Hawk question

[chickengeorgeto]

Your ... hawk is there first for a predictable and easy to catch prey assemblage which is dominated by small rodents...
.... Chickens are targets of opportunity... I free-range with hawks hunting my place for smaller prey.... yet ...seldom loose [a] chicken...

Add the small birds and squirrels that are all looking for an easy meal and find that your chickens' food fills the freeloaders bellies nicely. In fact as centrarchid pointes out your chickens' food not only draws hawk bait in the form of birds and rodents but if your coops and runs are not also bird and rodent proof, they make a dandy safe haven from the 3 species of chicken hawks trying to eat the freeloaders.

The big exception is the Sharp Shinned or Blue Darter hawk (the smallest of the chicken hawks) who together with the Coopers hawk will carry off baby chickens like a zoo elephant eats peanuts, especially when they have young to feed.

 

[centrarchid]

Great

Great post.
I've had red tails (usually juveniles) fly right by me (felt the wind) and go after my hens.
There is one post here in this thread in which the poultry keeper does well with free ranging and hawks.
I personally believe it is area dependent.   Simply what is the supply of "natural" prey for the hawks? 
I had one hawk return 6 days in  a row and kill a hen in their run.  It was a new set up and had not had the time to cover the run.  It was completely irresponsible of me to let the hens out after the second kill until I covered the run.  The prey was too easy (slow and confined in a pen) and thus why should the hawk chase down rabbits, squirrels, mice, wild birds etc.
Once I got the netting up that night when I went out to lock up the hawk came back (I knew he would) but apparently he thought he could breach the netting.  He got all tangled up and died from apparent stress.

Management dependent. Some neighbors have similar relationship to yours with hawks.