Hawk harassing my hens.

[lagrange chicks]

What are you feeding the crows? Seeds? Does that not attract other birds as well?

I feed mine meat scraps, bread, mice and even leftovers that we didn't finish. There not fussy in the winter.

 

[The Good Grumble]

What are you feeding the crows? Seeds? Does that not attract other birds as well?

I use unsalted peanuts in the shell. Too big for smaller birds, the jays do get some. But I don’t mind feeding them too. I have 3 mated pairs of crows, and this year one pair had three babies and everyone chipped in to feed them. When they have babies they’re really vigilant about not letting hawks anywhere near their nesting sites.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

I feed the crows leftover bread, tortillas, even cookies etc. I wish they’d chase the jays off too. I like to feed the small birds from a feeder but the jays empty it in a couple hours. Ugh.

 

[16 and me]

Keep an eye out for that hawk... I had one recently come back twice about 4 or 5 days apart. I had a Broody hen with babies, and it was after the chicks. That Mama hen's screams could be heard for miles. The hawk was trying to peck through the hardware cloth!
I sprayed it with a hose, and now that the chicks are bigger it only seems to do fly-overs. I too have crows, but they were mysteriously absent when the hawk started hanging around.

 

[blacklab]

If you have crows in your area, you may start giving them food and encouraging them to stick around.

Fake owl works for a couple of days before the hawk realizes it’s fake, but it freaks the chickens out too.

If you have a dog, you might let it out and scare the crap out of the hawk every time it’s around. I try to spray the hawks with a hose if they ever get too close lol.

Hawks are very difficult predators to deal with. They are resilient and persistent. I would keep your birds locked up in their run for a while and eventually this hawk may look for easier food after realizing it just can’t get in. Good luck.

We had a hawk attack, he was thankfully unsuccessful though. But we kept the hens and rooster confined to a covered run for about 6 weeks. After that we let them free range again and have not seen the hawk again. I think they move on, as you said, when food is not as available.

 

[rod5591]

Oh my goodness. I didn't know hawks are that aggressive when chickens are contained.
Didn't realize it takes that long for the trauma to dissipate before they're right again.
Apologies if this is a silly question, we don't really have hawks around her, they only pass through as they have eliminated most of the trees around here with construction. Are hawks deterred by any kind of yard art - such as a fake owl on a pole like used in gardens? Hawks don't hunt owls do they? I realize raptors will kill another raptor but aren't owls at the top of the food chain? Perhaps one placed on top of the chicken run?

to deter hawks I use compact disks (CDs) hanging from strings and tied to branches. They spin in the wind and the Cds flash light from the sun, which makes the hawks cautious. Roosters are also a great tool to reduce hawk losses. They alert the hens to anything flying overhead that might looks like a hawk. You need cover for the hens to run under when the roosters give an alert.

 

[ohlongarm]

Oh my goodness. I didn't know hawks are that aggressive when chickens are contained.
Didn't realize it takes that long for the trauma to dissipate before they're right again.
Apologies if this is a silly question, we don't really have hawks around her, they only pass through as they have eliminated most of the trees around here with construction. Are hawks deterred by any kind of yard art - such as a fake owl on a pole like used in gardens? Hawks don't hunt owls do they? I realize raptors will kill another raptor but aren't owls at the top of the food chain? Perhaps one placed on top of the chicken run?

Get a Liege fighter adult rooster, once they bond with the hens they'll take their death on any raptor,their attack on raptors is so fast and furious that they won't hang around,I've had red tails actually knocked silly by a ten pound liege rooster,our latest attack was by a juvenile eagle despite a few feathers lost he never returned.Three years now with Liege roosters and not one hen ever taken,killed.

 

[stephmarie333]

So glad your chicks were ok... hawks can be so bold. We been dealing with a hawk problem too. I lost 3 chickens in two weeks. I went out one day and the hawk was just hanging out in front of my barn. I watched it take a chick from my neighbors yard a week ago

My chickens are locked in their covered run and coop now. They aren't happy but they are alive and safe. The hawk seems to have lost interest in my chickens now that they aren't easy to pick up. It took a couple weeks through.

I'm interested in the crow thing... we have ravens here too. I always hear them calling and when they are out they scare my chickens. Would leaving peanuts out for the crows bring them in too?

 

[The Good Grumble]

Get a Liege fighter adult rooster, once they bond with the hens they'll take their death on any raptor,their attack on raptors is so fast and furious that they won't hang around,I've had red tails actually knocked silly by a ten pound liege rooster,our latest attack was by a juvenile eagle despite a few feathers lost he never returned.Three years now with Liege roosters and not one hen ever taken,killed.

Wow they are so cool!

 

[birdlady11]

This hawk was probably a juvenile under one year old. A good percentage of juvenile hawks don't survive their first year, mainly from starvation. It is a very tough way to make a living and it takes plenty of practice to learn to catch and kill with your feet. So when a youngster is struggling to catch enough to avoid starvation they will resort to trying for anything even if it means running around on the ground. If you're starving and food is right there in front of you so close you can almost taste it, you'd probably be running back and forth too trying to figure out a way to reach it.

I found the easiest way to deter hawks from running alongside your run and spooking the chickens is to put a solid barrier approximately 2 feet tall along the outside walls of your run. This simple barrier will prevent the hawk from seeing the chickens so close. They can see your girls from above but once they're at ground level they can't see them anymore and they give up. It's basically out of sight out of mind. This works wonders for predators like fox, coons, possums, etc. And they generally won't waste energy digging under what they perceive as a solid wall because standing there they can't see what's on the other side. You also don't have to worry about a predator reaching through your chicken wire and grabbing a leg and yanking.

The added benefit is that while the predator can't see your chickens, your chickens also cannot see the predator. So what they can't see running around on the other side of the wall can't scare them.