Friendly neighborhood hawk????

[karri25]

My friend and I live in a rural twon but it is a TOWN!!!! She lost over half of her chickies in the spring due to a hawk but she lives under trees.

I have now twice spotted a hawk in my backyard by my swing set or on the fence!!!!
We don't have any trees!!!!
Yesterday I was looking for my puppy and ran into the hawk sitting on the fence right in front of me. I was like what the heck???? I chased it off thinking that it might have got my puppy (my daughter took him in and was trying to trick me-very funny).
What do I do to deter our neighborhood hawk?
And as much as I don't want him anywhere near us...he is really beautiful. Go figure he's a bird!

 

[tiffanyh]

A hawk is a hawk - they are beautiful- and they get hungry eventually. Their numbers are up in most areas in the last decade due to the knowledge put out about chemicals used that were ruining their eggs a while back, now they thrive- almost everywhere. You may be running into a juvenile that doesnt have the same fear as an adult will. That isnt uncommon with birds. I would do my best to scare him out of the yard and keep your chickens safe. Im sure you know, as friendly as he seems he will eat your chickens.

IMHO, trees dont protect your chickens or help your chickens. No trees will give the hawks a good view from above. Trees will allow the hawks to hide without a roo noticing them before they swoop down and strike. But thats just MHO. People on here have lost them despite the tree situation.

Good luck!

 

[karri25]

Oh please don't misunderstand me, I want him gone no matter how pretty he is!!!!

Outside of chasing him off whenever I see him are there other methods to scare him away? We are home almost always but it seems like the bad stuff happens when we are gone, go figure?!?!?
I can't even shoot to scare him b/c we have neighbors and I'm not getting fined b/c of him. WE normally shoot animals that wonder over to check out our birds (just with Bb's folks). Half of our run is covered with a tarp but the other half isn't covered at all. I don't want to lose anyone!

 

[tiffanyh]

Hmmm, maybe cover the other half with deer netting, you can get it at lowes are home depot fairly inxpensive. Maybe $15.00 per 100 feet. It is a bit stick y to put up but hold up quite well. Also, I have heard guinea hens are great as hawks watchers! Mabe it is time for more birds! My girfriend and her husbamd lost some bantams to a hawk who figured out a way to get under their tarped coop, and flew out again with their bantam roo! Not to scare you, but just so you know it can happen! AHHH!

As far as scaring him, you got me on that one. Do you have a dog you can leave out a lto for a while? I have heard keeping chicks with goats deters hawks, so I am sure a dog would also.

 

[karri25]

WEll, we live right next door to everyone and are already pushing it with the 5 roos we have, boy they are patient with us Guineas would not go o ver well!
We don't have a fence around our yard, it was our neighbor's fence that Mr. Hawk landed on, so I can't leave our dog out or get a goat. ...right now. My daughter is trying to talk daddy into a goat or sheep for her 4-h project this year.
The netting though, that's awesome that you can get it at $15.00 per 100 feet. I am going to check that out today. I have wnated our run covered forever but everything we found was too much $$.
THANKS!

 

[Hotwings]

I have noticed in the last few years hawks in the city. They are attracted to peoples bird feeders and probably the nice fat suburban squirrels. I had a sharp shin hawk kill a mourning dove right in my front yard. The dove was almost as big as he was. I have had hawks sitting on my fence on my garage can. The pickings are usually easier in the city.

 

[arlee453]

The deer netting you can get a Lowe's for 100x7 feet for $12.

I used it to cover my chicken yard. It's a plastic mesh, very light weight, but very strong for the weight of it. I can just BARELY tear it by hand, but it takes a LOT of muscle power.

It might not keep out a very determined land based critter who can chew, but would probably be enough to deter any flying ones.

When you go into Lowes, look for it with the landscaping supplies like the ground cloth, etc. It's NOT with the fencing supplies.

 

[DuckLady]

Deterrance is your best defense. Keep your girls securely locked up until the hawk gets hungry and finds a better hunting ground somewhere else.

 

[karri25]

THanks for the advise. I can't wait to get th enetting. i am really excited b/c I never though I'd be able to afford any!!!!!

 

[KKluckers]

I have a hawk that seems friendly....but Im not buying it. Im moving my bantams this weekend into a bigger run. Looks like I need to go out and buy some of that netting.