Hawk stole a young chicken! How to deter them?

[Lu Baby]

We have dogs and kids that are outside almost constantly in our yard with our free range chickens. We've had hawks all the years we've lived here and never once have they bothered our flock. But lately they seemed to have lost much of their fear of that. Exp, just a few days ago I'd just culled a duck and left for a few minutes to get the next one. When I was returning to the culling area, I saw a hawk fly and land up on a branch right above my recently culled duck., only about a yard from me. Just a few hours, a hawk was perched right on the fence pole near our free ranging chickens. Which I immediately penned up and did a head count of. We are now missing one out of five half grown chicks....

Yes, it's heartbreaking when they "disappear" from hawk visits. We have found that tying silver CD's from string tied to tree and bush branches has almost eliminated hawk fly-overs. We haven't lost a chicken since we did this. They catch the light and breezes and confuse the hawks. Good luck, xo

 

[Luv Ducks]

I’d probably go more along this route if there weren’t a clear end in sight, though (in my case, the chicks will be too big to be easy targets in a few weeks, and they have also caught on that they can hang out near our dog and no one will bother them). The thing is, even if this particular hawk gives up, it will leave their territory open for other hawks to move in. I’d likely go the netting and siren decoy route if they were targeting full-grown chickens, though the cds should help until you can get all that in place. We had to take a break from free-ranging for a few years when we didn’t have a dog because the predators were such an issue - when it wasn’t the hawks, it was the foxes (who had no issues coming up to our front porch in the middle of the day to grab a hen).

My neighbor had a red tail hawk pick up one of his full size chickens and get it about six feet off of the ground. He was right in the back yard when it happened and had something in his hand that he threw at the hawk and it dropped his hen. Who would guess they would go after a full size chicken but if they have babies or are that hungry I guess they will. Good luck with your setup. I have netting over all of my pen along with solar guard lights 18 inches on the outer pen to deter raccoons. So far my ducks have all been safe for over a year now.

 

[jspeese]

The only sure fire method I know of is to have a run with a top. And I am not opposed to the "3 Ss" if it's on my land killing my stuff and I catch it.

 

[jspeese]

The only sure fire method I know of is to have a run with a top. And I am not opposed to the "3 Ss" if it's on my land killing my stuff and I catch it.

 

[Thomas70]

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

I have a security light beside my run. I strung twine from my security light pole to my house in 3 different directions between the run and my house. That was the area where the hawks were swooping down and grabbing my guineas. I have not seen them since this was done 6 months ago. Hawks have really keen eyesite to I think the flashing colors irritates their eyes so they move on somewhere else.

 

[EODcowgirl]

We have dogs and kids that are outside almost constantly in our yard with our free range chickens. We've had hawks all the years we've lived here and never once have they bothered our flock. But lately they seemed to have lost much of their fear of that. Exp, just a few days ago I'd just culled a duck and left for a few minutes to get the next one. When I was returning to the culling area, I saw a hawk fly and land up on a branch right above my recently culled duck., only about a yard from me. Just a few hours, a hawk was perched right on the fence pole near our free ranging chickens. Which I immediately penned up and did a head count of. We are now missing one out of five half grown chicks....

Chickadees and redwing black birds are great at chasing off eagles and hawks. Keep a bird feeder full near your chickens for chickadees and a hay field tall for red wing black birds. We usually rotate our field cutting till the neighbors corn field gets tall enough to house the black birds. And our fencing on the chicken yard and duck yards is just barely big enough to allow some finches and chickadees in who share some of our poultry feed helps keep them around and they clean up the spills my chickens and ducks don’t. It’s a win win. We live close to 3 major rivers so have a lot of hawks and eagles but have only lost one young chicken in our first year to them because of doing this. Also for where you chickens free range make sure their is tall brush, bushes or evergreen trees the chickens can hid under when they see a hawk. They will take cover if they can.

 

[schmedlap]

if all else fails, remember the 3 S's (shoot shovel shut up) with emphasis on the last S

 

[Birdsonghill]

No chicken is as valuable as a bird of prey! That is why they are protected! Most states offer rewards for turning in criminals and ignorant persons who kill protected animals. I am a hunter friendly, meat eating, life long chicken person. I would gladly turn in, for free, any ignorant scumbag who kills an Eagle, hawk or owl. I can understand killing a snake in the coop or a coop raiding fox, raccoon , or mink. I have trapped and shot some myself. If you feel compelled to kill raptors over free ranging your chickens, you should not free range! There are billions of chickens! Most of us are not subsistence hunters or farmers, anymore, and have some education. It is possible to lower your losses while free ranging without killing the local wild Raptors, but it is not likely you can prevent any losses from wildlife to a free ranged flock, over time. Sometimes you can be lucky for years, sometimes they will start after the domestic birds almost immediately! Do not keep chickens free range if you can not tolerate some losses and are not willing or able to provide the security you desire, without resorting to killing important and protected raptors! This web sight should warn posters and remove post suggesting criminal activity and bad flock management that encourages the ignorant to use a bullet, instead of being responsible for their flocks safety, without regards to the natural wonders that are Raptors and resorting to criminality! I have kept chickens as an adult, on my own, for well over 40 years and have tried a lot of things and made some mistakes. I never resorted to killing raptors and try to avoid killing anything, by making my birds safe enough to satisfy me and keep my flock safe through protective devices, runs, coops and vigilance. When my energy level and the predations were not in synch, I stopped free ranging, for the most part. My chickens are healthy, produce well and are kept with plenty of space per bird. I grow treats and feed as well as purchasing feed. I do not tolerate losses well, hence my covered run. If you ever see or know of anyone kill a raptor, call your local game and fish commission! The reward for turning in the ignorant criminals can go up to $10,000 and so can the fines! $500 rewards are offered for turning in criminals, for the illegally killing of most protected animals and is about the minimum fine, as well, for most species of protected non game animals. The offenders can have their guns confiscated and even have some jail time, as well, ordered by the judge. Many good people have offered various methods to reduce predation by raptors on free range chickens and many of these methods are fairly effective. Long narrow fenced runs with flash tape/ribbons tied to strings over the top works well, usually, to stop hawks and owls, without covered runs, for me in the past. Anyone, who suggest shooting raptors, is suggesting criminal behavior, but worse, it is just ignorant and selfish! Not sorry, if anyone is offended by the truth! We could debate this, but that would be allowing the ignorant to embarrass themselves, and reveal their criminal nature. I will not respond to fools or criminals about this topic , that want to act like children, fools or criminals by supporting murdering birds of prey over a domestic chicken that could easily be protected from predation.

 

[Mrs Grant]

I bought deer netting (large one 7 bucks Walmart) and made aviary over the entire back part of my yard after three attacks and one killing of mine. I also bought tons of the square on Amazon like reflecting mirrors and used string and put all over the tress and bushes and fence line with decoy owls and motion sirens with flashing lights (solar powered) on edge of roof and hen house run area and high in trees where they sit and wait to deter them! With prayers has been effective! I also put falcon decoys out! I move the decoys every few days!

Sounds very easy to do and might help my situation.
Can you please post a picture of what you figure out to do to help Your situation.

My husband has a bb gun and starts shooting NOT at them but at his target and the ping hitting metel target helps a little he thinks..but not sure.

 

[Cluckminster Fuller]

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

I finally put a chicken wire roof on the large pen we built. It also helps keep out other predators. We have so many raptors on our mountain that getting them to leave was not possible.