HAWK Not Only Swooped But LANDED!!

[MrsChickendad]

We've also had hawks lately, landing in the yard when the girls are out free ranging. I think right now they seem more prevalent because it is migration season and we are near a main flyway. The girls don't seem at all bothered by the gazillion turkey vultures that coast overhead; but there was lots of chicken swearing at the hawks!

 

[skyfires]

Hawks are a problem here to,,,,,in fact one swooped in and hit my screen door on the chicken coop. He put a larg dent in it he hit so hard!!!! I was sitting in my other run when it happened. I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes. He hit the screen with a large boom sound. He fell to the ground and rolled around for a few seconds. I jumped up yelling and screaming,,,ran up to him and he stagered,,,got his footing and limped/flew up to the first branch of the tree by the henhouse. I was still screaming,,,yelling,,,,he was screaming,,,yelling,,, one big mess. He flew away after this crazy lady wouldn't let up,,, haven't seen him since,,that'll teach him to mess with a Arky,,,,,,haha

 

[chicknmania]

You can try this....get a bunch of old cd's or dvd's...we keep all those free ones that come in the mail and we have a bunch of others...try a piece of string through the hole and hang them at different heights and in different places where your chickens range...the swinging, twirling, and flashing in the wind does help to keep the hawks away. But notice I said "does help" Another thing you can try is to set off a bottle rocket, or firecrackers, next time one is around, that should help to scare it off for a few days. As you probaby know it is against Federal law to do much more than that. If you don't have one already and are able to, get a rooster...they will help the flock stay out of harm's way. And, fall and early winter is the worst time for hawks...they are hungry, and prey is beginning to dissappear. Our experience has been that they are not as much of a problem in the spring and summer time. Recently I saw a hawk sitting on the ground in our field, watching our chickens...and they will drop from the trees above chickens feeding on the ground. They are not confined to soaring in the air to look for their prey, and most are clever about catching their prey, of course, they have to be. We even had two come through the door into our barn once, where the chickens were.

 

[chicknmania]

We were flying a kite once out by our barn...it was funny to watch the chickens scream and run in terror...we never even thought about them thinking it was a hawk...Also, they will learn the warning calls of other wildlife,...jays, crows, chickadees, squirrels...and they do pay attention to those warnings and will learn to take cover when they hear them.