Hawk attack !!! Ideas on deterrents of hawks

[Lovin Our chickens]

I came home to a hawk on top of my lavender Orpington cockerel eating him also my small cuckoo maran is missing as well so I'm sure he was caught too but no signs of him no feathers nothing . The other 4 were no where in sight so I went searching for them and found them hunkered down in the brush hiding they were all traumatized. I'm soo heart broken as well as angry at myself for leaving them unattended while I ran to the store . Guess bc I hadn't seen a hawk in months I assumed they would be ok with me just running down to the store really quick. Plus I left my step daughter at home in charge of keeping an eye on them apparently she was too busy on her phone she didn't even hear my poor chickens crys for help , had I been home this wouldn't have happened I would have beat the hawk to death for attacking my babies . Ugh soo frustrated right now . So my reason for the thread is to get any ideas or help from yall to prevent this from happening in the future . Anyone know of any deterrents that would help keep hawks away . My neighbor has 100 chickens but they all full grown so I guess bc I only have 6 and they r between the ages of 9 weeks to 13 weeks the hawk found mine as easier targets .

 

[sourland]

Sorry for your loss, but don't give up on the cuckoo maran - it may very well still be hiding. The only guaranteed protection from hawks is a covered pen and closely monitored free ranging. There have even been incidences of Cooper's hawks reaching through wire and killing birds.

 

[Lovin Our chickens]

This happened two days ago I know that he's not still hiding and if he is then something got him at night because he was small for his age he was Tiny. Something was wrong with that one anyway he was either a slow grower or some kind of birth defect or something because he was like not even half the size of his sister he looked like he was 4 weeks old but was 9 weeks old

 

[Lovin Our chickens]

I read online that Hawks do not like reflective surfaces it messes with their eyesight so you could like hang CDs up they also are enemies with the crow but I don't have any crows where I live I was thinking maybe buying some fake crows

 

[PlymouthRockExpert]

Yes do all of the above, and sorry to say but that poor cuckoo maran is most likely hawk s*** by now! Plz, excuse my censored language!

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Sorry about your birds. Like Sourland said, a covered/enclosed run is best. Deterrents such as hanging CD's, putting out a fake owl, etc. are only that -- a deterrent.

I know a lot of people say crows keep hawks away, but I'm not stuck on that idea. I'm from California and we had lots of hawks and crows. You could often find them flying the same airspace -- playing games of cat and mouse.

Due to the same reasons, when I am unable to chaperone my birds in the yard, they have to stay in their covered run. They are getting more comfortable being cooped up more frequently, but I do try to get the out daily even if it's only for a little while.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry for your loss. Please don't be to harsh on your daughter. Unless she was standing outside among them when the hawk struck, there would have been little she could have done. By the same thought, don't be too hard on yourself either. Trust me on this, you wouldn't have "beat the hawk to death" either. #1, either the hawk would have never come down, or #2 it would have swooped in caught one of your chickens and been gone before you even knew it was there. I don't know what kind of hawk it was, but most would easily be able to fly away with a 9 week young chicken. Probably the only reason it did land was because nobody was there so it didn't feel the need to fly off with its catch.

My recommendation would be to build a covered run for them to "hang out" in when nobody is there to chaperone. The covering can be bird netting or even chicken wire as it's primarily a deterrent for birds/hawks. Folks will say not to use the chicken wire but coons and possums and the like will not be trying to break in during daylight when your chickens will be in the run. At night, if they did break in, the chickens would be safely enclosed in their coop, safe and happy, and you'd be aware of the issue the next time you went to let them out.

In your free range area, place low tables, build low platforms, plant bushes, boxes open and laying on their side, anything that the chickens can run and hide under when they see an aerial predator. Having a rooster, if you can, is a good thing for hawk defense as most will protect their girls, alert them to the danger, then stand and forfeit their own life if necessary to let the hens escape. They also provide the means for flock replacements through fertilized eggs.

One final aside... Be very careful with killing ANY bird of prey as they are ALL protected at the federal level as well by many states. The fines and jail time are pretty extensive and there is NO leniency for protecting your chickens.

 

[Lovin Our chickens]

The hawk I caught in action was on top of my lavender Orpington it was a smaller hawk not sure what kind so yes I could have beat it off him or saved my 9 week old cockerel bc he was bigger than the hawk . The maran I don't know what happened to him there was so signs of feathers or a body so not sure if another hawk got him and flew off r what . I know they r protected but I'm sorry but had I been home I would have hurt him if I had to in order to protect my chickens . Out here where I live is country and my neighbors shoot at the hawks after their chickens all the time. Pretty sure they have killed some in the process .

 

[Crooked Chicken]

I know they r protected but I'm sorry but had I been home I would have hurt him if I had to in order to protect my chickens . Out here where I live is country and my neighbors shoot at the hawks after their chickens all the time. Pretty sure they have killed some in the process .

 

[Sea Wolf]

The hawk I caught in action was on top of my lavender Orpington it was a smaller hawk not sure what kind so yes I could have beat it off him or saved my 9 week old cockerel bc he was bigger than the hawk . The maran I don't know what happened to him there was so signs of feathers or a body so not sure if another hawk got him and flew off r what . I know they r protected but I'm sorry but had I been home I would have hurt him if I had to in order to protect my chickens . Out here where I live is country and my neighbors shoot at the hawks after their chickens all the time. Pretty sure they have killed some in the process .

Ahh pity you think that way. I just lost two birds today to a large female red tailed hawk. Not only flew into the pen itself but was under the coop eating one of my hens when I found it. Strange noise being made by the caught hen got my attention and I went to see what was making the odd sound .. and why. Other dead hen must have been caught and killed first and the hawk grabbed a second bird in the confusion. Had to dispatch the live one.

That said, the top to my pen is open. I also allow my birds to free range. That is open invitation to any hawk that is hungry. My fault, NOT the hawk. You can not blame the hawk for giving it the opportunity. It is a sorry thing that you think you should kill the hawk. It isn't a little thing, it is a Federal offense and you will land in serious trouble if you do. Suggest you try the CDs as I might. Or keep them in a covered pen. It is also not your daughters fault. She could have well been outside and the hawk would still have swooped in if the chance was there to get a meal. When they are hungry, they are not afraid of you as they are too desperate for a meal. I have extra CDs that I will try. I also have deer netting that was not across the top of the pen the way I bought it for. I haven't had a hawk visit in years so I still count it as my being well ahead of the game. I'm sure they eat more rats and squirrels than chickens. Yes, you lose a few. It's part of having chickens.