Hawks and the damage they do.

[I-Have-Happy-Hens]

what we did is took the airsoft guns and shot at is feet it has not been back for about a week so far and it was not just flying over head it was perched in the lowest tree in our yard and was waiting for our chickens to come out from under the porch all of our hens are pets/family and have names, get baths, ect. I hate to hurt/kill things but we have had to kill 2 opussoms trying to get in the coop none did though thank God but when it comes to Pets things sometimes have to be done.

Sorry about the loss of your birds

 

[centrarchid]

Dog(s) best long-term measure for controlling losses to hawks. Sight oriented breed where pup is reared with chickens and inclined to bed down near roost are objectives to target.

Short-term may require confinement of birds or providing more cover options assuming hawk will not take pursuit into cover provided.

With my situation I have a large amount of size variation in flock owing to presence of juveniles and adults. Hawks tend to target smaller birds. Largest birds in flock will challenge hawk when it is on ground and in my situation hawk seems unable to figure out it would be smartest to take out your potential threat first. My roosters do their most effective defense of flock from heavy cover as they are themselves more protected when hawk is overhead.

 

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
Or you could shoot the hawks and keep real quiet about it

X3

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Or you could shoot the hawks and keep real quiet about it

X3

Shooting hawks not a good long-term option as OP likely has a day job that would conflict with effort required making it expensive without even taking into account risk of fines. A flock of 150 birds will attract replacement hawk pretty fast, especially as hawk migration season approaches.

 

[tinydancer87]

I free-range my chickens and turkeys on 2 acres. We have hawks around, but the rooster, Oreo, sounds the alarm and everyone takes cover in the azalea bushes.

I must say that the turkeys are REALLY good about spotting hawks, maybe they are just paranoid but they are usually the first to take off running. Then the roosters start squalling, and everybody sets up cackling from under the bushes for about 30 minutes lol.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

I have used bird feeders. I get a lot of wild birds but they seem to keep the hawks away.

Ginbart - do the hawks see the feeders as being like a scarecrow? I'm mystified as to how a bird feeder would be a hawk deterrent - I would think they'd gather round since the ground birds would flock to it and for Mr. Hawk it would be like shooting fish in a barrel...

 

[dufus]

my house is very rural, and is not visible from the seldom traveled road. i know exactly what i am going to do if a hawk starts after my girls........ i'm raising chickens, not snakes and hawks....

 

[Ole rooster]

I bet the bird feeders attract all the different birds which would include Mocking Birds. They are mean and seem not the have any fear of hawks. BlueJays probably are the same way. I know they're loud squawkers

 

[Nambroth]

Quote:
Ginbart - do the hawks see the feeders as being like a scarecrow? I'm mystified as to how a bird feeder would be a hawk deterrent - I would think they'd gather round since the ground birds would flock to it and for Mr. Hawk it would be like shooting fish in a barrel...

The idea here is that the chickens pay attention to the local wild birds. Many wild birds = many nervous eyes on the sky, and the birds can warn the chickens in this way.

Also, as an above poster mentioned, you can attract jays, mockingbird, and other birds that will harass and complain about a hawk actively!

It's more of an early warning system than a true deterrent.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Thats an Awesome Idea!!!!!!!!!!