Hawk!

[Veer67]

You could also string some CD discs across the fenced area, birds hate the shiny reflection.

 

[ClareScifi]

Great idea, Veer67!

 

[Nambroth]

Just had an awful scare! A hawk of some sort was perched atop my chicken run! I wish I knew my types of hawks, but I don't. I had almost let the chooks out early, but it's Sunday morning, and I was afraid the rooster would annoy the neighbors sleeping in. Thank God I did not. I'm sure that hawk would have gotten the Bantie. I've never seen a hawk here before. I'm in the city. Do you think he'll likely be back, or was he just passing over? Something new and horrible to worry about! Do you think the hawk could have smelled the chickens, and that was why he was atop their run? It is not roofed. Do you think it is safe to leave the chickens outside while I go to church? It's to be 95 F today. Should I leave them in the coop?

It sounds like you are putting mesh atop your run-- great! It will keep out the hawk. It won't keep out raccoons and the like, but if your girls are safely locked up at night you are probably okay. Most raccoons won't mess with taking the time to rip into mesh in the daylight unless they are really used to people or desperate to eat.

To answer your earlier question, hawks do not have a sense of smell anywhere near good enough to know you had chickens. Either it saw them before, heard them (somewhat less likely) or it was coincidence.

 

[ClareScifi]

The rooster had been crowing. The hawk could have heard the rooster? Thanks for the good info!

 

[Nambroth]

The rooster had been crowing. The hawk could have heard the rooster? Thanks for the good info!

Could be! If he has experience with chickens maybe he knew the rooster crowing and what it meant. A north american hawk species would be unlikely to intellectually "know" what a rooster crow meant (that there were chickens!) unless it has had prior experience with chickens. Raptors such as hawks are very visually oriented, but if your chickens were scuffling around in the coop loudly (scratching, moving around, etc), it could be inciting, as many prey animals tend to shuffle in hidden places before coming out.

 

[ClareScifi]

Interesting, Nambroth. We are off to get netting now. I wonder where I can find a cheap owl decoy? Anyone know who has them for sale cheap?

 

[Apdeb]

They say crows work too
Maybe at the halloween store or walmaet

 

[PrideFarm]

HELLO!

We are from Ohio and in our state, we are never allowed to kill hawks. However, we are allowed to trap them. Once you trap them, you may call your state national park and have them remove the bird. The first step though is to call the police and have a report done. Always have your camera handy and take pictures for them as proof. Explain to the police that they have been hunting your livestock. Then ask what the state regulations are for trapping a hawk. If you are allowed, call the national state park in advance to see if they would take it once trapped. If not, I am sure there are hawk/owl preserves. Google, "hawl/owl traps" to get an idea how to make your own. Until then, put the heavy mesh ontop of chicken coop so it is enclosed and do not free range your chickens. Once the hawk realizes he cannot get in, he will become frustrated and move onto a new location in a few weeks.

I hope this helped!
Pride Poultry Farm

 

[Nambroth]

Interesting, Nambroth. We are off to get netting now. I wonder where I can find a cheap owl decoy? Anyone know who has them for sale cheap?

I don't know if I would personally recommend the expense of an owl decoy, unless you were attempting to ward off passerines such as pigeons. You are welcome to try it but you will probably find that the netting will make the hawk lose interest long before an owl decoy-- if anything, hawks will sometimes try to drive owls out, instead of the other way around. A friend that keeps a great horned owl as a falconry bird finds that the owl actually draws hawks in-- they like to harass his owl when she is outdoors.

If you want to try an owl decoy, the best place to find one is a sporting goods store, where they sell hunting supplies. Crow hunters will sometimes use owl decoys to lure crows in.

 

[PrideFarm]

P.S., you can buy spinning windmills for cheap at Dollar General and tie them to your coop. We do that to keep all birds away from trying to get in and eat the food, etc. We also place them around the yard to keep land predators away. The motion of the windmill scares them and they think something or someone is there. Get bright colored ones, you can even buy reflectors or place old CD's around it.