Hawks, any methods to keep them at bay?

[centrarchid]

Actually you need your flock in a large, covered run - keeps out hawks, climbers, and offers some shade and maybe protection from rain/snow.If you free range you have to expect losses to a variety of predators.  Once a pred  gets an easy meal  they keep coming back  until  they have devastated your flock OR died of" lead poisoning."

Or numerous crushing dog bites.

 

[Beekissed]

Sounds very dramatic. Been free ranging in the middle of thousands of acres of woodland for many years now and haven't experienced any of this drama of crushing dog bites, stolen eggs, etc. I've had a few chicks taken by hawks during the hawk migration last fall and that was my fault for having chicks at the wrong time of the year. That was the first time I'd had a dedicated predator after my flock and it was one hawk only and it soon passed on in its migratory route. Years ago lost one to an owl when she refused to roost in the coop. Free ranging doesn't have to be this dire undertaking filled with predator drama all the time if you have a good dog on watch.

 

[centrarchid]

Crushing dog bites and vigorous shaking delivered to predator by good dogs. You have to go outside to observe what is going on.

 

[mamahen16]

Actually you need your flock in a large, covered run - keeps out hawks, climbers, and offers some shade and maybe protection from rain/snow.If you free range you have to expect losses to a variety of predators.  Once a pred  gets an easy meal  they keep coming back  until  they have devastated your flock OR died of" lead poisoning."

Is the covered run preferable to a moveable enclosure?

 

[centrarchid]

Is the covered run preferable to a moveable enclosure?

Fixed position enclosure is easier to make predator and weather resistant but I prefer the access to live greens as allowed by the movable pen (chicken tractor).

 

[RoboDuck]

We have all of the above. One 40' x 70' enclosure for our favored birds. Moveable pens for our breeding groups. And we free range those we consider expendible. We like them and all but they draw the attention of the predators. We don't lose many since I have trapped so many coons and possums and relocated them.

 

[hoofpawclawacre]

We have lots of hawks. Illegal to shoot them. We have set panels of tin roofing leaning against the fence in key places so the chickens can quickly run for cover. The rooster in each pen does an amazing job alarming his hens that there is a hawk near by.

The only other thing we could do is fence over the top of each chicken pasture but that is not affordable.

Since placing the rectangle pieces of tin (kinda like a tin tent) no more losses.