Hawks?!

[Freville]

What if I am a farmer and the hawk is inside the coop eating my chickens and we can't get it out? Am I supposed to file a permit?

 

[Tillicans]

unfortunately it's up to us to keep our chickens as safe as possible. How would they get in if everything is secure. Can't help a hawk being a predator.

 

[Freville]

The hawk entered via a door to the coop in the day. When it saw a human it went straight into a glass window. I've lost hens before to hawks on pasture. But first time one entered a coop.

 

[Zoomie]

To answer your question, yes, you are supposed to file a permit. Hawks are protected. Even if one comes in your house, they are still protected.

There are a lot of hawks, eagles, and owls where I live, in addition to raccoons, skunks, weasels, coyotes, dogs, on and on and on. I don't want my birds killed by predators. Therefore my birds are in a covered run. At night they are locked in securely. By doing my best to protect the birds I can enjoy the abundance of wildlife in my area. And in any event, as others here have pointed out, there is no way I could kill every single predator out there, nor do I want to try... for one thing it would land me in jail. My house may not be all that great but I prefer it to jail.

 

[Freville]

Completely get it. And would never kill a predator such a hawk doing what it does. However once in a blue moon crazy things happen on farms and wild life gets in and can do extreme damage to livestock or the farmer. In our area a farmer killed a bear that was destroying livestock and the farm. Police were called post kill. No fine. But if he hadn't been a legal farm 10k fine would have ensued.

 

[Zoomie]

Completely get it. And would never kill a predator such a hawk doing what it does. However once in a blue moon crazy things happen on farms and wild life gets in and can do extreme damage to livestock or the farmer. In our area a farmer killed a bear that was destroying livestock and the farm. Police were called post kill. No fine. But if he hadn't been a legal farm 10k fine would have ensued.

Oh wow, that's pretty scary... a bear came to the neighbor's and smashed the chicken coop, killing most of the chickens, and then was pushing on the glass on their house, trying to get in. They did try and scare it away but it just would not leave. They called Game & Fish, and were then instructed to shoot the bear, which they did... we were all sad about it, because the bear was starving to death and was simply desperate.

This is way out in the country here, and we all do at least a little farming, and you are right - crazy things can happen. I can actually see shooting a bear that is threatening human life. In this case, the bear had been trapped down in the city causing trouble, and was relocated to our area, for some reason or other... that should not have happened according to their regulations, but it did. It was wearing a tag in its ear, showing it had been trapped and released.

Anyway, because we ARE in bear country, we built our chicken coop on the base of the welded steel pipe cattle chute. Not even a bear can smash that thing. At least, we hope not!

 

[cmohlin89]

I had 2 hawks (or the same hawk twice) somehow squeeze in before I figured out where they were getting in at. To get them out I just went in with a towel and welding gloves, gently draped the towel over the bird once it was cornered, gently folded it's wings to a normal position on the body so as not to injure it, held it's legs so it couldn't kick and snag me with those talons, held it securely against my body like I would a chicken, and carried it out. I then set it down, slowly pulled off the towel and it flew off. I think there is a time for common sense, and if you can safely handle the situation and ensure the animal isn't injured you've done nothing wrong. I highly doubt merely taking a hawk out of your coop then releasing it outside would incur any fines.

 

[straychicken]

Best keep your chickens enclosed in an enclosure so they won't be food for preying birds.

I've had two hens killed in the same way over the past three days. The necks are stripped and eyes are gone. This is the first time this has happened. Could it be a hawk?

 

[centrarchid]

Looks suspicious for a hawk or owl kill. No evidence of plucking action. Carcass looks as if skinned as consumed. Picture not a clear as I would like to see if meat pulled from neck vertebrate. To me feathers around carcass opening look wetted which I associate with some mammals like a raccoon or oppossum although both of those like to eat bones as well.

 

[Dhuntington]

I had a hawk attack just now. I was just inside the door when I heard them panic. I rushed out and scared him away. there was a patch of probably close to 50 feathers, but I can't find any sign of blood, or anyone with a sign of injury. I'm hoping it was a glancing blow that didn't actually break the skin. I shut them in the run for at least the rest of today. Of course, it doesn't really matter since they won't come out of the coop unless I'm out with them. I didn't think nearly full grown Orpingtons were too susceptible to hawks because of their size. Do you think that winter has driven him to taking chanced he normally wouldn't, or do you think I need to take more protective measures? Do the owl decoys actually work?