Hawks and the damage they do.

[anthonyjames]

I currently have about 150 hens in pasture with 5 hoop houses that move daily. I know it is illegal to shoot any bird of prey. And in the last 10 days I have lost 15 hens do to three hawks. I know for sure there are at least 3 as I seen them sitting on top of the hoop houses one day.

What can be done to scare them away? I basically have the hoop houses and 4 rolls of poultry netting to keep the birds in and predators out. And the aerial predators are doing huge damage. I won't have any birds left by the end of the season at this rate.

Ideas Please!!!!!

 

[Patricia Jane]

I'm no help but I'm not sure I understand how they are getting them if you have them in a hooped enclosure? Having a hard time picturing it.

 

[RHRanch]

Keep your birds penned up for at least a week or until the hawks move onto another better hunting ground. Unless they are nesting, most hawks move around a territory or through it in search of food. If you keep letting your chickens out while they are there, they will stick around to eat your chicks.

 

[10 point]

I know its illegal but call your department of environmental conservation and ask if they would get rid of the hawks because they are killing your live stock. they might even say your aloud to shoot them.

good luck

 

[anthonyjames]

Patricia and RH,

The hoop houses are small movable 10 x 12 structures. But they free range during the day in roughly 1/2 acre paddock.

like images here.
http://gallery.me.com/anthonyjames420#100451&bgcolor=black&view=grid

I can't lock them up as they would probably over heat being stuck in the hoop house all day.

 

[ReikiStar]

I've heard that hawks don't like crows. Maybe play recordings of angry crows?

Hang black cut outs that look like crows which would swing in the breeze?

I've heard putting up the shiny flapping flyers don't really do too much. People have tried scarecrows which have failed. Someone developed a scarecrow type of device that POPS UP when it detects movement. It's suppose to work really well but it's quite expensive.
Not sure if a livestock guarding dog would work. It might, depends on the dog and how they react to hawks swooping.

 

[DavidS]

I'm learning as I go with our chickens. I am weary of the hawks. There were 2 circling the chicken coop the other day. I have also seen and heard owls around my property. I have kept the chickens in a coop with overhead protection . My question:How do people free range their chickens? I read where you can keep the chickens penned up until the hawks leave, but I am in a rural area and there is enough food to keep the hawks around. This one cooper hawk is close in size to an eagle. I read an article in a FFA where a teenager in Kansas rotated his chickens from field to field during the summer. I heard on the radio about a man who switched fiellds between the chickens and cows so the chickens could eat the maggots reom cow dung. Is there a natural give and take where you are going to lose some chickens? I would love to let the chickens roam, but I don't think they would last. Any suggestions. I also need to know if there is an economical way to cover the chicken run. I have extended it and using poultry netting would be too big of a job. I looked at bird netting, but the one I looked at was seaonal and wouldn't last. This run is over 900 sq ft. I looked at deer netting, which would work but is a little pricey.

Ideas are welcome!

DavidS

 

[anthonyjames]

David,

What is the dimension of your run for that 900 sqft?

 

[DavidS]

Its irregular because it is up against some old grain bin pads. The one side is lined by 3 pine trees, with length of 40 ft. Pretty straight side. The opposite side is irregular, going up against the chicken coop and primary run. The second run is to give me a place to let the chickens fend for themselves. I have 15 chickens. I may be overthinking this, but I keep reading and hearing where the chickens need grass and insects to balance their diet. The pines give protection from the hawks, but not the owls. A third of the run has no limb protection.

Have an idea?

DavidS

 

[zookeeper15133]

You could put some cover out for them throughout their pasture. Something as simple as a pallet up on a few blocks. Something nearby that they can hide under when the hawks come. Spread them out between the hoop houses so they don't have to run far.

That's about all you can do short of covering your pasture.