Hanging CDs To Keep Hawks Away

[Robbie]

I've got my chicken run totally protected from above with avian netting. As it gets closer to school being out though, I'm thinking about letting my chickens free-range in the backyard. Since we have a pool, we will be outside most of the day and can watch for the hawks. (I figure with all the noisy children around, it would scare off anything!) However, at some point we'll have to go inside and eat or take afternoon naps and since my chickens aren't rounded up easily, putting them up will take forever. And, I cannot leave two young children at the pool while I do this. I'm wondering about all those people who wrote in and said that they protected their chickens as they free-ranged with CDs and mirrors . . . did this work? Have you had any fatalities since putting up the shiny objects? I've also wondered about scattering round mirrors around on the ground. Please write back since I've only got 8 more days until summer break!!!!

 

[jerseygirl1]

It helps, I use them, but it is not 100%foolproof. The fake owl with the moving head also helps.

 

[mdbokc]

Not 100% but no hawk visitors since putting them up. I have 2 hawks nesting 700 feet from the coop. They used to visit but go elsewhere now. My CDs are in a large yard that they range until about 3 PM when I turn loose in the woods.

When they free range out in the woods, I did have one swoop down towards them but no CDs there for obvious reasons.

Only thing maybe 100% is a Ft Knox run.

 

[Mamaperreca]

I don't know but I am watching the responses to this thread. Yesterday my husband took a picture of the big Hawk perched on the fence in my garden. This is just across the yard from the Chicken coop. Mine are not free ranging at the moment but we let the little pullets out sometimes and I definitely don't want that Hawk getting them.

It was a beautiful hawk.

 

[aprophet]

I have used cd's and christmas tinsel to bring bobcats in to my traps
I have also seen pigeons roost on owl decoys

one of the cats I caught this year
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/aprophet/102_0038.jpg