Hawk making daily visits, no success yet...

[Sara Ranch]

I use old bed sheets and pieces of fabric attached to fencing/posts/lines that provide shade/cover for my chickens as well as flap and deter overhead predators. So far, it's worked.

I am outside often and that helps too.

I have black buzzards (who will take live animals for eating if they are REALLY hungry) that fly by, sometimes super low, multiple times a day. None have grabbed my chickens in open pastures or the ones that completely free range.

 

[RodNTN]

I have the same problem with Redtail hawks. They have made numerous attacks, and thankfully, have not made any successful attacks.

There isn't much you can do to deter them, since it is illegal to kill them.

If they were kept in a run/pen you could use CDs to deter them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cds-as-hawk-deterrent.288313/

Just keep a very close on them. Best wishes!

 

[2mnypetz]

I hung several old CDs from a rope, then tied the ends of the rope to trees so the CDs hang down. I found the idea somewhere online. In theory, the hawk swoops down, but the flash of the discs surprises it & it flies away.

 

[chicken4prez]

I hung several old CDs from a rope, then tied the ends of the rope to trees so the CDs hang down. I found the idea somewhere online. In theory, the hawk swoops down, but the flash of the discs surprises it & it flies away.

That's such a great idea. The problem with my flock is I have trees and bushes everywhere except a space and thats's where the hawks always attack. I wonder if I could just put a pole up or something.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

We have red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks that patrol our property. One was keeping vigil on top of our run the other day.
Our six girls are completely enclosed by hardware cloth in their 200 square foot run.
Between the coyotes, foxes, raccoons, mink, weasels, hawks and owls, there will be no free-ranging here.
I am sure the ladies would have a ball until the inevitable.
Hence, no free ranging.
I am not willing to risk it.