Hawk Problems...what covers your run?

[bigoakhunter]

I had to run 2x4's across mine then put 1x2 welded wire fencing for the top of run. We live in the woods and years back, I kept losing one or two chickens at over time with no apparant signs of them. Finally I pulled into driveway one afternoon and a hawk flew out of run with chicken. So next time around I wanted something to keep both hawks and raccoons out.

 

[lilchick]

I have used deer netting the 7 ft. by 100 ft. rolls and overlapped edges a bit and used small zip ties. Trouble is it doesn't last very long.. only good if you have temporary pens to cover say for the summer or short time.
My best buy was the knotted netting which came in a 12.5 ft. by 150 ft. roll.. It is the 2 inch holes so snow does not pile up on it. It is heavy duty and is the same that they use on baseball fields for back stops to catch a pop fly. It should last 8 to 10 years...
Bought it off e-bay and paid much more than for a roll of deer netting but now I will not have to replace it for years....

 

[hrdwrkgrl]

We have chicken wire on the top of our run... and a tarp over half of it for shade and protection from the rain.. It seems to be working. Good luck! xoxox

 

[SandyK]

I have the nylon netting that lilchick is referring to and it is great. We had 16 1/2" of snow and with the 2" holes it went right through. I bought a 25' x 50' piece for my run and secured it with small black electric zip ties to the fence all around. We lock them up at night so this keeps them in the run during the day so I don't have to clip wings and also safe from overhead predators.

 

[mdbokc]

Attach 12 - 16 foot long 2x4s to your corners; run a line between the tops of the new posts; to this line, hang some CDs, one on each line would do for a 15x15 run. The sun flashing off the CDs will be a huge deterrent to hawks and other flying predators. We have not had a hawk revisit since the day we put ours up. And we have hawks nesting 700 feet from the coop/run. They pass over every day but the visits have stopped cold in their tracks. So far so good...3 years up north and 2 years here with chickens and CDs. Otherwise, I use netting in the winter and tarps/shade cloth in the summer for the actual physical cover.

 

[CityChook]

My 6x8 run is framed in with 2x4s and topped with a solid piece of discarded metal siding. It keeps the hawks and owls out, but it also keeps out rain and most snow so that my run stays dry.

 

[jaimslee4u]

I lost three of my new girls this fall due to a Hawk. My husband was about twenty feet away using the skill saw.(ironically building the chicken coop) The pen was a circular baby pen and I had it covered with a tarp. The Hawk flew down into the covered pen with a loud saw going. Killed three and then got spooked and flew off. Hawks are tricky predators along with the many others and should not be under estimated. Our coop is covered with wire and we have 2x3's going across the top to help secure it. So far so good, Knock on wood.

Did you try hanging the cd's around the pen. I heard that can help deter them a bit because they are shiny.

 

[cheeps]

Hi folks, sorry I'm just now logging back in. So many good suggestions!! I think I will first try the CD's and see how that works. Hubby has been on the hunt for the hawk today...no sign of him. But when I get home, I have a date with an old stack of CD's and fishing wire!

 

[thedoors5to1]

Quote:
same here chicken wire on top. havent had any problems with anything yet though.

 

[DouglasPeeps]

Quote:
Take a picture! I keep thinking, what in the world are our neighbors thinking! LOL. I will try to get a picture of mine today too.