FOGHORN LEGHORN~ "Lookit here son, I say, I say son, did ya see that hawk after those hens? ....

[centrarchid]

OK people, if it bleeds it leads.

Hawk shown in video is a Coopers Hawk, looks like a juvenile female. It is one of the easiest hawk species to manage against without loss of life to anyone, including the hawk. Birds being attacked were all female. Hawk attacked from ground. Dynamic would have been greatly changed if what are largely considered good for nothing adult roosters were present. Hawk wood have been attacked and repelled. Best breed would be a game rooster and not one of those little banty sized versions. Otherwise keep birds in better exclosures to keep hawks out or even have a dog worth its salt. A proper dog would have responded to hen squalling and driven hawk off. These little female only flocks people have been increasing in part to stay within urban six hen limits are presenting to many canned hunts for some hawks and then poultry keepers loose their wits.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

OK people, if it bleeds it leads.

Hawk shown in video is a Coopers Hawk, looks like a juvenile female. It is one of the easiest hawk species to manage against without loss of life to anyone, including the hawk. Birds being attacked were all female. Hawk attacked from ground. Dynamic would have been greatly changed if what are largely considered good for nothing adult roosters were present. Hawk wood have been attacked and repelled. Best breed would be a game rooster and not one of those little banty sized versions. Otherwise keep birds in better exclosures to keep hawks out or even have a dog worth its salt. A proper dog would have responded to hen squalling and driven hawk off. These little female only flocks people have been increasing in part to stay within urban six hen limits are presenting to many canned hunts for some hawks and then poultry keepers loose their wits.

Interesting, we were discussing, not sure if here or another thread... at what age does a rooster start showing protectiveness? I have a bunch of Roos in the run but they are mostly ages 4-6 months old and I cant envision them hurting a bug right now! LOL

you would think out of all these dogs I would have at least one proper aint! stinkers!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I ran into this.....

Assistance From Other Animalshttp://voices.yahoo.com/keeping-hawks-away-chickens-7003038.html?cat=7
Guinea hens may be noisy, but they are an excellent alarm system. Any predator that makes an appearance in your yard will be cause for a great deal of squawking. The guineas themselves are generally too large a target for most hawks, and so are not often taken.
Dogs can't be everywhere at once, but they can help. Some say pot bellied pigs make decent deterrents as well.
Keep in mind that domestic animals used in keeping hawks away have their own needs that must be met. However, purple martins do not require our help and can be encouraged to stay in an area with gourd nests. These birds sometimes chase off hawks en masse in order to protect their young and have the added feature of eating mosquitoes.



Purple Martins! I am very interested in this one! I will need to research them more and see if they stick around our area year round or if they migrate. Wonder if they would hang out in a location such as ours (wooded)

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Bald Eagle Wind Spinner

We all ready have one of these balls, also has silver shiny stringers that you attach that blow in the wind.... http://www.amazon.com/Bird-X-SE-PAC-Scare-Balloon-3-Pack/dp/B000QUWTS0/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

DH suggested hanging a disco ball from a rope!

hmmmmm I knew he was good for something ..... DOLP!

 

[Chickenfan4life]

This was wonderfully written and informative, and I loved the Foghorn The Leghorn "theme" you used, but the video made me cry like a baby. I just couldn't watch those poor chickens without crying like a baby! They looked so scared...

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We are even closer to Hawk Mtn than Sally but in the farming country and up until last fall had minimal hawk damage. During the spring summer months, we have a pair of crows claim the far tallest tree and it's enjoyable to watch them chase any hawk out of their territory. I believe I saw them back last week, so we are hopeful. When the crows left last fall, a Coopers Hawk found us. At first we didn't worry and assumed he was migrating. No, he has stayed all winter. He picked off the last hatch of the season one by one, including 5 ft in front of our door and right next to our house foundation. Then he got our Leghorn although she put up a battlle from the feathers around the yard. The marans and orps are larger and we do have 2 good watchful roos, but free range time has been extremely limited all winter for them. I have seen the hawk sitting 5 ft from the rooster and the rooster heading for him, but this is in free range, not in the pen. The hawk has not ventured into the pen (yet) because we think he would be at a great disadvantage against the roo on the ground.
Our dog is a good watchdog but prefers to be inside with us rather than outside as a livestock guardian. When I played that video, she was very concerned and wanted to go check on the chickens.We shall see what spring brings. Hopefully crows and purple martins.
And we also worry about the fox whose den is in the next field, but he is legal

 

[Sally Sunshine]

This was wonderfully written and informative, and I loved the Foghorn The Leghorn "theme" you used, but the video made me cry like a baby. I just couldn't watch those poor chickens without crying like a baby! They looked so scared...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

We are even closer to Hawk Mtn than Sally but in the farming country and up until last fall had minimal hawk damage. During the spring summer months, we have a pair of crows claim the far tallest tree and it's enjoyable to watch them chase any hawk out of their territory. I believe I saw them back last week, so we are hopeful. When the crows left last fall, a Coopers Hawk found us. At first we didn't worry and assumed he was migrating. No, he has stayed all winter. He picked off the last hatch of the season one by one, including 5 ft in front of our door and right next to our house foundation. Then he got our Leghorn although she put up a battlle from the feathers around the yard. The marans and orps are larger and we do have 2 good watchful roos, but free range time has been extremely limited all winter for them. I have seen the hawk sitting 5 ft from the rooster and the rooster heading for him, but this is in free range, not in the pen. The hawk has not ventured into the pen (yet) because we think he would be at a great disadvantage against the roo on the ground.
Our dog is a good watchdog but prefers to be inside with us rather than outside as a livestock guardian. When I played that video, she was very concerned and wanted to go check on the chickens.We shall see what spring brings. Hopefully crows and purple martins.
And we also worry about the fox whose den is in the next field, but he is legal

Do you have purple martin houses up? I will research them when I get a chance, no sence waisting time if they wont hang out here in the woods. gourd houses look cool to make too!

 

[SassyKat6181]

We have an old post & beam barn (1846) and the barn swallows and purple martins show up each spring and leave each fall. This is when we know the end and start of winter. It's like one day they all show up and then one day they're gone. I have seen them chase the hawks. There's a mating pair of redtails that roost in the trees in the property next door. I have a 50' x 100' run that is covered most of the time. We have had so much snow off and on, that the net is down. I took it down mid December and didn't have a problem until yesterday. My coops are actually 10' x 10' horse stalls that open up into the run. Ducks in one stall, chickens in the other. I was closing the goats door, their stall and outdoor area are next to the birds, when I noticed a ton of red feathers all over the ground. I took a few more steps and saw that the hawk had attacked one of my chickens. Kept on eating, right there outside the coop door, after is saw me. I jumped the fence and it still didn't leave. I had to shoo it away. Poor girl The other birds were so upset. Needless to say.....they will be in for a while. I can't get the net back up yet, and can't risk the hawk coming back to the all you can eat buffet.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

We have an old post & beam barn (1846) and the barn swallows and purple martins show up each spring and leave each fall. This is when we know the end and start of winter. It's like one day they all show up and then one day they're gone. I have seen them chase the hawks. There's a mating pair of redtails that roost in the trees in the property next door. I have a 50' x 100' run that is covered most of the time. We have had so much snow off and on, that the net is down. I took it down mid December and didn't have a problem until yesterday. My coops are actually 10' x 10' horse stalls that open up into the run. Ducks in one stall, chickens in the other. I was closing the goats door, their stall and outdoor area are next to the birds, when I noticed a ton of red feathers all over the ground. I took a few more steps and saw that the hawk had attacked one of my chickens. Kept on eating, right there outside the coop door, after is saw me. I jumped the fence and it still didn't leave. I had to shoo it away. Poor girl The other birds were so upset. Needless to say.....they will be in for a while. I can't get the net back up yet, and can't risk the hawk coming back to the all you can eat buffet.

awww sassykat so sorry! Do you think if the martins were around it would have had a different turnout? Did you have a roo in with the girls? So the martins do migrate.

What kind of ducks do you have? Love your avy!