Hawk attempt-how long do i wait?

[Amazonlover]

GM, a hawk made an attempt on one of my chickens while they were free ranging, and I was outside with them, around 15 feet away. How long should I wait before I allow them to free range again (I.e., before the hawk either forgets they saw a chicken in my backyard or just moves on)?

 

[Folly's place]

Here it's usually been about two weeks, although one time, with a very determined Cooper's hawk, it was three weeks.
Glad your birds all survived!
Young hawks are out there learning, and some species migrate, so beware!
Mary

 

[Amazonlover]

Thanks! I was thinking around 6 months

 

[tlcmurphy]

I agree with 2 weeks. However be aware that if you have hawks in the area, there may be another that visits at another time. I’ve had multiple occurrences each year since I started free-ranging

 

[Amazonlover]

Yes, we definitely have hawks in the area but we’ve been blissfully unbothered, which I always attributed to the fact that I have a lot of trees with leaf coverage and only 5 chickens. I’ve probably been stupid, and lucky. Any tips on how to keep hawks away?

 

[tlcmurphy]

I’ve never been able to keep them away unfortunately, I hear and see them almost daily. My 4 hens don’t get to free-range unless I’m home to keep an eye on them, AND I don’t hear any nearby hawk calls. Some people say you can hang shiny things up to deter them, but I haven’t tried. Ground cover for the chickens to hide under is a must too.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Since raptors are protected there isn't much you can legally do to deter them. I've found that keeping my birds "up" for two weeks generally does the trick, as the hawks give up and hunt elsewhere when they can't get to my chickens. You could install net covering over the top of your run if you wish, but free ranging is always going to put your chickens at risk from something. I've had hawks snatch chicks when I was standing less than three feet away.

 

[BoundlessLove]

We don’t have problem with hawks, but I’ve heard people putting out those battery resin owls - the heads turn and the eyes light up.
They are supposed to keep hawks away.
Never tried these myself.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Sometimes crows will deter hawks. Usually during nesting season. This time of year the crows aren’t as concerned but during the spring and most of the summer the placement of my coop between two places the crows frequent and nest in was very helpful.

 

[Amazonlover]

I’ve never been able to keep them away unfortunately, I hear and see them almost daily. My 4 hens don’t get to free-range unless I’m home to keep an eye on them, AND I don’t hear any nearby hawk calls. Some people say you can hang shiny things up to deter them, but I haven’t tried. Ground cover for the chickens to hide under is a must too.

Thanks