Hawk attack and roosters

[Wyatt0224]

Yes I know I would ever do it. I'm just angry over the fact it happened but I know it happens when you own chickens. I read on here once a while back that there was some sort of gun or shotgun that was very loud when you shot it and it would scare the hawks away. Do you guys know what it was called?

 

[centrarchid]

Do a google search with following phrase "boom gun bird repellent". Other options will prove more cost effective as they can operate without you being present. Additionally the sound move prove irritation for chickens, neighbors and you. Infrequent visitors like hawks not well suited for timed / automated devices.

 

[big bouncer]

I think it is completely stupid that hawks are protected in the United States. I have counted 14 Cooper's hawks hunting our 30 acres at once. Now, 14 of one predator in 30 acres does not sound threatened. Also, they are taking my pets. My pets that frankly I care more about than 99% of people I LIKE or love. I have done all sorts of deterrent s. Reflective things, big wind chimes, waving sticks at them, yelling at how unwelcome they are, sighting in rifles when hawks are close, and flapping my arms like a giant bird. All to no avail. I have been bush hogging on my tractor and they have flown low over me. It was turkey season and that was a high flying "turkey" that lost a couple feathers... If anybody knows a way to deter them other than killing one and leaving it's rotting corpse out for all of its kind to see (how I solved the coyote problem) please let me know. And yes we have roosters and big breeds of hens that could easily kill hawks if they attack on ground. But our chickens do not know how to fight to my knowledge. They do enjoy pecking at the eyes of animals including my family and cats. They also love pecking blood. They can be mean to birds they hate R.I.P. Scratched the transgender former big aggressive hen who mated a hen. It then learned to attempt to crow and grew a rooster tail. It raped the hens causing the good roosters to attack it whenever it got close. This led the rooster screecher to become an outcast. The point of the story, they can be mean to those they hate. As screecher did its death run after I shot and killed it through brain for a quicker death than decapitation the roosters attacked the running corpse. We shoed them off of course. Hopefully the chickens hate hawks now as they ate our formerly most friendly hen. I suppose it went like this. All chickens "wow a big bird. Let,s befriend it." Hawk "yum". Chicken (Orphelia) "ouch you have stabbed through me with claws" hawk eats Orphelia after carrying her away. This is why I want to deter hawks. Orphelia was fun, happy, a little too curious, friendly, young, and the first chicken to run to you whenever you go outside. RIP Orphelia. Now you will be avenged by hopefully bouncer the JG. Orphelia died in June if I remember correctly. Screecher was eaten by my family but was so tall he didn't fit into the rotisserie.

 

[big bouncer]

Also, Wyatt, if your chickens had never been attacked by hawks, they probably wouldn't know to defend themselves. Ours learned very quickly and now always raise the hawk alarm. Providing cover for the chickens from aerial hawk raids is a must. If there is cover, the chickens will most likely run to it when the roosters raise the hawk alarm. That way if it pursues, the roosters will be able to attack it on foot. Or hens. I've seen a YouTube video where a hen with chicks actually named the hawk and would not let it leave from run until the farm owner actually caught, caged, and released the hawk.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Also, Wyatt, if your chickens had never been attacked by hawks, they probably wouldn't know to defend themselves. Ours learned very quickly and now always raise the hawk alarm. Providing cover for the chickens from aerial hawk raids is a must. If there is cover, the chickens will most likely run to it when the roosters raise the hawk alarm. That way if it pursues, the roosters will be able to attack it on foot. Or hens. I've seen a YouTube video where a hen with chicks actually named the hawk and would not let it leave from run until the farm owner actually caught, caged, and released the hawk.

They have lots of cover. Perhaps the only positive thing that can come out of this ordeal is them learning how dangerous hawks are and will be more alert now.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Well the hawk was back today. I came home from school and saw my favorite hen laying on her side with her side cut open and a lot of her breast, crop and neck/face was eaten. Yet again the hawk had time to eat. So from this, my conclusion is that my roosters didn't do anything yet again. But I do know they aren't the only way to stop that I am going to make some adjustments to my run to help deter the hawk. I've heard that if you tie strings around the run and hang cd's that it will help deter the hawk because Hawks need a clear flight path to hunt.

 

[ChickenGuppy]

I have a great Pyrenees Anatolian that eats Hawks. You might want to invest in one.

 

[big bouncer]

Well the hawk was back today. I came home from school and saw my favorite hen laying on her side with her side cut open and a lot of her breast, crop and neck/face was eaten. Yet again the hawk had time to eat. So from this, my conclusion is that my roosters didn't do anything yet again. But I do know they aren't the only way to stop that I am going to make some adjustments to my run to help deter the hawk. I've heard that if you tie strings around the run and hang cd's that it will help deter the hawk because Hawks need a clear flight path to hunt.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Put a net over the top of your run. I tried a reflective pie tin. Not sure if it worked.

 

[big bouncer]

I have a great Pyrenees Anatolian that eats Hawks. You might want to invest in one.

How much are they? Can they kill coyotes. I see online yes... But have yours? Will they protect the chickens all day or just sometimes? Do they protect other livestock? Are they friendly to your family? And last of all, can they kill a pit bull or at least bark very loud? Loud enough to hear inside from like 10 acres away. (that is how far a cell phone tower is away from our house. Hawks perch on it. One time a guy working for it had his pit bull in the fenced area of it. ILLEGAL. It broke out and chased my dad. He stood his ground and advanced the dog. It stopped. Owner yelled at it. Then my sister and mom came out. It ran at them. My sister froze with fear and didn't get out her pepper spray. We yelled at him. Short story. Now we have shotgun on tractor, if it happens again... We gonna need to reload shotgun.)

 

[centrarchid]

Well the hawk was back today. I came home from school and saw my favorite hen laying on her side with her side cut open and a lot of her breast, crop and neck/face was eaten. Yet again the hawk had time to eat. So from this, my conclusion is that my roosters didn't do anything yet again. But I do know they aren't the only way to stop that I am going to make some adjustments to my run to help deter the hawk. I've heard that if you tie strings around the run and hang cd's that it will help deter the hawk because Hawks need a clear flight path to hunt.

I would also swap out your roosters for one game rooster. One that is fully adult. Not an old english bantam or modern game, a real game rooster. Also put some deer netting over the run and some outright structure in the run. They are less effort than other approaches you are considering above.

Strings are real pain. I have done those over multiple ponds to keep out herons where gap size if bigger than you want.