Hawks? How do I protect girls?

[lakeman]

I remember when I was a kid (over 70 years ago) a hawk was showing interest in a chicken, grandad run for the shotgun, got back just at the strike, took a fast shot, missed the hawk, but got the chicken. Made the hawk drop the chicken though, made a great pot o' chicken & dumplings.

 

[Keri78]

You could always get a Roo boy to take care of your girls:yiipchick!!! My giant cochin roo does a SUPER job at keeping my free range girls safe! We have hawks too and yes they fly over daily and as soon as my roo sees their shadow he herds all of the girls up and under the trees for cover! He also keeps them out of the road(funny..I don't know how he understands this??) Anyway...I lost one girl to a hawk back in the summer(didn't have a roo then and the girls were young) and I'm sure I will loose another one at some point in time(which will be heartbreaking) but it is expected for where we live. I know my girls are soo happy free ranging and enjoying their chickie lives that I just couldn't imagine locking them up. I'm willing to just add a few to my flock each year(either by my girls becoming mama's, ordering chicks, or hatching out eggs) hopefully this little will keep a good balance for the ones that I may loose. I think of it this way...a hawk(worst case) could only take one of my girls(and they are HUGE now and would give him a run for his money! & my good ol' roo boy would FIGHT for them!!!LOL) but a fox or racoon could take out my whole flock!!! This is why I focus more on locking them up safely at night. Hope this doesn't come across "cold" and insensitive...I LOVE my girls and want them to be safe but I also know that nature will take it's course and I enjoy free ranging them!

Blessings, Keri

 

[newchickengirl]

Quote:
When I had the most problems it was mostly between the hours of 8am to 12 pm then 3pm to 5 pm. Also hawks Dont hunt at night. Owls do that

 

[Gonzo]

We use CD's, But the best thing I've found so far, is having my 8 yr old out there with them! He's the best little rooster! He has eagle eyes too! He spots one, he grabs

his Daisy Red Ranger BB Gun! He's even hit one before! I don't know who was more shocked! Him that he hit it, or the hawk that got the BB!

 

[MyFirstFarm]

I know red-tailed hawks hunt during the day b/c in my suburban neighbourhood (moving to the acreage in 3 weeks, wahoo!) they sit on the lamp-posts along the highway waiting for road kill, lol. We see them there during the daytime.

I'm wondering about this though as we also have lots of eagles in this area. I want to free-range our birds but don't want to provide a buffet for the local raptors. Is having a rooster really a way to take care of this issue?

 

[topeka]

For some reason my Australian Shepherd is very alert to threats from the sky. As he patrols around the chicken yard he leaps and barks

at any crow/ hawk/etc. that flys over. I don't know how he knows that some birds are a threat to his chickens but he does!

 

[Gonzo]

I've heard so many great things about that breed! The people who own our feedstore have 3 or 4 of them, they wouldn't have anything else! They're great dogs!
Quote:

 

[debbie.h]

I have used the CDs but still have an occassional hawk/falcon attack. I will put more CDs up and also more shelter areas in the field for them to hide in. Does anyone know if hawks/falcon are "afraid" of certain colors? Could possible make colored windsocks.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
He is definitely shopping for both food and opportunity. My wife spotted one sitting on corner post of run staring at the girls who were all huddled in a corner staring back. She shoo'd it away. I never saw it before or since. I have a large noisy, aggressive resident population of crows here that seem to keep hawks too busy to do any harm. At least, that has been the case for 6 months. Could try criss-crossing the yard with that orange or yellow polypropylene twine that is sold at Tractor Supply. Then hang CD's from that everywhere. I imagine that the shiny foil toy whirlygigs that kids like, mounted on a stick would be good too. Also, the gaudy stuff that used car lots string up with all of the fringes blowing in the breeze.