken owner?

It has good representations of how hawks take your chickens. I know that a falcon isn't a hawk but besides the stoop and the shape of its wings, there is little difference between how a hawk or a falcon takes a ground dwelling bird the size of say a barred dom. Since the Saker falcons bind themselves to their prey and kills that prey a little bit at a time like a hawk does, chickens can be protected or saved from hawks with the right resources. Resources like a herding dog on duty, or perhaps a wallop the bejesus out of um rooster like our friend from Missouri employs. After watching the video one should realize that a hawk pulls his pants on every morning just like we chicken keepers do and that a hawk is not some big bad mysterious boogey man but a small and rather weak competitor for a chicken dinner. And perhaps some of you learned a few tricks to ensnare the more troublesome hawks in your neighborhood. It certainly isn't rocket science.

The one advantage hawks have is that a human may allow the hawk to out wait, out try, or work him. He (the hawk) certainly can't out think a human. And that every time that a hawk scores a success it is because the human in some way allowed it to happen. If you learned anything remember that.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Do you own a 22 cal. rifle?

 

[enola]

Do you own a 22 cal. rifle?

Are you suggesting shooting the hawk?

 

[happyfrenchman]

Enola... why do you try to put words in my mouth when all I did was ask a simple question. Let me hang some CDs around my post. Maybe you will stay away then.

 

[enola]

All I did was ask you a question, which you did not answer.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Please.... I have read your posts before. Don't pretend you are asking a simple question. You are implying a serious felony, I believe a Federal offense. I don't appreciate it. Can't you see the CDs clearly hanging around my post. Apparently they are not working.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

We built an extended run over the weekend

 

[enola]

Your run set up is looking great!

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

I let them out for about an hour while i was outside today