Hawk trying to break into pen

[fogandcopper]

SierraJuliet, he's probably just becoming desperate. I don't know where you live but where I am small prey are scarce because of the dry weather. My mom told me about leaving peanuts or peanut butter on a stump to attract mice to feed the hawk. If he has access to easier mice he should leave your chickens alone.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm not sure why you'd want to make a full time food source for hawks in your back yard. They will then nest there and your chickens will forever be penned in. If the hawk can't get to the chickens then it will stop coming so often, unless it has a reason to nest nearby that is.

 

[BBQJOE]

Are you talking 410 like remington???

Yup.

 

[Spartan22]

Speaking of Hawk, Look what I found inside our enclosed outer chicken run early in the morning. Chickens were all hiding in the coop and 3 were missing! which were bizarre, they're normally out by dawn in the run.

 

[fogandcopper]

Pretty bird. But it definitely needs to be taught to not enter the chicken run.

 

[pfields]

We purchased the netting from Amigoni.com to put over our backyard.

This morning I saw a huge hawk flying over the backyard, he/she saw the netting and flew off. It looked like it was looking for a place to get inside. So far this has worked to keep our chickens safe.

 

[Spartan22]

Pretty bird. But it definitely needs to be taught to not enter the chicken run.

It was was majestic since I've never seen it that close (14' away). I had to remove a portion of chicken wire roof to let it out.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Last night when I got home from work, I found a hawk trying to break through the chicken wire of my run- with his talons! He must have caught my Silkies unawares, because one has a (luckily) minor cut on its head. They must have been up against the edge of the run. I know you can create a web across a flight path to deter hawks, but they were already in their run so we're talking about having to cover a significant backyard area. Anyone have any suggestions on other (hopefully less massive) preventative measures?

Prey tell me if this hawk swooped down out of the wild blue yonder to try and make a meal out of your Silkies. The following is a good example of why CDs etc do not work to deter hawks. There is a long stretch of agricultural land on US 72 that has power lines on the right of way. I have never seen fewer than two hawks perched on theses power lines and on some trips down this road I spy 7 or more Red Tail Hawks sitting on these power lines. Yesterday i observed a Red Tail hawk make a kill. It simply stepped off the power line and landed on a field mouse. There was no dramatic screaming swoop or stoop with extended talons. This attack was carried out within sight and sound of autos and 18 wheelers. Hawks have a lot of patience and they are very agile on the wing. There is a word for chicken keepers who underestimate hawks, these keepers are known as "chicken less" keepers.

I share this with you because I think you prefer that your birds are safe, and my experience says that hanging shiny barbels in trees will do nothing to deter hawks. Sorry.

The power poles on this stretch of highway are now being replaced with new taller concrete poles. I have yet to see one hawk sitting on the higher new power lines. I suspect that they are too high to make good ambush points. But yesterday I did see an immature Red Tail sitting on a power line that was still standing underneath the new higher power lines. Therefor i seriously doubt that hanging CDs or stretching mono-filament fishing line over your run will deter hawks. They don't hunt (much) in the manner that you imagine they do, they are first and last ambush hunters.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

has 25 years crossed your mind???

A catching always comes afor a hanging.

The best hawk deterrent i know of is a 28 inch chain saw best used to make fire wood out of the tree that has the hawk's nest in it.

 

[BBQJOE]

I saw a guy with some stuff called bird netting putting it over the top of the run.
It's plastic and looks like what you might use to protect plants. I have no idea if it actually works.

I just had an idea.

What about a few large mirrors on top of the coop, reflecting sunlight in all directions, blinding and freaking out the hawks?


What do I know?