Hawk making daily visits, no success yet...

[ccspin]

Hello! We have a hawk (I think a redtail) making daily attempts on our backyard flock of 13 layers. So far he hasn't suceeded or even injured any hens, and we'd like to keep it that way! He usually makes one or two passes and then moves on. Occasionally he has even landed and made hopping grabs at hiding hens. We noticed he always seems to attack before 10am, so we tried keeping them locked up in their moveable coop until about noon (thinking he might be a creature of habit), which worked for a few days. Now he's made another pass at a different time of day. The hens are alert, sound the alarm, and dive for cover... but the repeated attempts have me concerned. This is our first hawk issue in 3 years. Is fall a common time for hawk activity? Can I hope it will pass if we keep the hens safe for long enough? If so, how long in your experience? Is the hawk's failure to nab a chicken a sign we're dealing with a juvenile? Any chance he'll pass on if we can make sure he continues to fail?

 

[Trish1974]

In my area, yes, fall is when I see the most hawk activity. Sounds like you are doing everything you can. I can't answer any of your other questions but hopefully @centrarchid will see this post and respond. He knows alot about birds of prey.

 

[chicken4prez]

I will be watching this thread because I'm having the same exact problem. Darn hawks.

 

[Trish1974]

Just wanted to add its very important to know exactly what kind of hawk you are dealing with, so maybe get a picture of it next time you see it and look it up in a bird book or the internet. For instance Cooper's hawks are not a threat to FULL GROWN chickens, but I have seen them stalk my neighbor's adult flock and occasionally swoop down at one and then pull up at the last minute (I guess they realize they aren't big enough to tackle that chicken), and Red-shouldered hawks eat only snakes, frogs, small rodents.

 

[centrarchid]

Flocks that are hen only and / or made up only of immature birds are particularly vulnerable to hawk depredation. Fully adult standard-sized roosters can help keep Coopers Hawks away when the roosters are most effective when not in heavy molt. All mine are in heavy molt currently. A female Coopers Hawk can take down an American Dominique hen when hen is isolated.

Cover is be very important although rooster needed to see benefits of that.

Need to know with more confidence what hawk species is involved. Could you take a picture of it on next visit?

I would pen hens unless you are out with them. Rarely, a hawk will attack while you are present. If it did, have a broom handy and brush it off in the event hawk tries to stand its ground when you approach. I would not be concerned about legal repercussions for doing that so long as not intent made to harm hawk. Dealing with hawk in such a manner very unlikely. I have done it only a couple times and I have been messing with chickens free-range push limits for some time.

 

[ccspin]

Thanks for your reply! My money is on a red-tailed hawk, though I can't be 100% sure. It has a very pale underside, creamy and plain, not reddish like the pictures of a red-shouldered hawk. No dark bars on the underside of the wing feathers that I remember. I do recall thinking it seemed small to attack an adult dual-purpose hen. Sorry, just not certain!

 

[Akrnaf2]

We use this things to keep out Pigeons
Maybe it will help against the hawk?

 

[ccspin]

I have had the kids outdoors to get after the hawk with noise and projectiles when he shows up in the morning... seems effective so far! The chicken tractor is large enough for the hens to stay in it all day if we leave the house...though they are not happy. They'll move into my fenced garden for the winter, and the plan is to cover their "run" then. Just gotta get through a few more weeks of fall gardening with the hens free-ranging the yard before they'll have hawk net defending them overhead!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

We use this things to keep out Pigeons
Maybe it will help against the hawk?
View attachment 1132088

Akrnaf2, the hawks in the new world evidently are made of sterner stuff from those in the Holy Land.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Akrnaf2, the hawks in the new world evidently are made of sterner stuff from those in the Holy Land.
View attachment 1132275

Yes I know...... the Pigeons here know the trick , I tried to find a similar pic with a pigeon. .....
But the principle with this scarecrows is that it need to have somthing moving ( a plastic bag?) And it needs to be place changed frequently.