Hawk attack and roosters

[centrarchid]

Everything you just said is exactly what I thought my roosters would do centrarchid. I comepletely understand they won't attack a coyote but I expect them to do something about a hawk. After my RIR cockerels behavior do you think I should rehome him since he completely failed protecting my hens?

I would give him another month or two for additional maturation and photoperiod to increase. Losses to hawks are not every day occurrences by any means and you can invest in other methods to protect your birds even from hawks. In reality, I do all sorts of things to protect my birds. No single method used and occasional failures do not mean a system does not work. In the end it is an odds game where you strive to keep losses down to tolerable levels.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Ok well I'll give him until the end of winter I guess. Now I know the hawk knows my chickens are food to him. And he knows where their at.

 

[centrarchid]

Cover run. Deer netting is cheap and effective.

 

[bobbi-j]

Ok well I'll give him until the end of winter I guess. Now I know the hawk knows my chickens are food to him. And he knows where their at.

And it will be back now that it has found food. I hope you follow Centrarchid's advice and cover that run ASAP.

 

[Wyatt0224]

I think that's what I'm going to do. My neighbor has had multiple chickens killed by an unknown predator in recent months. I had been thinking it was a hawk and now he's found my flock.

 

[big bouncer]

I tried all of the hawk deterents to no avail. Our coop has no run, but our chickens free range our farm. They stay about 150yards max away from coop when they feel adventurous. We lost one pullet hen to a hawk. It is illegal, but i now shoot at any low-flying "ducks". They now fly very quickly away from any people they find. Now that we have more chicks about 1 month old and soon to be included with the real chicks in the coop, i am counting on my JG and WL roosters to take out any cooper hawks. They do make distress calls whenever a hawk or a crow flies anywhere in their sight. They stay out from cover as all the hens run to cover. When the bird gets very close, they also run to cover. If a hawk comes down on ground i hope bouncer will put it out of commission

 

[Wyatt0224]

Bouncer sounds like a good rooster. I'm considering putting netting over my entire coop and run. I won't be able to shoot the hawks because we have close neighbors. That hawk was back again going from tree to tree this morning until he flew off where I couldn't see it.

 

[centrarchid]

Bouncer sounds like a good rooster. I'm considering putting netting over my entire coop and run. I won't be able to shoot the hawks because we have close neighbors. That hawk was back again going from tree to tree this morning until he flew off where I couldn't see it.

Ideally, you do not shoot hawk, whether neighbors close or not. Legal issues.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Yes I know, it's a federal offense to kill them owl or eagle.

 

[centrarchid]

So shush!