Hawks hawks hawks....

[Betsy57]

Over the past couple of months the hawks have found my girls. We have 13 chickens, a rock solid coop and fully covered 20x20 run. I did free range the girls for YEARS without problems. Recently we lost a couple of girls to hawks. I am wondering if anyone has used garden hoops and bird netting to protect girls while free ranging? I want to be able to let them out each day but know we are going to continue to have issues if I do. I want to keep the girls safe while giving them at least SOME freedom. Thanks for your advice, it is greatly appreciated!

I just lost my first girl to a red shoulder hawk :*( I kept my gals in their coop for a few days but I hate to do that but don't want to lose anymore. I used to have fishing line stretched out across my chicken yard but since the hawks can zoom through the woods with no problem I thought they could zoom in through the wire but I guess I will put it back up. I secured the wires on the coop and stretched to various parts of the fence. Kinda like an umbrella without the fabric. Update: lost a 2nd hen to the hawk so I am waiting until the snow melts so I can get the ladder out and string the fishing line. Poor chickens have been cooped up 2 weeks. I have let them out in the big yard for an hour or two when I get home from work but I am standing guard outside w them. Wish my cocker was a guard dog but she chases them wanting to play w them.