Hawk killed my 3 week old buff orpington-need predator advise

[Barbierifarms]

My chicks were having there outside time in a totally enclosed dog cage (coop in progress).It was about 8ft from my backdoor a hawk came down grabed one of the chicks threw the cage& broke its neck (it could get its foot in but could not pull the chick out)& flew away before we could get out the back door& across the porch.It was HUGE.I have 4 kids, my youngest are 2&4 & they play with the chicks in the yard.I am now worried they might try & attack my small kids.There is a rock query across the street thats where the hawks live.What should i do to protect my 4 kids& 16 chicks &3 cats& a 13yr old hound dog?My hubby & dad said practice up shooting my air riffle but i dont know what i should do for sure.I have read up on Hawks & I'm in NC where they seem to like to live. Help!!!

 

[hinkjc]

I'm pretty sure hawks are federally protected, so they cannot be harmed. I am doubtful they would attempt to harm your children or the dog, but young chicks are an attractant. Keep the chicks in a covered pen. Sometimes just laying a tarp or piece of wood over the top is enough to not make them so noticable. Although I find when the hawks are being a pest, it is best to keep everyone inside their coop for a day or so, till he moves on. If you live in an area that has a lot of hawks, I would plan your coop and run accordingly.

 

[Barbierifarms]

Thanks for your reply,I didnt know they were protected.I'm gona keep the kids& chicks out of the yard for a couple days & will make sure my coop will protect my flock.If they become a problem again I'll call animal control for help/advise.

 

[Mattemma]

Hawks will attack around their nest/young. Kids should be safe.Add some chicken wire or even simple bird netting around the crate.

If the hawk should accidentally die I would not mention it to anyone since you could be fined-accident or not!

Loud noise,cd's,fishing line ,plastic owls,red mylar strips,bottle rockets.Besides a very secure run with top cover of metal wire the other options only deter or slow down.AC will have little to offer.

Sorry for your loss!

 

[abhaya]

I would add bird netting over it.

 

[Barbierifarms]

Thanks for the advise.My biggest worry is my kids,but from what everyone says they shouldnt be a target for the hawks(my mom was telling me storys & freaking me out about it).I will make sure my coop has a good cover(they were in a temp.cage--x-large metal dog kennel w/4sides).My grandpa has had this land for about 30yrs & he always saw them in the air but never in the yard so hopefully it will never be a problem again.If so i will call animal control for help,I would rather they deal w/it,if need be.I dont want to hurt it or be fined, just want it to go away.I usually sit w/the chicks during outside time but was busy that day w/ my daughters 11th birthday & 3 of us were checking on the chicks it had been like 3 minutes since we last looked at them.Then it was my daughters chick that died & she was crying when it was time for cake so it make the whole thing worse.She played & talked to that chick (Izzy) everyday for almost 3 weeks.I had to explain things like this happen & one day we'll lose another chicken for whatever reason.I think were all calmed down from it & should use it as a learning experience.

 

[Barbierifarms]

I've done alot more reading & talking to older family members they say its not a hawk its a buzzard called a Peregrine falcon so i have started to look at pics of them & think they may be right.The white on there bellys is the same & its larger than a redtail hawk.This bird was about 10pds (http://www.avianweb.com/peregrinefalcons.html ), was pretty big.Im still reading up on the Peregrine, anyone have any info on them.I tried to post the page im looking at about this bird.These pics on this page look more like the bird we saw.thanks for any help.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'm sorry for your loss. That must have been very disturbing for your entire household.

People have posted on the forum a couple of times about setting chicks out in cages and having hawks kill them through the side of the cage. Raccoons will also do this, although they're usually a problem at night. Even a dog or fox can kill a curious chicken that sticks it's head out through the side, which has been known to happen.

The best defense is 1/2" hardware cloth over a cage or around the bottom couple of feet of a run. This keeps chicken heads inside, raptor heads outside and raccoon paws outside.

I don't think you need to worry about your children at their age or your large dog. Cats or tiny dogs can sometimes be preyed upon by large raptors. Adult chickens will still be at risk if you free range. Chicks are preyed upon by just about everything, even cats, rats and snakes. They are just too small to resist.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Peregrins are a medium-sized falcon, not a buzzard. And they are noticeably smaller than a red-tailed hawk (although a male red-tail and a female peregrin might be similar in size. Peregrins weigh 1.3 lb, red-taileds weigh 2.3 lb. To find a 10lb raptor, you are looking at an eagle, not a hawk or falcon or vulture. That said, birds often weigh far less than it appears that they would. Bones are hollow to more readily allow flight.

In general, falcons hunt aerial prey while hawks hunt prey on the ground. There are certainly exceptions to both. Also, falcons tend to have slender wings that are angled like a ^ ; hawks tend to have broader wings that are relatively straight on both front and back. The wingtips of falcons tend to be more pointed, while those of a hawk are more rounded. The peregrin is the fastest animal in the world, with a dive speed exceeding 200 mph.

There are a number of hawks and falcons in your area. whatbird.com gives excellent information on wild birds.

Buzzards generally eat carrion, not live prey, although if hungry they will take live. Black vultures are particularly apt for taking live prey; turkey vultures will only do so if very hungry.

 

[Tenneesse]

You can shoot the hawks if you know they are killing your birds.

I use 3 plastic owls on poles that seems to work very well keeping birds of prey away. I have one in the garden and the other 2 about the yard. I often see hawks soaring very high but have never had them go for the chickens. I did see them taking a close look at our Yorkie a few yeaars ago. That's primarily what led to the idea of the plastic owls and it seems to have an impact on the hawks. There is never a guarantee with the hawks except enclosing them (the chickens) all the time. Good luck
These are Buzzards and don't prey but feed on dead.