Hawks a big threat?

[riverrat1203]

I recently finished my coop and have just placed an order for my hens and was also planning on getting some chicks. I was planning on just letting them all be free range and not building a run for them. However i have noticed a few hawks flying around and was wondering how big of a threat they would be to my full grown hens. obviously the babies will be easy pickings for them. Should i consider building a covered run to protect them? I would appreciate any insight on this as this is my first personal attempt with raising chickens. Thank You

 

[ericsplls]

Hawks can be a big problem with bantams, young chickens, and guineas. I haven't lost any full grown standard chickens but that doesn't mean it would be impossible for them to take one. I really like to free range my chickens but for me it has meant raising replacement stock every year. I would at least have a run I could keep them in if a predator started being a problem I could lock them up until I got the problem handled. Hawks are easily seen and can present a problem but there are alot worse problems out there when it comes to chickens. I have lost birds to dogs, coon, fox, opossum and never see them until I put a camera up to see what's doing the after hours shopping. We have hawks every week that circle the pasture or sit on a fence post looking but haven't lost anything to them to my knowledge.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I lost a full grown large fowl cochin to what I believe was an owl, but as I only saw the remains later, I cannot be absolutely certain. Game and Fish told me that from my description it was probably a great horned owl. But I do have hawks of varying size in the neighborhood; some are pretty big.

 

[Mattemma]

Free range is nice when there is bushes and stuff to run under. You will appreciate a covered run for the hens. I don't have one and so my hens are locked up unless I am outside with them. They are very bored being locked up. If you have many chickens and a loss is not a big deal then pass on the run. My kids would be super mad if I let the hawk eat their hens,lol.

I am going to try and build some sort of run so my hens can being in there when the hawks are around,and unfortunately the hawks are always somewhere close watching!

 

[Doopy]

Hawks are a serious threat here. As well as almost every other critter in the woods. From the moment the chicken egg is laid something is trying to eat it until the chicken's life is finished.

One time a few years ago I was out in the field working on a rotten fence post where our chickens free range. I always have several feathered supervisors when I'm out there. They tell me how to do everything and put up a fuss if I do it wrong. Anyway, while I was working I noticed a flash of movement that lasted for only half a second. A hawk had picked up one of the smaller hens and flew away with her in less than a blink of an eye. It happened about 10 ft. away from me.

 

[chickensioux]

Hawks are a terrible problem. My new coop area will be totally covered, for now, I have to worry. I have alot of other deterents but I still lose one. I have lost a very large, fat cochin hen to a very small hawk. Caught it sitting right on her. They are fast, stealthy, smart, powerful predators.

 

[darin367]

i've had chickens since last sept.. let them free range everday until last week... first 1 came up missing, then witnessed a hawk kill another 1.... i've got a small covered run and don't like keeping them locked in all the time... so i'm now in the process of building a covered 30'x50' run.... i ordered some 14'x50' bird netting from amazon.com for pretty cheap to cover the top of my new run and built a small door from my fortress to allow them into my new run during the day.... i know the bird netting isn't fool proof but i'm hoping it will slow a hawk or eagle down enough for everbody to run into the fortress and hopefully i'll hear all the screaming from the rooster so i can go shut the small door.... my coop and small run are fenced and covered with chicken wire, when i built it i was concerned about raccoons not hawks... yesterday a pair of bald eagles came swooping pretty low for a look, i heard the rooster start screamin and went out there, he had all his girls in the coop and was standing guardat the door. so after i've wrote this book, the answer to your question is yes, hawks are a big threat.

 

[chicknmania]

They need cover, like bushes, AND a place to go at night where they can roost and be secure from nighttime predators. Hawks are a big problem for all chickens, regardless of size, and are the number one predator we have here. A rooster will help protect your flock and there are things you can do to deter hawks, which tend to prey on the flock more in late summer and early fall than at other times of the year. Here, anyway. Hawks are federally protected and you cannot kill them; same with owls.

 

[riverrat1203]

Thanks to everyone that posted, I appreciate the insight and will be starting on a run asap. Is there any recommendations on sizes for the run? I was thinking about a 16' x 8' area would be sufficient. I have 4 road island reds on the way but don't anticipate ever getting more than 10 chickens total.

 

[KITTYCAMARO]

I had a big problem with hawks in Arizona. The neighbor had a bunch of free range pheasants and they were getting picked up all of the time. I have a rooster with 3 hens and if there is a hawk in the area, he will squawk like crazy! I think if the chickens have a mom to hide under it is better. But do keep high weeds. It is great cover for bird and rabbits.