As Stacey (gumpsgirl) said, you need a covered run. The first hawk kill was the signal. Having defenseless hens with hawks who have discovered them is really no different than a canned hunt. It's got to be horrible for them to watch one after another of their buddies get killed. Your birds need to be in lockdown until there is a safe place for them to be outside.
I also have hawks on the prowl. Thankfully haven't lost any but I see that at least one hawk (Coopers) has a fix on my birds because it has been checking them out and coming closer and closer - I've been lecturing it away but the deterrent is temporary at best. Free range time is suspended unless I'm standing right over my birds. We're hectically building an expanded run, because they are bored senseless in their 8' x 30' run space (only 2 birds, but they want to and are used to exploring the world outside the run). We're more than doubling the size in the hopes it will keep them reasonably occupied when I can't stand over them. You might do what we've done for this "quick" add on structure. Can be done in a weekend.
This quick structure is not going to keep serious ground preds out. If you have them, you'll need a better structure (aka - wire stronger than chicken wire). This really just addresses the hawk issue. My birds are locked up tight at night in their house so I don't have any nightime pred issues.
We got 7 foot metal stakes (Home Depot, Lowes) and hammered them into the ground 18 inches or so. Used chicken wire as fencing (see qualifier above - this is not for serious ground preds) - had to weave together a 4 foot and a 2 foot wide roll with wire after hanging them on the stakes all the way around (this was great fun - my fingers are crippled today). Several inches is left over for folding at the bottom and extending out onto the ground. We're working on staking it all the way around with metal stakes and then placing heavy rocks all around the perimeter - this covers the wire that lays along the top of the ground and also makes it a bit tougher for any less than ambitious pred to get in. I will also be placing lots of plants around the perimeter and inside the run as camoflage for the birds and for my neighbor's sake and to make life more interesting for the birds.
Next we will be covering the top of the run, hence the hawk preventative. Many use deer netting for that so that's what you can use. I got some but may reconsider just because of the neighbors being all around and needing to figure out something more aesthetic. Tried a network of twine yesterday and it's just plain ugly so I'm going to have to change it. If you don't have neighbor issues, deer netting may be the easiest. It weighs nothing and it's inexpensive.
The birds need to be able to get back into their coop from any structure you put up and if you build one like I just described, it will not protect them at night - only a pred proof coop will.
My roo BJ is amazing at hawk patrol but it's stressful for him as he never relaxes. Sometimes I think he likes taking a break and being in the run where he doesn't have to worry about Ellie, who I thought was carefree and oblivious, letting him do all the worrying, until the other day when a Cooper came zooming down toward BJ out of NOWHERE. Ellie screamed bloody murder to warn BJ and he lunged under a rhododendron. She was incredible!
JJ
We went in to have dinner, feeling so so bad, looked out the picture window while eating, whoops a chicken in the yard, how did she get out? I went out and it wasn't one from the pen it was CAMILLA!! She must have gotten free somehow. Was a little dazed and had a nice gash on her back and a couple holes in her side, plus feathers missing galore. I kept her in the house in a dog carrier the last couple days where it's warm, applied some polysporin to the wounds and she seems ok. Today I made her a "vest" from an old sweater. She took the first one off when it was only around her wings, I had to use the whole piece of arm near the shoulder to put around her chest and over the wings. She finally accepted it. Then I put her back out with her sisters. She is a happy girl now. Will need to make a covered run and not allow free ranging unless we are there to watch for the hawk. Just want to say thanks to all the BYC'ers for great tips and advice. I usually just read others stories but had to jump in on this thread today. Happy ending
