Hawk Experts

[triciayoung]

Here is the visual scenario: The hens have their coop - a converted shed, a large covered run, and a long chunnel - all in the backyard. The roosters (2), have their coop and a small run. Fences for the runs are touching so they can see each other. When I let the hens in the chunnel, I let the roosters free range the backyard. Yesterday afternoon we had an incident. I was in the house and heard the roosters and hens screaming. I rushed outside which must have scared the hawk and then I saw the hawk fly out of the roosters run. My Milo (rooster) was in the run with him and everything was knocked over. My other rooster (Enzo) was under the deck. The girls were all in their covered run but had gone under the table in their run. All are fine. I have ordered everything to hawk net the entire backyard because I don't want to constantly worry. I also don't want the chickens to go through the shock they had yesterday. My question is, I really didn't think that a hawk would go through a standard size door into the run to get the rooster. Maybe it started outside the run and then Milo headed for cover. Is this typical hawk behavior?

 

[JustaWeeAcre]

Yep that’s about right. I had a hawk get one of my free range roosters right in front of his run… if there is an opening they will take it.

 

[Isadora]

A standard sized door as in for a human? Not surprising at all. A hungry animal will go to normal and great lengths to get dinner.

 

[mcdze]

ive had up to 3 hawks hunt together to round up chickens .. if they have to ive seen them hop on the ground under and around brush, theyre not limited to aerial attack .. also ive seen a very large hawk key in on a chicken through a tiny opening through thick overgrown brush from the other side, fold up its wings and dive through the hole like a spear out of nowhere .. theyre highly adept at what they do, especially the fully mature ones ..

 

[McChooky]

Netting works wonders! Give your chickens lots of hiding places so a bird of prey can't dive and grab them .My open fenced yard is under a canopy of trees hidden from sight.

 

[sean_wonder]

Not sure if this is in the subtext as well but if you string old, plain CDs (as in, silver on both sides) along the netting, it's a great deterrent for the hawks as well

 

[triciayoung]

Not sure if this is in the subtext as well but if you string old, plain CDs (as in, silver on both sides) along the netting, it's a great deterrent for the hawks as well

I tied scare tape strips on the netting. The backyard looks ridiculous, but, it has been effective thus far.

 

[EuroChook]

While in Australia a little while back, we had a Brown Goshawk come from a concealed perch and nab one of our convalescent pigeons. Just came out of nowhere, even though we thought the yard where this all took place to be secure. They are amazing creatures, shy of people. Take up position on a nearby perch, then swoop down on their prey. If they feel secure they will start to defeather the caught critter. Usually though they head high for a perch that becomes a makeshift abbatoir. I'm pretty sure (graphic alert right now to end of paragraph) this hawk ate the head of the pigeon? Then when she saw me, she lofted up to her perch and continued to 'clean' the pigeon.

I could only hope and want to make it a pet. No such luck. They seem pretty sovereign in the bird world. I did get vid of her, moving out from perch--stills added.

A magnificent specimen. The fanned tail and finger type wing end feathers show her type; and from her form, she shows she has done well in the wild. I deeply regret not having more time to feed her, win her heart (with something other than convalescing pigeons).