Hawks, Netting, Miracles, and the Missing.

[NapaChicknGal]

Hi - my girls have a run with one tarp for shade on one side and I used to let them out frequently - however, a hawk came down abt a month ago and grabbed one and my neighbor chased it off so I put another tarp I had over the run and put bird netting in between any gaps to cover any areas the hawk could enter. Luckily, it didn't harm my girl, just scared the h..l out of her and the rest of them; so now I only let them out when I'm working up in that area - 2 hrs a week - I feel bad about leaving them in run but it is safer and it is pretty large with a cpl of trees to boot.

 

[wildcat hunter]

I would get 20 lb test monofiliment ( sp ) fishing line and weave a pattern over the chicken run. Its invisible to a diving hawk. A 100 yard spool should be around $10.00 or less. The birds will be shocked when they hit the line while in a dive.

 

[NapaChicknGal]

I would get 20 lb test monofiliment ( sp ) fishing line and weave a pattern over the chicken run. Its invisible to a diving hawk. A 100 yard spool should be around $10.00 or less. The birds will be shocked when they hit the line while in a dive.

that's too drastic - don't want to injure or kill the hawk

 

[CluckNDoodle]

that's too drastic - don't want to injure or kill the hawk

I'm going to get some netting and heavy fishing line to string across to help support it as someone else mentioned. I have lots of trees back there to kind of "tent" the netting up so it doesn't sag too much but I like the idea that was shared to use the line as a support where you don't have anything else. This could look great or absolutely ridiculous when I'm done but at least the chickens should be safe! Lol

 

[PTA Chicks]

I have a problem with eagles and am struggling to find bird netting. I had an idea to use mirrors posts pointing up and at slightly different angles. Even old plates with mosaic mirror pieces. The idea is that the sun will reflect off the mirror pieces and therefore confuse the eagle or at least make it less easy to see the ground. No idea if it will work. No airplanes fly over my property. But it is an easy enough project to attempt and fun for my kids to do. And bonus....plates are concave so will make mini bird waterers for the wild birds when it's rained.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have a problem with eagles and am struggling to find bird netting. I had an idea to use mirrors posts pointing up and at slightly different angles. Even old plates with mosaic mirror pieces. The idea is that the sun will reflect off the mirror pieces and therefore confuse the eagle or at least make it less easy to see the ground. No idea if it will work. No airplanes fly over my property. But it is an easy enough project to attempt and fun for my kids to do. And bonus....plates are concave so will make mini bird waterers for the wild birds when it's rained.

Amazon seems to be the best resource for finding the larger rolls of netting. Good luck! I hope you're able to get your eagle situation under control!

 

[aart]

I'm going to get some netting and heavy fishing line to string across to help support it as someone else mentioned.

You could also sink some 2x2 or 2x4 'posts' in buckets with some concrete to hold up the netting where it sags. Put something roundish on top of posts to protect the more fragile netting.
Best of cLuck!

 

[amanda1]

Ugh... There are so many black vultures that fly over my yard every day, along with the turkey vultures. I read up on them and it said it was rare that the black ones would go for a living animal and next to never for the turkey vulture. I have the bird net over my bantams run but my standards have free range. I have a little over 20 acres of mainly wooded area for them to forage in. Now I’m rethinking the free ranging. Makes me wonder what has changed in the environment that the black ones are going for live animals and something as big as a calf.

I e never heard of the buzzards killing. We have tons of them here and sometimes it appears they communicate with my chickens. I think they help my chickens look out for hawks. The buzzards are nothing to fear.

 

[amanda1]

We had a similar experience. I came home one day to see a hen and a hawk in the run, and the six other chickens missing. The hen had a gash in her head, but was still alive. We chased the hawk, which was very reluctant to leave. We searched for the other hens everywhere. Finally, i noticed a black and white tail sticking out from behind the nesting boxes. The six chickens had piled up on top of each other in a very small space behind the boxes!

I summary, after a few hawk attacks we built an enclosed run with avian netting on top. Since then, we haven’t had any chickens killed by hawks. But, in the last few days I see something has picked some holes in the netting! Those hawks are very persistant. Now my girls free range only when I’m outside with them.

 

[Ebony Rose]

They sell a black (sometimes green) woven plastic garden tarp product that they call "Saran" by the foot or roll here in Panama. After doing a google search, I found that they call it "privacy mesh" or "wind screen" in the States. Water and shaded sun passes right through it. If you can erect some sort of frame to drape it on, I'm certain it would stop your hawk problem without detrimental effects to your flock or their overhead predators.