Hawk

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
Yup thanks for this post me and my hawk play games together. Soon as I walk out in the morning and let the birds out to range he is always faithfully on his electric pole perch, He swoops onto one of my barns and I jump in the car and start chasing him all over gods creation Honking my horn at him. (I would hate to think of what he thinks of me cause he just casually flys from pole to pole till he runs out of poles, then he turns around and heads back to the house. The birds have all figured out to go straight under the trees and building structures i have made for them. And I assume the CxR free rangers are way to fat for these 2 hawks to carry off. I would rather explain to a ranger man I was just scaring him off my land. Then explain how it got filled with lead. If it doesnt leave soon think I am gonna get the paint ball gun and try to paint my electric pols there due for a paint job.

 

[andythescot]

Every once in a while we have a red tail fly overhead, but luckily we have plenty of crows and blue jays and mockingbirds to mob away the hawk. It usually takes less than ten minutes for the mobbers to catch on.

 

[svalentine]

We started letting the hens out to free range recently. I always was out with them for fear of hawks. I would see them circling over and would watch the chickens to see if they knew what to do. One time a hawk started circling lower and lower. When it got to the tree top I started waving a rake at it. It went away. I have had a lot of hawk sightings since then, but way up high and wasn't really sure if they were hawks or buzzards. And then nothing for quite awhile. So I go to the point where I'd leave them out alone for awhile at a time. This morning they were out free ranging and a hawk swooped down brazenly as my husband was checking the nesting boxes for eggs. Fortunately most of them had come running expecting a treat. Only one remained away from the run. Never saw a chicken run so fast in all my life when it spotted the hawk bearing down on her. So, needless to say, they aren't going out to play ever again by themselves.
And I'll probably get in trouble for saying this, but I'm going out armed.
I've read all the posts and it doesn't sound like there is an effective hawk detterant. Someone did mention migration. When does that happen in the southeast?
Thanks.

 

[CaliBlueChicken]

Quote:
Darn! A hawk just got one of my 2 mo. olds yesterday

Maybe we should expand the run? The hawk got a taste of a meal.... I usually let my chickens free range in the yard... I am going to keep them in the enclosed run for a while. Do you think I will EVER get to let them free range again?

I personally would keep them up for at least two weeks (out of site out of mind) then consider giving another try. Red Tailed hawks can be terrors here in the south so I only allow my birds to free range when I am able to be with them until they go to roost. I have lost way too many birds to them in the past so I don't take chances. The hawks in the Bay Area may not be as persistant. I think after a few weeks you can let them range while you can keep an eye on them to see if the hawk returns. If you have no sightings, give them a shot on their own.

Good luck to you as well.

Thanks Lbrad