free range in our yard

[thndrdancr]

I live in the city, and I had a red tailed hawk "checking" out my chickies and they are 10 weeks old! I am sure they probably have young, as there were a pair. Usually I see them way high in the sky over a park area about 3 miles away. Well, this evening, they were hovering over my YARD and coming closer and closer, circling, so they were definitely "interested"!

 

[mom'sfolly]

MTchick mentioned that the Cooper's in her neighborhood eats sparrow and starlings; Coopers hawks favorite food is birds. If you know you have one around I wouldn't let the ckickens free range until they're pretty big. Coopers are relatively small, it probably couldn't take a full grown chicken.

 

[New chicken family]

Thank you so much everybody!!!!!!
I haven't seen the hawk in awhile - hopefully he has moved on....
We will be careful!

 

[Jezebelle]

you can go the gun route depending on where you live and the type of animal thats bothering your chicks. Or like what my mother did, chase a critter off at 2am with a sword.

We have a hound dog thats very protective of the chicks. If he hears them yelling he starts to groan and bark. After we let him out he runs around the chicken house and chases anything off that is harassing the chickens.

also I hear miniature ponies, or maybe it was a goat, that can be very protective of small animals such as chickens.