Hawks! How can I keep the hawks away from my chickens?

[Kim95037]

http://www.birdbgone.com/products/bird-deterrents/repeller-360.html

Heres some more stuff Ive been looking into. I would hate to put bird wire over my whole yard, its huge.
Let me know what you guys think of any of this stuff.

 

[kota1369]

As others have stated a covered run is a must if you want to avoid this problem 100%.
At my last house, it was set up so you could see most of the yard. So, when a hawk was sighted,
out went a rottwieler. As she is like shooting a bullet out the backdoor. The chickens would run to her
for saftey. If I had chickens on both sides of the yard and a hawk, out went one of my cocker spaniels
to help the rottwieler out. It seemed to make the hawks think twice.
The only problem with that is the dogs were not out all the time. I did loose a chicken in the moving
transition to a hawk. But, there were people living there with NO dogs. So the yard was not as safe
as it had been before.
If you choose to free range, I think you need to realize things happen. And at least your chickens
lived the life of a happy chicken.
p.s. it took two of us (dog trainers) to get the rottwieler 100% chicken safe around chickens and a years time. Now all I have to worry about is one getting in her way when she is after a squirrel. LOLOL that is one great dog! Cuz if she hits something
its like getting hit by a frieght train.

 

[Mattemma]

If you don't do a perm. run just set some bird netting over some bamboo poles attached to plastic fence.You can move the fencing around easy,but the netting is a pain.Thing is to do the netting loose,so when the hawk attacks it will tangle them.If it is tight the hawk will rip right through it.Tangled gives you time to save your chickens,and then deal with the hawk.

Speaking of hawks I just saw ours on the grape arbor.I sure wish that pretty bird would disappear.

 

[ldutch123]

I would like to report(knock on wood) we have had good success with the CDs on a line and a few scarecrows. Also I decided to let all my chickens run the 2 acres together instead of keeping the bantams seperate from the full size birds. And things have went smashingly! The younger tophats a only 12 weeks old but size sure doesnt seem to be an issue when they all mingle. But they have seen each other on the other side of the fence their whole lives.

I have been taking a count every few days and no one is missing so the hawk must have given up FOR NOW LOL. also there is a ton of bushes and a deck and just a whole lot of stuff the chickens don't stray too far from some sort of cover.

 

[schrunk11]

I welcome crows in, they eat any feed scraps and keep the hawks ran off from their food source. I've seen the crows attack hawks in the air. Putting pieces of old garden hoses on top of the chicken pens to look like snakes helps, too.

 

[ldutch123]

Great idea I will do that too!!

 

[chickortreat]

I hate crows and kill every one I can. I'll call them in to shoo them. They are very destructive and annoying in my opinion. As to those who say if you shoot one predator, another will come, I guess it's a matter of how you look at it. I'll take my chances on having enough ammo.

The fun thing about crows is that you can shoot them anytime and with rifle or shotgun. My farthest was at 240 yards. I caught him mid-CAW.

 

[chickenboy2001]

We use an owl lawn ornament on a post next to the chicken yard, since hawks and owls are enemies.

 

[leadwolf1]

We use an owl lawn ornament on a post next to the chicken yard, since hawks and owls are enemies.

Lost 3 chickens to hawks with this advice. I even made sure to move him around all the time so the hawks wouldn't be suspicious...I guess my hawk knows that owls come out at dusk and so he decided to catch him sleeping and kill in the afternoon. I wouldn't trust this at all as a sound hawk deterent.

 

[redneck3016]

I agree you need a covered area to protect your flock but I have heard that hanging things like wind chimes or things that have alot of sparkle in the trees can help scare away predator's.