Hawk sitting on the the coop

[anythingbutsandy]

I looked out the window this morning and saw a beautiful hawk sitting on the chicken coop. I was admiring its beauty when I realized it was checking out a way to get my girls.

Thankfully they're in a fully covered & enclosed run with an attached coop. I usually let them free range in the afternoons for a couple of hours. I guess I'll no longer be letting them do that unsupervised.

I've read lots of suggestions here on dealing with them and I will be stocking up on bottle rockets as soon as they open up the firecracker stands.

 

[Illia]

Sheesh if I saw that, I'd freak out. My girls are free ranged on 3 acres of uncovered pasture, and so far for a year now, no troubles. . . And the worst part is, we're not allowed to "harass" birds of prey.

 

[joedie]

What a cheeky bugger!

 

[anythingbutsandy]

I haven't seen him since I posted. I'm hoping he's found a new home. I'm still letting the girls out to free-range in the afternoons, but I stay out with them doing chores and whatnot, which probably is not keeping the hawk away but at least makes me feel as if I'm protecting them somewhat.

 

[debilorrah]

Get a phony owl and stick it in there. Works for us. Doesn't keep the ravens away but the red tails and chicken hawks are all but gone.

 

[MrRushed]

I've had hawks sitting on my coop watching my chickens standing in the open just watching them back. They could have taken one any time they wanted to. Instead one grabbed a squirrel that hangs out stealing scraps that I give my chickens. The have been arround all summer.
I guess they're not hungry enough to take a chicken yet and I mean yet.