Hawk problem.....anyone know how long they will hang around?

[tadkerson]

It is not a government handout. The federal laws are responsible for the death of my chickens therefore the federal government should pay me for my birds that are killed by hawks. You can not kill the hawks that would destroy your property. Compensation is not a hand out.

If you had a 5,000 dollar bull standing in the pasture and a pack of wolves came onto your property and killed the bull- you would expect the federal government to pay you for the bull. That would not be a hand out but compensation for property loss. What is the difference in the bull and 25 chickens killed by hawks- I know the bull is more expensive but to a person who has very little money and depends on egg sales for some income the 200 dollars to replace the hens could be out of reach.

I pay thousands of dollars in taxes from the money that I worked hard to earn. I would not see it as a hand out- the federal government is just returning what is mine to start with. Giving me money for something I did not earn or deserve is a hand out. If the government is going to make laws then the government should pay me for property lost due to the laws.

Tim

 

[Miltonchix]

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Even still, another government beauracracy. For every dollar you recieve in compensation costs US taxpayers another 20 to run. STILL a big waste of money. I'll just protect my chickens from predators, just like people did before BIG government that CLAIMS to be looking out for me.
And the farmers in Montana who are being paid for cattle lost to wolves.......... the compensation is ridiculous. A cow worth $4OO TO $5OO costs US, the taxpayer, somewhere in the neighborhood of $30,000. Sounds like I should buy some wolf bait so I can get rich, on the backs of taxpayers, too.

 

[mediazeal]

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so what are the dimensions of her run now, the swoop-proof size

thanks

 

[calichix]

We have hawks, eagles and rapier predators flying around year round here. Birds of prey are pretty smart and they will only go after prey if they see that they can swoop in, grab and get away. So I put my pens under tree branches and also cover the pens/runs with bird netting. As it approaches late afternoon, I let the girls out of their pens so they can run around more. They are used to this now, and having seen some of their sisters get spirited away by big, mean Birdies with long nails, they actually go in to their pens by themselves each morning. (Chickens aren't stupid!)

It is a pain in the patoot to get the netting up, and the girls no longer can run all over the backyard all day, but well worth not having to worry about one of the family becoming a meal for a hungry hawk or eagle.

 

[Barred Rocker]

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Here in Va it's not legal to kill birds of prey unless they are destroying livestock and/or poultry. Then you have the right to lock and load. I had a hawk problem a few months ago he made a few near misses on my free range hens. I shot my 410 in his general direction to give him a hint and I think he got the message, he hasn't shown his tail feathers here for quite a while. I'll maintain a shot across the bow attitude but if I get a hard headed one I'm going to contact my local game warden and see what my options are.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I have a hawk problem here too. Lost two chickens two weeks ago. I have Cooper's hawks and a red tail that have been hanging around. Last weekend there was one sitting on the deck railing right outside my kitchen window! Not sure what kind it was - wasn't a red tail or Cooper's (something in between). I bought one of those big plastic owls and mounted it on the top of my tallest shepherd's hook. It seems to be working - they fly over now but they don't stop in to visit.

 

[tadkerson]

It is a federal law that states a person is not to shoot hawks. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and its amendments and statutes supersede any state laws. The hawks can kill every one of your birds and there is not a thing you can do about it- legally.

Miltonchix,

Could you please point me to the research or agency from which you obtained your information.

Tim

 

[chicknmania]

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That is not true. Most hawks migrate, and, depending on where you are, he will probably eventually move on. Even if they live there year round, they DO NOT hang around until are your birds are gone, although they may hang around long enough to get a couple more. Most have a big territory and most of the year there is lots of stuff that is easier for them to eat. At least, that has always been our experience, and we have had free range chickens for five years. Hang some old cd's or dvd's, that spin in the wind, and flash. Decorative wind spinners help, too, or metallic fringe. Next time you see the hawk, fire off a few bottle rockets in the air. Not at the hawk, just in the air. Last time we did that, the hawks left and have not been back, that was a month ago. It is true that owls will kill hawks, so a plastic owl is a good idea, too, just move it around once in a while.
PS: just to avoid an argument, I should add that ours do learn how to watch for and avoid the hawks; obviously if yours are in an open pen a hawk might stick around til they're all gone. Our roosters are a big help in warning the flock against predators, including hawks.

 

[Barred Rocker]

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I'll back this up. My chickens are quite hawk saavy and stick close to cover when they free range. I have plenty of shrubs and undergrowth that they dart into as soon as the warning is given. I've had 4 instances over the past several months where the hawks attempted a strike but lost out to my sharp eyed roosters. I only lost one 2 month old chick last summer but I'm guessing she was too inexperienced to avoid it. And I will also state that even though it may be a federal law against shooting hawks, it is one that is almost impossibe to enforce unless someone rats on you or catches you red handed. I live in a very rural area. Farms spanning hundreds of acres and thousands of acres of forests. I know quite a few farmers that wouldn't blink at popping a hawk out of the sky if it was killing his flock. Not saying it's the right thing to do but it's done.

 

[chicknmania]

Please don't kill them. They are beautiful creatures, and there is a reason they are protected. All they see is a meal. Brains are always better than brawn. And I say this, even after having lost my sweet Hedwig to a hawk, and Sandy too...hens we loved and mourned. And we have lost others. But I would never shoot a hawk, or even think about doing so. They are just following their instinct...like a chicken killing a butterfly.