Hawk vs. Rooster

[Rooster Runner]

Hey everyone!

I recently put pullets out in my coop, so they're still pretty small, but my rooster has been hanging out with them and giving them the tour of the property. A few days ago while they were free ranging, a hawk swooped to snatch the smallest pullet, but my rooster got the little ones into the woods and took the brunt of the attack. Since the hawk was expecting a small pullet, he/she wasn't able to lift my 7 pound rooster. By the time I got outside (I saw all this from the window) the hawk had already gotten away. My rooster, Smokey was standing at the edge of the woods, scanning the skies. I checked him out, and he had feathers missing from one shoulder, and a small scratch on his wing. He was OK. I scoped the area, and found that they must've had a little scuffle. There were black and gray feathers from Smokey, and white and brown from the hawk. All my chickens are healthy thanks to my rooster, but I don't feel very safe letting them free range anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions to stop this from happening again?

 

[Hei 20]

Hey everyone!

I recently put pullets out in my coop, so they're still pretty small, but my rooster has been hanging out with them and giving them the tour of the property. A few days ago while they were free ranging, a hawk swooped to snatch the smallest pullet, but my rooster got the little ones into the woods and took the brunt of the attack. Since the hawk was expecting a small pullet, he/she wasn't able to lift my 7 pound rooster. By the time I got outside (I saw all this from the window) the hawk had already gotten away. My rooster, Smokey was standing at the edge of the woods, scanning the skies. I checked him out, and he had feathers missing from one shoulder, and a small scratch on his wing. He was OK. I scoped the area, and found that they must've had a little scuffle. There were black and gray feathers from Smokey, and white and brown from the hawk. All my chickens are healthy thanks to my rooster, but I don't feel very safe letting them free range anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions to stop this from happening again?

You might have set up your run with a net.

 

[Rooster Runner]

hmm not a bad idea, I'm working on something like that. But is there anything I can do that will protect them from hawks while they're free ranging?

 

[Hei 20]

hmm not a bad idea, I'm working on something like that. But is there anything I can do that will protect them from hawks while they're free ranging?

 

[Hei 20]

Something like this might help

 

[sourland]

I have tried many of the suggested ideas and have never been able to deter a determined hawk. I've even had attacks while monitoring free ranging. Good luck.

 

[Hei 20]

Look at this too

 

[Weeg]

Air guns, there expensive but I have heard good things about them. Lok it up on amazon, they are manual, so you set it up, and then wait. What the hawk comes by again, you pull the trigger or what ver you call it on the air gun, and it makes a sound like a gun shot, but does shoot anything. This helps scare the hawk away.

 

[cmom]

Sorry, when you free range that is the risk you take.

 

[Rooster Runner]

Got it, thank you for the info about Air Guns, I'll try it out!