Hawks and Full grown Chickens?

[Kit Shepherd]

I HAD TWO HENS FOR THREE YEARS AND LAST NIGHT THEY BOTH DISAPPEARED AND I FOUND A FEW OF THE RHODE ISLAND REDS FEATHERS THIS MORNING. THEY HAD PLENTY OF TREES AND BUSHES COVER BUT WOULD COME OUT IN THE HORSE PASTURE IN THE EVENING ON THE WAY BACK TO THE BARN.:-( I ASSUME A HAWK GOT THEM. NO SIGN OF THE BLACK HENS FEATHERS...

 

[centrarchid]

Hawk will not pack off two adult birds.

 

[angdeck]

Our white Leghorn which was free-range with 5 other breeds was attacked by a hawk today and killed. Very sad, they were my daughter's pets and she loves caring for them and getting their eggs. Now we feel bad that we probably have to pen them up. We enjoyed having them just running around free in our yard. They were full-blown and survived since 5 week old chicks just running free so it is amazing that the hawk decided to attack them now that they are full size.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I have a red tailed hawk family living next door. My chickens free range all day. Never had an attack. One of the juvenile hawks even sits on my fence and stares at the chicken and the squirrels in my yard. The chickens and the squirrels ignore the juvenile. I have places for the chickens to run under if they can make it. Once the juvenile was doing a practice swoop over the chickens who were dust bathing in some holes in my grass, I was on the patio and saw this. The chickens all scrunched down into the hole as low as they could get, a close call. Luckily my Great Dane usually starts barking when the hawks come around. I'll probably lose some someday but my girls get very noisy and unhappy when they can't come out and play in the yard.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have a red tailed hawk family living next door. My chickens free range all day. Never had an attack. One of the juvenile hawks even sits on my fence and stares at the chicken and the squirrels in my yard. The chickens and the squirrels ignore the juvenile. I have places for the chickens to run under if they can make it. Once the juvenile was doing a practice swoop over the chickens who were dust bathing in some holes in my grass, I was on the patio and saw this. The chickens all scrunched down into the hole as low as they could get, a close call. Luckily my Great Dane usually starts barking when the hawks come around. I'll probably lose some someday but my girls get very noisy and unhappy when they can't come out and play in the yard.

You have been extremely lucky. I have lost over 20 birds to hawks and eagles this summer alone. It is like that every year. I know I will lose 30 birds and plan for it in my hatches.

 

[centrarchid]

You have been extremely lucky. I have lost over 20 birds to hawks and eagles this summer alone.  It is like that every year. I know I will lose 30 birds and plan for it in my hatches.

Could you show a picture of your setup? A more distant neighbor I have has similar losses to yours while I seldom loose any even though I have more birds ranging a larger area. Setup is the main difference as I also have high hawk traffic.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am going to respectfully disagree with you on that. In my case it has to do with my location.

Sending pictures of my entire operation is nearly impossible. I have several coops and pens covering 5 acres, intermixed with trees and open spaces. Each coop has a covered run. I keep the birds locked up during breeding and hatching season. I allow almost of my birds to free range, free ranging has dangers. I accept that and plan for it.

I have farm equipment, trailers, picnic tables and allow weeds to grow 3 ft tall in areas to give the birds a place to hide. I have so many CD disc's hanging from fishing line across the yard, I need to wear polarized sun glasses to avoid going blind from the welder burns on sunny days.

My problem is the Federal Government. I live on what is left of over a thousand acres of family farm. This is land that has been in my family since the 1870's. I only own 13 acres now. The federal government stole the land from my Dad and Grandpa when I was a senior in High school. I am now not allowed on what should be my land.

When I say stolen, the feds say "eminent domain". We had the misfortune of having 1 1/2 miles of river land with high bluffs overlooking a wide meadow adjacent to 140 acres of a Tamarack swamp. The Tamarack trees are ancient and tall, they make the perfect place for eagle nests. The hard woods that were our pasture and fire wood areas make perfect hawk nesting areas. So we have a huge population of them in the area. There is no other farmer (other than a cousin 3 miles away on more family land who only has cattle).

The federal government turned our farm into part of a huge Wildlife refuge. In their wisdom, they have forbidden the taking of any predator, wolf, coyote, fox, fisher, badger, mink or any other critter than munches on small animals. The wildlife refuge is denuded of any small prey game because of a bulging predator population. There is no other food for the birds of prey than my chickens. I have been on my deck with my dogs and seen a kestrel drive bomb a chick 150 ft away. Sure it left the chick when I screamed at it and ran towards it, but the chick was dead as soon as it hit it. Have you seen the speed they hit at? It is truly amazing. However, as amazing as it was, I lost a bird.

I do not want to lock my birds up all the time, I enjoy them free ranging. I have them free ranging for the peacefulness it. I also have them to help control bugs and mosquitoes. They do a great job at that. There is not much I can do when I am surrounded by 30,700 acres of wildlife refuge and another 5,000 acres of State refuge/park.

I could keep them locked in my Fort Knox like pens, but that is not the way I want to raise them, I would get rid of them before I did that. I do keep them locked until 9-10 am to get me through the worst hours. It helps. But I have lost them in broad daylight. I have used a brush hog to cut the underbrush back in the "wood's surrounding my farmyard. To try and give me a good shot at a 4 leg predator. As much as the Feds hate it they can not stop me from shooting and trapping their pets. However, I am not allowed to do the same to the birds of prey. I have to just suffer the losses to them, much as I have to just suffer the theft of family lands.

Sorry for the long tirade, I felt anything less would not explain why I have such losses.

I should mention I have some "rare heritage" birds I breed. I keep the breeders locked up year round, I have no losses from them. They are just too expensive to give to the BoP's.


Also, to be completely honest not all my predation losses are to birds, irresponsible dog owners that let Fido run free have caused me problems. Those I can take care of with the SSS method. I still get some from 4 legged predators that have no small rodents to eat in the refuge. When they have young they are desperate for food for them. I have the only oasis of prey for them, not only in my chickens but the rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks that steal my chicken feed. I try to control them, but I would hate to kill them all off to.


So I cause some of my own problems do to the lifestyle I live and want my birds to live.

I hope that explains it all. Have a good one!

 

[CourtK]

I too have had a full grown RIR killed and eaten by a Red Tail in our back yard. Those hawks look huge up close! After that attack, I put up fishing line every 6 feet and about 12 feet high across the yard. Never had another attack by a hawk, but often saw them sitting on the tree tops nearby.

Crows seem to help chase off hawks; I like crows.

-CK

 

[centrarchid]

I am going to respectfully disagree with you on that. In  my case it has to do with my location.

Sending pictures of my entire operation is nearly impossible. I have several coops and pens covering 5 acres, intermixed with trees and open spaces.  Each coop has a covered run. I keep the birds locked up during breeding and hatching season. I allow almost of my birds to free range, free ranging has dangers. I accept that and plan for it.

I have farm equipment, trailers, picnic tables and allow weeds to grow 3 ft tall in areas to give the birds a place to hide. I have so many CD disc's hanging from fishing line across the yard, I need to wear polarized sun glasses to avoid going blind from the welder burns on sunny days.

My problem is the Federal Government.  I live on what is left of over a thousand acres of family farm. This is land that has been in my family since the 1870's. I only own 13 acres now.  The federal government stole the land from my Dad and Grandpa when I was a senior in High school.  I am now not allowed on what should be my land.

When I say stolen, the feds say "eminent domain". We had the misfortune of having 1 1/2 miles of river land with high bluffs  overlooking a wide meadow adjacent to 140 acres of a Tamarack swamp.   The Tamarack trees are ancient and tall, they make the perfect place for eagle nests. The hard woods that were our pasture and fire wood areas make perfect hawk nesting areas. So we have a huge population of them in the area. There is no other farmer (other than a cousin 3 miles away on more family land who only has cattle).

The federal government turned our farm into part of a huge Wildlife refuge. In their wisdom, they have forbidden the taking of any predator,  wolf, coyote, fox, fisher, badger, mink or any other critter than munches on small animals.  The wildlife refuge is denuded of any small prey game because of a bulging predator population. There is no other food for the birds of prey than my chickens.  I have been on my deck with my dogs and seen a kestrel drive bomb a chick 150 ft away. Sure it left the chick when I screamed at it and ran towards it, but the chick was dead as soon as it hit it. Have you seen the speed they hit at? It is truly amazing.   However, as amazing as it was, I lost a bird.

I do not want to lock my birds up all the time, I enjoy them free ranging. I have them free ranging for the peacefulness it. I also have them to help control bugs and mosquitoes. They do a great job at that.  There is not much I can do when I am surrounded by 30,700 acres of wildlife refuge and another 5,000 acres of State refuge/park.

I could keep them locked in my Fort Knox like pens, but that is not the way I want to raise them, I would get rid of them before I did that.  I do keep them locked until 9-10 am to get me through the worst hours. It helps. But I have lost them in broad daylight.   I have used a brush hog to cut the underbrush back in the "wood's surrounding my farmyard. To try and give me a good shot at a 4 leg predator. As much as the Feds hate it they can not stop me from shooting and trapping their pets. However, I am not allowed to do the same to the birds of prey.  I have to just suffer the losses to them, much as I have to just suffer the theft of family lands.

Sorry for the long tirade, I felt anything less would not explain why I have such losses.  

I should mention I have some "rare heritage" birds I breed. I keep the breeders locked up year round, I have no losses from them. They are just too expensive to give to the BoP's. 


Also, to be completely honest not all my predation losses are to birds, irresponsible dog owners that let Fido run free have caused me problems. Those  I can take care of with the SSS method. I still get some from 4 legged predators that have no small rodents to eat in the refuge. When they have young they are desperate for food for them. I have the only oasis of prey for them, not only in my chickens but the rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks that steal my chicken feed.  I try to control them, but I would hate to kill them all off to.


So I cause some of my own problems do to the lifestyle I live and want my birds to live.

I hope that explains it all. Have a good one!

I have free-range birds over a 6-acre area, also representing heritage breeds. Core brood fowl are also confined in core.



Edited by Staff

 

[duluthralphie]

I too have had a full grown RIR killed and eaten by a Red Tail in our back yard. Those hawks look huge up close! After that attack, I put up fishing line every 6 feet and about 12 feet high across the yard. Never had another attack by a hawk, but often saw them sitting on the tree tops nearby.

Crows seem to help chase off hawks; I like crows.

-CK

I love crows, Crows and Ravens are my friend.



Edited by Staff