Hawk is picking off my flock!! Help!!

[centrarchid]

Yep! Cover them up for a while and see what happens. Going to need a roof! I just caught a bird of prey ontop of my covered run yesterday.

Coopers Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk

 

[Helloworld]

I have a free range flock of now only 7 adults and a new momma with 5 two week old chicks (hawk got one already). We are locking her in a chicken tractor today to keep her and babies safe but the hawk has already gotten two other adults in my flock in the last 24 hours!! And it didn’t eat either one, I just found them dead with no obvious trauma except broken necks. Is there anything I can do to deter or get rid of this hawk?? I’m worried I’ll lose my whole flock!!!! Thank you!

That sounds like an owl looking for just the crop. The only way to keep them safe is to keep them in a tractor. We lock up all of our birds at night. Safest way.

 

[slordaz]

doubt it was a hawk unless it's a very young one, if they only had broken necks,no other injuries, hawks and eagles both kill their pray by sinking those nasty talons in and carry of their prey. The only time i've found a bird with only broken neck was my alpha hen and egg thieves tried stealing eggs that were about ready to hatch so she attacked and they wrung her neck and tossed her, but was a stupid 2 legged jackass

 

[Helloworld]

I think it is a Russian Orloff mix

 

[Howard E]

I have a free range flock of now only 7 adults and a new momma with 5 two week old chicks (hawk got one already). We are locking her in a chicken tractor today to keep her and babies safe but the hawk has already gotten two other adults in my flock in the last 24 hours!! And it didn’t eat either one, I just found them dead with no obvious trauma except broken necks. Is there anything I can do to deter or get rid of this hawk?? I’m worried I’ll lose my whole flock!!!! Thank you!

Sounds like you have two different predators at work. Hawks love baby birds.....but do not break adult bird necks and leave them. Somebody else did that.

What is your location.....in general.....state or region?

Intact birds left with broken necks could be a variety of things, but high on the list of suspects should be minks, weasels (or one of the cousins) and coons. Possibly an owl if the crop was eaten.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

For feathered predators, try to become friends with the local crow population by feeding them during the winter. I bought a bag of scratch grain for my ducks last fall. They hated it, so i was using it as bird feed during the winter and the crows came in for the corn and other larger grains.
Since then they have started to nest in the trees around my house and not only provide early warning calls to my ducks, but also harass any kind of areal predator out of the valley, dive bombing them in mid flight, ruining their hunting runs by making lot's of noise and preventing them to rest anywhere.
Raccoons are my ducks nemesis here…

 

[PamHerring]

I wasn’t sure. Thought maybe a Cooper’s hawk, a Merlin, very common around here, or a Peri Falcon. Thank you!

I have a red tail hawk and vultures now flying over my yard. Starting to worry me . I will shoot them.

 

[LeggyLeghorn]

I have a red tail hawk and vultures now flying over my yard. Starting to worry me . I will shoot them.

where are you located? certain vultures are protected in the USA. there are alternative solutions to shooting a predatory bird.

 

[LeggyLeghorn]

Yep! Cover them up for a while and see what happens. Going to need a roof! I just caught a bird of prey ontop of my covered run yesterday.

nice image. a beautiful bold bird!

 

[Stormyweather]

Thank you everyone!! We will put cds up today and hope for the best. Momma and babies are locked away safe.... hopefully my rooster can scare off whatever tries for the adults.