Hawk help needed

[ShaggysGirl]

Hi Guys,
We have a hawk nest their babies are now fledgling so we have four hawks plus now and then we see others close by.
Our chicken run is 4 foot high and I have covered most of it with that plastic fencing that is used for gardening. I left a small opening where the gate is to get into the run area. Yesterday there was one of the hawks sitting right there on my gate looking at my chicks. We yelled at it and it flew off. Now we have been seeing one in another tree looking right at my coop and run.
I covered the small opening in the run. we still have a open area we have to cover that is like a L area of the run.
Any tips or advise for getting rid of these hawks? I have read that it is against the law to shoot at them. Would that include shooting at them with say a pellet or be be gun?
My chicks are close to 4 weeks old and have only been going out in the run for about 4 days now. When the hawk was sitting on my gate the chcicks that were out hid under the walk up to the coop.
Thanks
Rhonda

 

[citrusdreams]

Can you call animal control and ask them to relocate the whole brood?

Otherwise, you won't be able to free range your chickens without a LGD, or other dog that can range with your chickens. And even then, with all those hawks around, you're going to lose a few. It's only a matter of time.

If you keep your chickens encosed full time in a coop and pen, you'll have to do better about protecting them. The door to your pen should be closed and you should not have any gaps at all. My chicken coop is a converted shed. The only door opens into a run, which is a series of dog kennels (those chain link, six foot high ones). My run has a gate that closes with a latch. Your netting should protect the entire top, without gaps. They shouldn't be able to get in anywhere. If the little hawks are small enough to get into your pen (In my case, if they were small enough to get through the chainlink fence), you might have to line it with something like chicken wire or welded wire.

 

[Uppity Peon]

I have the entire 12'x45' run totally covered with very inexpensive "deer netting" from the garden section at Home Depot. A also tied some old CDs to the top of the netting because I hear the reflected light is confusing or irritating to hawks. So far there have been no problems. I hear shiny mylar balloons and foil pie tins are good too.

Wild birds also harass hawks relentlessly so you might want to feed the willd birds.

 

[purr]

from what I read on here it is even illegal to harrass hawks or any bird of prey so don't shoot at them with anything.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

Thanks for the info
I'm at work and DH says all four hawks are in trees just looking at our run. He had the chicks out for about three hours while he was out in the area to watch them now they are in their coop.
I'm going to close all gaps and put the CDs out there maybe find some balloons. I was thinking of a scarecrow too. I know one thing those buggers won't be getting a easy chicken dinner at my house.
I have been wanting DH to remove these old yucky pine trees now maybe I'll be able to talk him into it

 

[Emzyyy]

Ive heard of CD's hung up scares them off but I dunno if it works...

Opps sorry someone already mentioned it.

 

[ARose4Heaven]

I strung a web of fishing line all over the top of my chicken yard, with shiny CD's. We have hawks and owls both. They swoop and watch, but haven't lost any chicks to them. I think the fishingline scares them. They don't like being tangled up and they can't land on it to find a way in. So far, the onlything that got in was a cat. But the electric fence stopped that too.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You could contact your county extension office, or local nature center, to learn more about the type of hawk you have & their habits. But I doubt your animal control would relocate them even if it were possible, and I'm sure it's illegal to harass, hurt or try to kill them.

With a family to feed, those hawks are going to be very interested in your chicks. They seem especially attracted to the young, or weak or injured chickens. They make easier targets. This is how predatory animals benefit their prey populations, by weeding out the weak.

Your chicks *should* be safe if you have all the run covered, and if they have covered places under which to hide that aren't right up next to the fence. Once there was a hawk that landed on the ground outside the tractor and a chick ran to hide behind a bucket that was near the side. The chick thought it was safe, but didn't realize it was exposed on the fence side, and the hawk reached through the wire & was able to kill it.

You could use outdoor furniture, beach umbrellas, even a sheet of plywood propped up on bricks. Just something for the chicks to run under & hide when there's danger from above. I'm always impressed with the instincts even brooder chicks posess, that they know to duck their heads & run across open spaces, wary for hawks.

I think the shiny moving objects help too, CDs, mylar pinwheels, cheap reflective wind catchers from the dollar store.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

It is illegal to even harrass them. Your best bet would be to just keep the chickens locked up if you don't want them becoming a training target/lunch for the hawk brood. I highly doubt that animal control would do something so drastic as to relocate them. Relocating them would be a lot of hard work and danger and really not accomplish much, as another brood would move right back in. If the area was suitable for one brood, it is well suited for another.

 

[lotzahenz]

I love chickens! But, I love wild birds too. I wish I could ship you lots of hatchling roos to feed the baby hawks. I get so frustrated when they fly around here too, but I keep in mind they are one of the reasons we are not quite so overrun with rats. I HATE rats! We should all raise packing peanuts to feed the hawks.......the cirlce of life, and beneficial, not just a waste.......my 5 am ramblings.