Hawk stole a young chicken! How to deter them?

[papajoesfarm]

Yup - CMOM is right. We gave up free ranging a long time ago due to losses. If you aren't willing to accept losing some of your birds, then you need some kind of confinement to protect them. Especially if you aren't around during the day. I have two dedicated runs for our flocks, and have not had a loss since I did that. It can be a bit pricey with the cost of anything wooden these days, but if you can find a salvage yard nearby, you can put something up for cheap, and not need to take out a second mortgage. Here is a link to find a salvage yard anywhere in the US: Salvage Yards Near Me

 

[Anime2lover]

Yup - CMOM is right. We gave up free ranging a long time ago due to losses. If you aren't willing to accept losing some of your birds, then you need some kind of confinement to protect them. Especially if you aren't around during the day. I have two dedicated runs for our flocks, and have not had a loss since I did that. It can be a bit pricey with the cost of anything wooden these days, but if you can find a salvage yard nearby, you can put something up for cheap, and not need to take out a second mortgage. Here is a link to find a salvage yard anywhere in the US: Salvage Yards Near Me

We already have a salvage yard we use. Thanks for the link anyway.

 

[Kaddi143]

Maybe longer because there's more then one.

This year I had 7 hunting my girls now a bald eagle is hanging around! The hawks were like chumming in a shark tank this year! Was horrible!

 

[Kaddi143]

Yup - CMOM is right. We gave up free ranging a long time ago due to losses. If you aren't willing to accept losing some of your birds, then you need some kind of confinement to protect them. Especially if you aren't around during the day. I have two dedicated runs for our flocks, and have not had a loss since I did that. It can be a bit pricey with the cost of anything wooden these days, but if you can find a salvage yard nearby, you can put something up for cheap, and not need to take out a second mortgage. Here is a link to find a salvage yard anywhere in the US: Salvage Yards Near Me

I got 7 dollar deer netting at Walmart its like 25 ft by 15 ft and 5 bucks a piece for posts and made huge aviary in yard! Works and they can still be free!

 

[Kaddi143]

We usually have plently of other prey around for the hawks. There's even a rabbit family that lives right under our shed.

They often prefer easy prey rabbit squirrels and rats are faster than a unsuspecting hens! Opportunist go for easy!

 

[Kaddi143]

This year I had 7 hunting my girls now a bald eagle is hanging around! The hawks were like chumming in a shark tank this year! Was horrible!

 

[SLA]

CDs? How's it work? Does it make noise? Is it the movement? The reflection??

Reflection

 

[Kaddi143]

Reflection

I bought packs of mirror tiles from Amazon.com hung from trees with strings works!!

 

[Kaddi143]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y5DXCZN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_FH68861SPVYJ8JP097GP

 

[Punkyrooster16]

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!

Oh yeah, sorry if it sounded like I thought hawks weren’t a risk to fully grown hens - I actually meant that the crows won’t bother with full-grown hens and we’ve only ever had hawk issues here when we didn’t have a dog - there’s LOTS of mice in the field nearby so they just can’t be bothered to take the risk. But when we were between dogs, it was a hawk field day when the fox wasn’t trying to steal them.