Hawks!

[KentuckyRooster]

Help!

My babs have been delegated to their pens. I have 2 hawks hanging around. I've lost 2 baby chicks and I thought it was feral cats so I started locking tiny ones up but now I've seen the hawks coming and I KNOW they took the peeps. I want to put up bird mesh over the free range area. Has anyone tried this? What are some other options? I used to run my heeler at them but we've moved and I can't run the heeler like I did with this fence.

 

[Justso]

Yes well connected mesh should hold them out. You can find the large sheets at a farm store, the kind used for fruit crops. Are they enclosed at night? This kind of netting will not hold out a raccoon.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Always always enclosed at night. I'd have none left between foxes and coons if my coops were not secure

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

How often are these hawks coming around?

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Poultry wire is ok for top but hardware cloth or a covered roof are better. I've heard you can use old cd's on the top of a post to deter hawks.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

How often are these hawks coming around?

At least 3 times in 2 weeks. Twice they took a chick (separate times) and today I saw them.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Poultry wire is ok for top but hardware cloth or a covered roof are better. I've heard you can use old cd's on the top of a post to deter hawks.

I have runs with real roofs, but was ranging my birds because I have a great property with a barn and horse and lots of cool stuff for them to Peck at and I want to try and cover the range area somehow.

 

[lissalischicks]

I free range my girls too but after the hawks and falcons started stalking them I put electrical conduit tubes in the ground and used that to clip on bird netting. I don't know if you can see it in the picture below. I saw a hawk bounce off it once and it was the highlight of my day. They now sit and wait sometimes for them to make a mistake but the girls now to stay under a tree or under the netting when they are around. We do have an uncovered area as well but they tend to stay under the covered area.

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

At least 3 times in 2 weeks. Twice they took a chick (separate times) and today I saw them

You might want to check the wildlife protection laws and see if you can bring them down.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

You might want to check the wildlife protection laws and see if you can bring them down.

Not here. They're protected.