Hawks are eating my birds

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
Awesome tip about the string or wire. much more affordable than closing in a very large run area.

Other info very informative.

THANKS!!!!





AS AN UPDATE: Hawks are still hanging out so I have tried to eliminate chickens from their menu. I have now captured 15 hens and penned them (dusted them with DE/Sevin Dust too since it was time for that again).

Now, only two roosters and two hens left out. They flew out of the chicken run and now have 2 acres to roam. Even with my Aussie, its impossible to catch them. Will have to wait until they get back into the garden or other small enclosure.

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
Another good suggestion.

When the mockingbirds, bluejays, and sparrows are nesting (raising babies) no one comes around; not cats, not snakes, not hawks.

I keep two of my chicken feeders out in the chicken run which attracts many grackles, bluejays, cardinals, sparrows, etc, etc. But apparently, they don't seem to be doing the trick right now.

 

[Cock-L-Doodle Garoo]

I've had those hawk problems also. Lost alot earlier in the year. I have a large pen area (60x40) thats not covered but has alot of trees. I read about a couple of things to try from this site so I tried them. One was the hanging shiny cd/dvd trick. I made some and notice when I was looking at two together, it looked like a gaint pair of wild crazy eyes. So I made a little wire frame and tied two side-by-side and hung it up. I call them my "Scare Hawks". I have several pairs hangin around the pen. Also provide them with escape hiding places. I just placed planks up around the fence and trees which also provides some shady spots which is a plus down here in Texas. I haven't lost a bird to hawks in many months.

Good Luck is always needed with free-ranging also.
So Good Luck.

 

[siroiszoo]

Cool Post - Cock-L-Doodle Garoo

I'll have to give that a try. I'm always tossing out old disc.

 

[kcfuerst]

The CD trick is a great one and is very helpful. It is for certain that you need to cover your run if not with screening of some kind, then with fishing line. A bird will not cross heavy duty regular monofilament fishing line. Any bird, including hawks. It has the same reflective qualities that the CDs do only in a subtle manner which they can see far up in the air. Commercial fishing vessels use this regularly to deter seagulls from their boats.

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

We had the exact same problem with the hawks. Actually we had hawks, coon and possum! We had to put a hot wire about a foot up off the ground and enclose the top of the penned in area with wire running about a foot or so apart. If you check out my page it shows a picture of what we've done with the top. It took a lot of time but I haven't lost a bird since! Actually, knock on wood, I have only seen 1 hawk in the area since. I think they went elsewhere for their food source. We lost about 12 birds last year to those darned predators!

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
Cool! Thanks for the tip! My chicken run is approx. 30 feet by 65 feet with huge Arizona Ash trees all around and in it. So we will need to fortify that; possibly with the monofilament lines if I can get them high enough for my 6'2" (6'4" with his hat on ;-) husband to be able to walk in without ducking. He gripes and complains everytime I mention closing in the run.

 

[LaSombra]

I wonder if you got some of those big plastic owl statues and put them around, if that'd help also? I had a friend who, when she still lived at home, her parking spot was under a tree and birds always pooped on her car. She started putting one of those plastic owls on her car when parked and it actually worked to keep away the birds

 

[siroiszoo]

Just an update on the hawks.

They finally moved on. They only got away with 2 of my hens before I noticed what was going on. I kept the hens confined for two weeks and kept a tight patrol out for the hawks. Every time they would come in for a look, I was out the door with my dogs tracking them. The hawks didn't like that very much and decided to move on.

It was definitely a pair sticking very close together, most likely a mated pair. There's a first time for everything but I have never seen a pair hunt like that.

So for now, all is quiet.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[siroiszoo]

Not sure if anyone is still following this one but one gigantic hawk is back. It took out my 4 best layers last month when I started free ranging again. So I've been keeping everyone in the chicken yard which has trees all around it with several in it. Haven't had an attack in that yard in 18 years; actually - never. Until now.

That stupid hawk had me running to save my hens all day long. He/she pegged two of them; tore the skin on one wing of one of my babies (5 month old orpington). I managed to fly out the door and attack it before it harmed my beautiful cochin it had pinned later in the day. I swear if I could have gotten my hands on it I would have strangled it right then and there. But on hindsight, I'm glad I missed cause I probably would have been shredded pretty good by it. Anyway, I measured, plotted, planned, priced, etc trying to figure out how to afford and cover a 70' by 40' area.

Then my husband remembered this post.

So I want to thank brindlebtch, k8tieCat, and LoveMyChicklets for the string line suggestion! (MandyH had an awesome idea but I don't think it will work in the enclosed area with the trees around; even though the hawk lands, perches, and then swoops in for the kill. I'm thinking there isn't enough space for that plan. However, it's not out of the question.)

We used some older spools of fishing line and we had to do the smaller section in the dark. I can't possibly tell you how much fun that was - LOL! I had a tall temp. fence put in to keep my babies from the older hens until they were big enough to blend and yet allow the babies more room to roam. It was necessary to run string at night cause my babies have grown so much I can't possibly keep 26 chickens cooped up inside their coop all day. And that hawk is determined!!!! And I don't think taking some of the 5 month olds and adding them to the larger hen house containing my 5 year old birds would go smoothly. I have one very agressive black star hen in that coop. But at least it will give me a chance to come up with heavier wire or newer, stronger fishing line to do the rest of the job. Still gotta do the larger part of the yard but maybe my 5 month old babies will have some protection until I can make things better.

I only hope I get to see it if that hawk tries to go through that filament! If it breaks, at best it will give the babies time to run and hide in the coop and I hope he gets SOOOOOO tangled that he winds up in worse shock than the first hen he attacked today!!!

Thanks again everyone!