Hawk swoops down over me repeatedly going after my girls.

[DrakeMaiden]

I'd recommend not having the chickens out unless you are with them for a while. If the hawk doesn't have an easy target, it will likely move along eventually. It will just make for a few difficult weeks, but in my experience the birds of prey won't waste their time for long.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

as they loose their natural habitats they are going to get more brazen and un afraid of humans.

We have a burgeoning squirrel problem here. Yearly we have at least one get into the house. Today we returned from taking care of the horse to find a larger one sitting on the top steps of the porch. He looked at us. stood up. Chattered something at us and then hopped across the porch in no big hurry. one of my cats was even sitting there. No fear at all.

My girls are under the trees, in a run fenced all the way around with the heavy duty hardware clothe. I know we have the red tails here(have seen them hunting around the park and school playing fields. We also have a Peregrine falcon in the neighborhood. Luckily everyone seems to have learned.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Another trick I learned here, but have yet to try -- if you have a bunch of old CDs that you don't use, you could hold them up and/or mount them on string or posts bottom-side up, so that on sunny days the bright reflections might act as deterents to air raids.

 

[MagsC]

Thats one BOLD hawk.

As said, I think they become accustomed to people from being around them, enough to where they dont scare as easily. There seem to be loads of good ideas here though to keep it from getting your hens.

 

[scooter147]

Anyone with squirrel problems can borrower my Boston Terrier, LuLu. She doesn't catch them but she does a WONDERFUL job of keeping them in the trees.

 

[the simple life]

There are some great ideas here, I will employ a combination of them.
Its true that they are building so much around everywhere that animals are losing their natural habitats and spreading outward for food.
But its crazy how close they come and aren't afraid. This one was just so brazen it was unnerving, I fully expected it to run off when it saw humans but it didn't faze it at all.
I am definitely not going to be able to let them out in the yard without me for a good while.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Unfortunately where we live (Natalie lives very close to me) a gunshot in your backyard will most likely result in the SWAT team showing up, surrounding your house, helicopters in the air, local news coverage and you being hauled off to jail. And I am only slightly exaggerating.

We too had a hawk swoop down on the girls last night, poor hubby called me frantic, saying we were missing two - but they showed up, they were hiding in the woods. This was the sharp shinned that's been hanging around, I'm surprise it'll go for a full grown chicken, most of the birds are bigger than it is! I was out there tonight with them for three hours, they stayed pretty close to me out behind the run (I was wiring. Always wiring!) What am I wiring? The chicken wire to the top of the run to keep away the hawks!

 

[Duppydo]

I have a redtail checking out my hens fairly often. They have alot of evergreens, white pines, eastern red cedars and lyland cypress to hide under..Thats one defense that seems too work pretty well...I also love the crows that hang out around my property...they go after a redtail in a flash when they come around here.
I feed them chicken skin and other scraps, so there around here most of the time. My chickens have learned the crows warnings and cries of a present hawk and take cover...
Nothing is going to work perfectly all the time, but so far,knock on wood, plenty of dense cover and the crows have worked well for me.
I know some don't like crows, they steal chicks if given a chance, but i wouldn't let chicks range around, when they get big enough, then i let them loose...Kevin

 

[MayberrySaint]

Quote:
While I understand it is illegal to shoot hawks and other raptors, I don't think it is necessary to worry about the cyber game wardens lurking around BYC. Last time I checked, there is nothing illegal recommending that you shoot a hawk and even if you post about doing the deed, it would be impossible to prove it without a body or actual witness. I wouldn't be too paranoid...

 

[mr.majestik]

I have sunk a lot of time and money into my flock. 3 Roos and 3 Pullets is all I had to show for and now much less. Over the last 3 days I have lost 1 pullet and 1 roo to some predator that has yet to be identified. No remains or sign of struggle is present but due to the lack of evidence I'm thinking it's either a hawk or fox but I'm not sure. My chickens free range most of the time in our backyard which is sizable and fenced in and go into the coop at night. A month or so ago my chicks were grazing out in the yard when a large hawk swooped over and circled around to have another go when I rushed out and he took off. But, there was also a hole in the fence which I patched today that could have given a fox access as well. Does anyone have a clue as to what could have got them without leaving a mess? I don't think it could have been a cat as my RIR's are pretty big and it seems like there would have been more signs of a struggle.