Hawk stole a young chicken! How to deter them?

[DesertPollos]

We’ve lost 4 to hawks . They nest in telephone poles behind our property in the desert. I took advice from here and cris crossed orange fishing line all across the yard, hung cds , left our dogs out and have made sure they’re escape locations around our 3 acres. Knock on wood but we haven’t had a loss from hawks in 6+ months. However , we did have coyotes and a bobcat jump in the yard. Once the hawks have a kill , they seem to all get the word.

 

[Karen Glatz]

So far, I haven't had to do anything. We have a couple of groups of crows in our in-town neighborhood.

I've personally watched a group of 4 crows screaming and dive bombing a hawk that dared to come into the vicinity. They harried the hawk until it flew back over the ridge and out of sight. Sometimes I see hawks riding the thermals over that ridge, but they don't come over here.

I'm sure the crows were guarding their own chicks, but in the process they guarded mine as well.

 

[chickiemom920]

I hate to tell you but my very large RIR have been attacked by 3 red tails and a cooper's hawk they are 2 year old! Hawks will attack large hens and they will continue to seek easy prey. There's tons of oaks around me with pecan trees and squirrels they choose easy prey of large slower unsuspecting hens even small dogs! Please beware!! My RIR are not social they have ganged up and beat my miniature pincer dog fighting over fresh fruit! Do not think hawks will pass on them! Twice while I was standing in yard. Also twice this year two attempts to dive on my 7 pound miniature pincer dog!

I heard that if you have black hens / roosters in your flock. Birds of prey (mainly hawks) will leave the flock alone because they mistake the black chickens for crows. Which I heard hawks and crows do not get along well. I have an enclosed run and a large outside uncovered run which I let the hens free range for couple hours a night. I have had 16 hens and praying I don’t have trouble with the hawks which live in my back yard of 14 acres. I have 1 black Australorp the other mostly reds. I have 6 chicks that I’m praying when I blend with flock they won’t be bothered either by the family of hawks in my yard. Should you find a solution PLEASE SHARE!! I would love to hear how to keep my girls safe

 

[Jajika]

How can I possibly deter them? And how long do I have to keep my free ranging flock penned before the hawk gives up?

Is there a safe place your chickens can hide when the hawk shows up. Don't they sense danger? When I let my girls out to free range, that has a lot of bushes they run under if anything casus them alarm. Hawks can't get into the bushes.

 

[Anime2lover]

Unwanted prickers, play sets, picnic tables, and their own pen.

Is there a safe place your chickens can hide when the hawk shows up. Don't they sense danger? When I let my girls out to free range, that has a lot of bushes they run under if anything casus them alarm. Hawks can't get into the bushes.

 

[Anime2lover]

Oh, and

Is there a safe place your chickens can hide when the hawk shows up. Don't they sense danger? When I let my girls out to free range, that has a lot of bushes they run under if anything casus them alarm. Hawks can't get into the bushes.

our big deck to. They all hide under those when the roosters alarm.

 

[KCD]

I heard that if you have black hens / roosters in your flock. Birds of prey (mainly hawks) will leave the flock alone because they mistake the black chickens for crows. Which I heard hawks and crows do not get along well. I have an enclosed run and a large outside uncovered run which I let the hens free range for couple hours a night. I have had 16 hens and praying I don’t have trouble with the hawks which live in my back yard of 14 acres. I have 1 black Australorp the other mostly reds. I have 6 chicks that I’m praying when I blend with flock they won’t be bothered either by the family of hawks in my yard. Should you find a solution PLEASE SHARE!! I would love to hear how to keep my girls safe

I’ve never heard this about black chickens deterring hawks. For us, it wasn’t the case as we’ve lost multiple australorps and jersey giants to hawks. Interesting concept though because the crows near us do keep the hawks away, when they (crows) are around.

 

[KCD]

Oh, and

our big deck to. They all hide under those when the roosters alarm.

As you know, there is a risk of loss with free-ranging and it sounds like you have multiple places for them to get under. That’s about all you can do if you’re free ranging.
When we’ve had attacks, from any predator, I keep mine confined to the coop and run for about 3 days, unless we are still seeing them. In that case, I typically wait about 3 days after I see them on our property. Because we are rural, I don’t think they spend a ton of time looking for the chickens if they’re cooped up for a few days; however, I did have hawk attacks (and losses) just over a week apart and it was not the same hawk. First was a juvenile and the second was a pair. So, you really never know.

The only benefit I’ve seen with attacks is that the others become quite wise and more alert. We generally don’t have more than 1 loss (if any) a year, although I have had some rough years. The 2 I lost this year were both very young and both were out in the open.

 

[Anime2lover]

As you know, there is a risk of loss with free-ranging and it sounds like you have multiple places for them to get under. That’s about all you can do if you’re free ranging.
When we’ve had attacks, from any predator, I keep mine confined to the coop and run for about 3 days, unless we are still seeing them. In that case, I typically wait about 3 days after I see them on our property. Because we are rural, I don’t think they spend a ton of time looking for the chickens if they’re cooped up for a few days; however, I did have hawk attacks (and losses) just over a week apart and it was not the same hawk. First was a juvenile and the second was a pair. So, you really never know.

The only benefit I’ve seen with attacks is that the others become quite wise and more alert. We generally don’t have more than 1 loss (if any) a year, although I have had some rough years. The 2 I lost this year were both very young and both were out in the open.

We've free ranged for about 6 yr and never lost a chicken to hawks until this year. The one taken was a youngster that was only a few months old... A spring chick that was hatched this spring.

 

[ElizaMay]

Is there a safe place your chickens can hide when the hawk shows up. Don't they sense danger? When I let my girls out to free range, that has a lot of bushes they run under if anything casus them alarm. Hawks can't get into the bushes.

Ladt fall I came out my yard door to a huge racket, and saw part of my big white hen in the low brush out front. I was thinking gosh, that rooster's being too rough on her, that's going to stop now. I walked into the bushes to find a coopers hawk sitting on her back riding around as flapped and tried to run. I managed to swish him away from her but it only went up into the apple tree about 10 feet. I chased it some more and it left. I carried the young hen down to our barn and checked her out, thank god for thick feathers, she had a small skin nick on the back of her neck. She was traumatized and stayed in for the day. I figured it was a young hawk leaving parentsl territory and striking out on its own, too stupid to catch a rabbit, hungry and looking for easier pickings, because while we have loads of bald eagles that glide thermals way up, we have not seen a hawk in more than 20 years. I figured it would likely bd back and it would become a habit.
Most of our spring birds used to lay under our large leaning apple tree near the barn during the heat of the day. We had maybe 12 young roos (yay) and 4 hens. I looked out one day and the yard was silent, and nobody beneath the trees. Then about 20 feet away was young miss/master hawk sitting on one of my lavender orp pullets, stripping her feathers.
Trees and shrubs don't stave off a hungry raptor.