HAWKS! What can i do?!

[americana-lover]

Before I started to own chickens, hawks rarely come by. The only reason they would is because my neighbors always feed the sparrows, and there's always a lot of birds fluttering by. I live in a suburb, so my neighbors are close. Another reason they would come is because i live about 2 blocks away from a small wooded area.
But when I got my chickens in April 2010, I have been seeing more and more hawks. A couple of times, the hawk landed right on my swing set, and my girls were free ranging

No one way harmed

but i felt awful because it scared me half to death, and prob them even more! Yesterday, there were 3 hawks circling around my house, extremely close. One landed in my tree. Ive heard tall pine trees scare them away, but I already have 3 growing in my yard, and my other neighbor has 4 huge ones in his front yard, so it doesn't really scare them away.

MY coop is fairly small, I only have 5 Americanas, so their run is small, but they free range a lot. Recently, i have extended their run to the back of my garage, and I'm working on putting a net over the top, but the hawks will still come around, and i just worry so bad. Sometimes i blast my radio when I'm not outside, but I don't want my neighbors to get mad at me and report my chickens. I can only turn up my radio so loud.

There chickens are my pets, I love them so much, and I don't want to see them killed.

Please help me! I'm desperate!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I would definately cover the run if you feel they are not safe. I have mine in an uncovered run and until I see a hawk I will leave it, HOWEVER I am totally paranoid! I treat my birds with cans of corn at times and take the labels off and throw the shiny around in the run, along with CD's hanging in some branches, some shiney party streamers floating in the wind on the fence wire too. I didnt think more than a two hawks hang together.... my DH tells me if its more than two its just buzzards

some interesting reading,.......

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-hawks

keep a roo along with your hens, and buy big-*** chickens@ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/one-way-to-protect-your-flock-from-hawks

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...wk-who-has-discovered-our-free-range-chickens

 

[roostersandhens]

hawks WILL take chickens they took one of mine i was crying for 2 days my chickens are everything to me i was sooo sad

we have 2 roosters though and they work hard to scare those hawks away so the hens do not get hurt. also you could put tables everywhere or umbrellas for the hens to hideunder. Good Luck!

 

[benisarooster]

Try not to let one of your chickens get killed by a hawk. Once the hawks know where they can get easy food, they will hang around all the time watching your chickens waiting for one of them to be alone somewhere. I learned that the hard way. Now i'm always having to scare the stupid hawks away. They like to sit on a telephone pole that's right by my chicken coop.