Hawks are eating my birds

[Cetawin]

Yes there are two of them...most likely a mating pair. If you free range the birds you are going to lose them. Nothing will truly deter them. If they are in a run, cover it with netting. Good luck

 

[juliawitt]

We noticed hawks flying around, so my husband rigged this up. Meticulously passed twine across the run and hung canning jar lids (which you really can't see in the pic) I had them on hand and they are cheap. They are very bright!! Still occasionally see a hawk but they can't get to the chickens. Took about an hour for him to rig up, but worth it.....I don't worry now.

 

[siroiszoo]

juliawitt: That is so cool! Thanks for the picture. I'll try to get some today but not sure if the fishing line will pick up in the picture very well. Our problem is that things aren't so square as we have added here and there to what already existed. I can get most of the hen yard done today by myself but will have to wait until my husband gets back home with the carpentry tools to get the filament attached to the sides boardering the horse stalls. We'll have to put a strip of wood up over the metal so we can staple the filament to those edges. We're trying to keep it where I don't have to bend over while in the yard. Easier for me at 5' vs. my 6' husband

Nice to see that you still have grass in your run, too. My run has had chickens in it so long I'm not sure if it will ever see grass again. Oh how I miss free-ranging my birds.

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
Thanks. It's really frustrating. Used to be able to free-range all day & night (well, not really at night) with no hawk troubles. Did it for many years. But the past 3 years, especially the past 2, have been bad. I guess hunting is getting really bad for them and they've discovered how finger lickin good a chicken is

 

[bobbismith]

We have alot of Hawks also (We are in Hockley Tx.) trying to eat our chickens ect. I put out a old yellow rain coat (lightweight) with red eyes on the hood part...Hawks hate RED EYES.
It has worked well. They start over my chickens then turn quick..It looks funny but it has worked so far.

I hooked 2 hangers up side down and tied the hook part together. Made the top one round to fit the hood part. Put the rain coat on the bottom hanger (attached to top hanger still) like you would when hanging it. zipped up the rain coat. Then slid the hood over the top one and tied it. I painted red eyes on the top of the hood so it looks like the eyes are looking up. Then I stuck a long stick thru the arms, so half the arms can move in the wind. then i stuck the whole thing on a tall straight thin bord. It looks like a tall person in my pasture, with red eyes. Even alittle breeze makes the whole thing move...
it's hard to explain on what i did..as i said before, it is so far the best way i have seen to protect my chickens when they are free range. We close them up in the early evening.

Good luck!

 

[LaSombra]

Quote:
sounds like a good idea

Thanks for sharing!

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
Good idea. I used the fishing line over my hen yard since the hawks were hunting directly out of it. But I'm anxious to free range again. Guess I'll have to start collecting raincoats ;-)

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
Can you take a pic so we can see it? Please.

 

[little_grey_bantam]

Not birdies fault! They're trying to feed themselves and probably their families.
I'm sure there are trillions more chickens out there than hawks and raptors.
We need to see them as them doing their own thing; your job is to protect your birds, while we all wouuld LOVE to free-range our birds, we cannot.

You leave 'em out, something may eat them and if they do = your fault.
You just gotta Fort Knox everything or figure out a deterrent or anything else.
Sometimes you just gotta put your hands up and say "alright, no free-ranging" or be out there all the time or figure something out.

It hurts. I've lost my fair share of birds that I adored, but remember, one hawk killing 23432 chickens
I'm sure there are a lot of meanies out there killing raptors without the USA fish and game knowing

Whose to speak up for them?

We had a predator in our yard for about a month... killed all our barn pigeons, but left all our birds alone.
I think they know better LOL

I leave my roosters out to battle the raptors (we've got 10 extra pet ones)
Or have dogs or my cow or anything.

But CD looks like a good idea. Being out in Kansas, you can spot a chicken 234242343 miles a way

 

[Kanthaka]

I live in the city with a big backyard and predators are still a problem! Can you believe it? Urban raccoons, coyotes, opossums and hawks. My hens free range in the yard when I'm home and stay in the coop when I'm gone. So far the worst and most persistent predator has been a Cooper's hawk. One of my solutions has been to feed the neighborhood crows. I put peanuts out for them every morning and they hang out and chase the hawk away. I have also considered buying the fake plastic crows (sold at sport/hunting type stores to attract real crows but crows are too smart to fall for that) and placing them on the coop and my fence to deter the hawks.
My yard has plenty of ground cover for the chickens to duck into and all food and water is kept safely in the coop so they can eat and drink without the hawk surprising them.