Hawk just took one of my ducks

[jdywntr]

I can completely understand. I found a dead chicken and then 2 of my neighbors dogs with another one in our pasture. My husband kept telling people I was upset. I was like, I'm not upset, I'm PO'd. He also said he didn't know if he could shoot a dog. I said I would. They are my birds though. Luckily the neighbor has hold true to his agreement to keep the dogs chained.

Actually, how old are your chickens and ducks? Mine were younger(8-10 weeks) when they kept getting picked off in the pasture.

Also, do you have a rooster? Since the last hen got taken, my roos have been very vigilant, they are still young though (5 months or so).

I've not lost a duck (knock on wood) I only have muscovy but I've had ducklings roaming about with their mom since they were a week old.

 

[CricketR4]

Ducks (Indian Runners) are all a year+. My three "big" girls are about 10 months, and the Bantams are about 6 months. I have 2 roosters, but they're Bantams, so only 6+ months. They put up such a fuss when the hawks fly, but I think they're too little to be any real threat to the hawks.

The hawks are bigger, not little things, grey color, almost as big as my ducks. The birds are all my "babies", but as I love all animals, I have a harder time thinking about killing the hawks. They found easy food, it's not like they're doing it for sport or anything. My hubby on the other hand, he's not as attached to the birds, but he sees the loss of eggs, and for him it's a money issue. We're loosing ducks and chickens, which give us eggs, so we end up having to buy eggs... to him we're loosing money. :/

 

[CricketR4]

UPDATE:
So, I've placed a request on FB to see if anyone knows of someone that has a LGD, or has one themselves that they want to rehome, and got a response that someone has a pair of Beaucerons (anyone know anything about them?) that they are looking for a new home for, so I'm going to talk to them about that. In the meantime, I've been going outside as much as possible doing "patrols" around the yard every few hours or so, with my shotgun. If I see a hawk, I've been shooting a warning shot into the air, being careful to not aim near the hawk (don't need to get a hefty fine or prison time by shooting one). It seems to be keeping them from staying in the area too long at least. I've also noticed that the coyotes aren't coming as near, most likely due to the gun shots every once in a while. BTW: there are at least 4 hawks hunting our property.

 

[nc farm]

What is an LGD?

 

[CricketR4]

LGD= Livestock guard Dog

 

[nc farm]

Thanks

 

[CricketR4]

Yep. Sorry, I guess I should have made that clear in my other post. :/

 

[nc farm]

No need to apologize. I'm a new chicken owner, trying to figure how to make my 7 lb dig stop looking at my chickens as a meal. Do you think he'll get used to them? They are in a fenced run.

 

[nc farm]

7 lb dog, not dig. Sorry

 

[missnu01]

If you string up the aluminum pie plates it will keep them away. It also scares off crows and squirrels. I guess the glinting of the light is disconcerting...Cds would also work, but the pie plates are so much less expensive. We have put them up to keep crows and such out of the garden and it works like a charm. Anyway get some hemp or another stron string and poke a hole through the middle of a few pie plates, space the plates about 2 or 3 feet apart on the string, and then tie that between trees or posts in the spots your chickens and ducks hang out the most. We have excellent tree cover over most of our property, but there is one big open field that I plan on putting my ducks and turkeys in...and I am thinking we need to get some pie plates ready. Then again will hawks mess with turkeys?