Does anyone know if chicken saddles prevent hawk attacks?

[AnneLovesChickens]

I'm a newbie, all the way from Scotland, we have issues with Red kites and buzzards. I've had allsorts taken over the years, my solution is never to have light coloured hens/ducks....never been a problem since and we have a nesting pair of kite in an old chestnut tree about half a mile away.....
Hope that's of some help!

Welcome!! How's Scotland? Is it full of protests and coronavirus there too? lol. Logically, I can see how you may have a good point there, but it's too late for my birds because they're every type of color and I promised them a good home for life. That is interesting though.

 

[Libleesi]

Welcome!! How's Scotland? Is it full of protests and coronavirus there too? lol. Logically, I can see how you may have a good point there, but it's too late for my birds because they're every type of color and I promised them a good home for life. That is interesting though.

Scotland is very sunny, Coronovirus, yes albeit less than rest of UK because of low population density. Riots, no! But have been watching them....crazy times!
Yeah I know what you mean, it's a bit late for buy dark hen advice! I'm desperate to get some call ducks on my pond(have cayugas and black runners) but I don't know if they'd be safe. I've Marans and Vorwerks which seem to avoid attack, anything lighter in colour not so much. My Grandfather always swore by those little children's windcatcher things dotted around the field/pen, especially metallic ones as the glint looks like the barrel of a gun
....who knows, it worked for him..I have a great big horse in the same field who loved pulling them out/bending them so wasn't much use to me!

 

[alwaystj9]

I also have a pestering horse who pulls all my fence caps off.
And I do lose light colored hens first...or maybe they are tenderer?
My rooster is a chicken and has never even given a mean look to a hawk.
I would worry that a large hawk would just use the chicken saddle as a handle to help carry off the hen!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Really, any references to religion/politics is best left to specific threads on those topics.

Yes, but it's important to think about. I will stop though.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I apologize if my comment disturbed anyone. I was just sharing what works for us in protecting our chickens.

It didn't disturb me.

 

[AnneLovesChickens]

Scotland is very sunny, Coronovirus, yes albeit less than rest of UK because of low population density. Riots, no! But have been watching them....crazy times!
Yeah I know what you mean, it's a bit late for buy dark hen advice! I'm desperate to get some call ducks on my pond(have cayugas and black runners) but I don't know if they'd be safe. I've Marans and Vorwerks which seem to avoid attack, anything lighter in colour not so much. My Grandfather always swore by those little children's windcatcher things dotted around the field/pen, especially metallic ones as the glint looks like the barrel of a gun
....who knows, it worked for him..I have a great big horse in the same field who loved pulling them out/bending them so wasn't much use to me!

I loooove ducks!! My love for ducks is what led me to chickens. We have all sorts of shiny stuff all over the yard and surrounding coop, been about 6 months now. So far only one known hawk swooped in. Everyone’s fine, but it sure wasn’t afraid of all the shiny stuff. Does it work at all or only on some hawks? I have no idea, but 6 months and 1 swoop is making me leave it. We put mirrors in the garden as suggested and the friendly wild birds just hangout right next to them. Have you had any success with those? Crazy times indeed lol.

 

[AnneLovesChickens]

I also have a pestering horse who pulls all my fence caps off.
And I do lose light colored hens first...or maybe they are tenderer?
My rooster is a chicken and has never even given a mean look to a hawk.
I would worry that a large hawk would just use the chicken saddle as a handle to help carry off the hen!

- funny enough they advertise them as protection from the puncturing grip of a hawk. I can see that going both ways though. Friggin hawk shouting “thanks for the carry out container!”

 

[aart]

“thanks for the carry out container!”

'Hen Handles'

 

[BigBlueHen53]

'Hen Handles'

you guys quit makin' me laugh, DH is trying to sleep!

 

[Gallinarium]

Headline pretty much sums it up. We had our first hawk yesterday- thankfully the roos and I scared it away, but I want more hawk protection! I have reflective stuff all over the yard, windmills, mirrors, and we're making a lifesize plywood bigfoot now. Do these work? Not much about the hawks in the reviews online.
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They won't help at all. If anything, the bright colors will make them a more visible target. Hanging reflective stuff is good. If you have a bad hawk problem either put them in a covered enclosure or get a guard goose.