Hawk Prevention?

[goosemama]

Have a large fenced yard where our chickens forage and a secure coop where they are locked up at night. Found picked clean bones and a pile of plucked feathers at the edge of the yard this week. When I counted I was missing 3 adult hens and a few of my 2 month old chicks which now go outside. Our fenced yard is large but near to our house so we should hear a ruckus with 3 geese in the yard as well (but alas no adult roosters as yet). We think it may be a hawk so are making a movable scarecrow plus hanging up shiny ribbons used to scare birds from fruit trees. Think that may distract him. Already have a fake owl on a pole in the garden but he is obviously not afraid of him!!! Anybody have any other ideas? Could it be a raccoon or opossum attacking during the daylight hours? We haven't actually seen a hawk, but we normally have a red-tailed hawk flying over our fields in past summers.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Hawks usually carry off their prey and eat it in a tree.

 

[goosemama]

Would they be able to lift an adult hen weighing about 6 to 8 lbs?

 

[goosemama]

Whatever came over or under the fence was very bold to kill a hen in the backyard, pluck it and calmly eat it ALL - only a few bones and the feathers are left and they are picked clean. We have woods at the side of the fenced yard, vineyards and open fields behind which are bordered by more woods. We have seen in past years fox, coyote, possum and raccoon. The opposum was the only one I caught inside the fenced area and the next morning I found one of my adult hens killed and part of her breast eaten, the rest left. At times like these wouldn't you love to have a perimeter video camera that records every critter that approaches your fence? I have had to be away for weeks at a time looking after my sick mother in Canada. My husband drives me up, stays a few days then returns home as he has a business to run. He's in and out much of the day so we haven't made a "human" presence around the garden and backyard consistently the last 2 months. I'm sure this happened during daylight hours as they all go in the henhouse and the automatic door shuts them in about 9:30 every night. We put up that silvery tape to scare away birds on our fence posts going around the permiter in hopes this will deter by day or night. Will just have to keep our eyes peeled.

 

[awheel11]

We have a ton of hawks, raccoons, and possums out where I live, too. I haven't actually had anything kill a chicken yet, but I walked in on a possum chewing up one of my roosters one night. Luckily i caught it just in time and saved the roo. My adult rooster does a really good job letting out calls when he sees a hawk and then all the hens run for cover. I'm also lucky in that my dog is fiercely protective of our chickens. She thinks they are her babies.

I'm really hoping i could learn some ways to deter the hawks as well.