Free ranging and chicken hawks

[SurferchickinSB]

Yes the lady beside me chains her dog to a clothes line in a fenced yard because a hawk tried to take him and there was a hawk on my coop last week
So I hate that they can’t run my acres in freedom in the sun but I’m just going to build me a bigger run and cover it , I just can’t take the risks
Someone said she seen a hen be taken right in front of her, I’m not a hard country woman and that would crush me horribly, I only breed for pets and eggs I can’t ever even kill them for food , I’m building an old folks home coop for my retired hens Lolol

You really have a beautiful area that the chickens would love to roam in. Would you be able to build some chicken tunnels just using 2x2 pieces of wood and chicken wire? You could just build them 2 or 3 foot high and zip tie them together when you move them. That way they wouldn’t be too heavy to drag around. You could connect them together and move them around your property. They would just be good coverage for hawks if that’s what you are worried about. Well trained dogs roaming around also would help against the other predators.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I lost my 2 precious 4 1/2 year old hens Nellie & Mable a couple years back to a hawk. They were dust bathing during the attack. I was devastated. Since then I've had 100ft fence installed around both coops and closely supervise during their 1-2 hour free range time each day. Without a fence they would spread out which made it difficult keeping close eye on all. It's been an added bonus not having to worry about stray dogs.View attachment 1881495

I'm sorry about Nellie and Mable...


Great point about the fence! My chickens are in a fenced area of my yard, too, for that same reason (and to keep them from wandering into neighbors' gardens...).

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

I think it depends on the hawk, too. Some smaller hawk species might not go after large chickens unless they are desperate, like needing to feed their chicks or during a shortage. But large hawks (and owls and eagles, for that matter) can carry off even larger chickens. Smaller hawks can kill a large chicken, but will eat it at the kill site if they can't carry it off.

It has really helped me deal with my hawk issue to know which hawk breeds I am dealing with. I don't have Red Tailed hawks that hunt in my neighborhood; they stick to the open areas like the rice paddies, the golf course, and the big ranches in my area. Plus, I have a lot of trees in my fenced yard, so my chickens are able to hide from the soaring Red Tailed hawks. However, those same trees are perfect for providing cover for Cooper's hawks, who prefer to stalk their prey first. A Cooper's hawk can't carry off any of my big girls, especially since it's a smaller male that's been hanging around, and they are 2 and 3 times his weight. He is less likely to strike when I'm supervising because he wouldn't be able to stick around and eat if he managed to kill one of my big girls.

My bantams, however.... I hover over them like a mama hen when they are out foraging. If I don't feel like hovering, I will just let my big girls out and keep the bantams penned. That way I can supervise, but relax a bit. And the bantams don't mind being confined nearly as much as my big girls.

I hope that makes sense. Sorry it's such a long winded explanation...

my silkies and bantams are totally penned up, but my 17 hens dont have a roof covering them, only in their coop where they roost at night..i see some hawks i think in some nearby trees,,,but they dont seem to bother the girls....oh dear i sure hope not...they free range all day

 

[Aunt Angus]

my silkies and bantams are totally penned up, but my 17 hens dont have a roof covering them, only in their coop where they roost at night..i see some hawks i think in some nearby trees,,,but they dont seem to bother the girls....oh dear i sure hope not...they free range all day

I'd try to figure out what kind of hawks they are, honestly, if for no other reason than to give you peace of mind. They might not even be hawks. The PITA Cooper's hawk I've got hanging around is about the size if a crow! He's gorgeous, but I hate him at the moment.

 

[Mbrady71]

My husband built me a mobile run. He tacked lightweight metal tubes he had in barn and zip tied chicken fence around it.a handle in front to lift and pull. Old wheels on back. Latice on top to break the sun. I move them about the yard. I am also in a high preditor area. They know when it's time to go out. One by one they hop up and wait for me to carry them to the cart. At bed time we do the same process. They are getting trained to even jump up on my arm to go. I sit in a chair when I let them free range they dont go far from me. It has taken time to build their trust in me. I have been home sick since they were babies (march 2019),daily interaction with them and lots of treats built the bond of trust. They are more pets then barn birds.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

My husband built me a mobile run. He tacked lightweight metal tubes he had in barn and zip tied chicken fence around it.a handle in front to lift and pull. Old wheels on back. Latice on top to break the sun. I move them about the yard. I am also in a high preditor area. They know when it's time to go out. One by one they hop up and wait for me to carry them to the cart. At bed time we do the same process. They are getting trained to even jump up on my arm to go. I sit in a chair when I let them free range they dont go far from me. It has taken time to build their trust in me. I have been home sick since they were babies (march 2019),daily interaction with them and lots of treats built the bond of trust. They are more pets then barn birds.

mine are my pets too.....love them all

 

[Chercher72]

my chickens are in a coop and enclosed run 24/7 but I have great land for them to free range but it’s not fenced in and I know they’d love running every where around here but what about chicken hawks stray cats, stray dogs, coyotes, snakes etc??? Im scared to let them out but it’s so pretty around their coop I want to
How do you free rangers deal with this?

I have guineas that run with my chickens so they let me know when a predator is around.

 

[JessaDee]

Once a hawk knows there is a free buffet, they won’t stop. I found out the hard way this week. I lost five in as many days. I’ve had my chickens free ranging in my back yard for two years with no problems until a few days ago. I caught it just sitting in the middle of my yard eating one of my polish pullets. Needless to say, I was heartbroken. I went immediately to Home Depot and purchased bird netting. I put it over a fenced in area of the yard and it hasn’t bothered them since.

 

[JessaDee]

I live within town limits so I keep my 32 hens confined. But where I live on the VA/NC border, there are so many hawks they would not last long if I could free range them. In fact, there were two young hawks in the trees behind my coops this morning and I could envision them thinking, "Go ahead, let those hens out just this one time".

You must live near me @Chicken Heel. I’m in Chesapeake, and we have hawks and bald eagles. I also have an owl that lives in the woods next to the house. The owl has never bothered them though.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

Once a hawk knows there is a free buffet, they won’t stop. I found out the hard way this week. I lost five in as many days. I’ve had my chickens free ranging in my back yard for two years with no problems until a few days ago. I caught it just sitting in the middle of my yard eating one of my polish pullets. Needless to say, I was heartbroken. I went immediately to Home Depot and purchased bird netting. I put it over a fenced in area of the yard and it hasn’t bothered them since.

so sorry, i have had my chickens for 1 and 1/2 years, and never a problem with hawks, but i do see them sometimes flying overhead....i pray every day