Hawks!!!!

[Dan and Joyce]

Hi, this is joyce and we've started having issues with a hawk. I had 3 old girls for 2 years now and I started with 7 five years ago and they were free range. I now have 11 as of this past May,and I think because there's so many now that they caught the hawks eye. He attacked 2 of my younger girls and long story short,they survived. Now I have 8 in a small tarp covered fence area and only free range evey night around 6pm when I can be out watching. We ordered a covered chicken run from Amazon that came yesterday. We also strung 2 wires with pie plates last weekend and I haven,t seen or heard a hawk at all. We live in Central florida so not sure how the pie plate string will hold up under relentless storms and wind. Plus we have 2 fake owls ,but I don't have much confidence in them even though i move on every couple days.
I HATE keeping them fenced, but I was so stressed when I walked outside and saw hawk on top of my little brown hen and total fear for her just about made me hyperventilate! I put a tiny table and chair in their fence to see if they'll perch and I hung $ store mirrors on their fence.
Anyways I have access to a young rooster for free, but husband says they'll stop laying eggs and only want to set on eggs to be hatched. I was wondering about the truth or "science" of that? Plus, I'm not sure we can have rooster where we live.
Anyways, the BackYard Chickens is a wonderful wealth of information and interesting reading material.

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Having a rooster will not cause them to stop laying and go broody, but in reality the only protection most roosters provide is in the form of a warning system. Game fowl roosters are generally more physically protective of their flock.

 

[N F C]

Hi, good info from @sourland. I used to live in central FL and had to continually watch my flock because of all the hawks (once one came within about 5 feet from me, he wasn't intimidated by me at all). So keeping them safe in an enclosed run is safest.

 

[JedJackson]

Welcome to BYC. The young ones are the most vulnerable to hawk attacks, but any size bird can be taken. Hawks aren't as difficult to keep out as some other predators, though. You just need to have a covered run with them.

 

[SilverBirds]

Welcome to BYC! I agree with the others above.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC.
It's always good to have a run, so that your flock can be secured, when a predator is sighted.
If you keep them in the run, they'll complain for a while, but they will get used to it.
Roosters can be taken by hawks too.
I have big roosters, but I wouldn't trust them to protect my hens. They have longer legs, so they are the first to run to safety.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I have fake Eagles, not Owls, to keep Hawks away. It does seem to be working even though it's for sure not a total solution.

 

[Dr Evy]

Hi Joyce! Welcome to BYC. We’re so glad you joined!
Best of luck!

 

[Blue Raptor]

Hi, this is joyce and we've started having issues with a hawk. I had 3 old girls for 2 years now and I started with 7 five years ago and they were free range. I now have 11 as of this past May,and I think because there's so many now that they caught the hawks eye. He attacked 2 of my younger girls and long story short,they survived. Now I have 8 in a small tarp covered fence area and only free range evey night around 6pm when I can be out watching. We ordered a covered chicken run from Amazon that came yesterday. We also strung 2 wires with pie plates last weekend and I haven,t seen or heard a hawk at all. We live in Central florida so not sure how the pie plate string will hold up under relentless storms and wind. Plus we have 2 fake owls ,but I don't have much confidence in them even though i move on every couple days.
I HATE keeping them fenced, but I was so stressed when I walked outside and saw hawk on top of my little brown hen and total fear for her just about made me hyperventilate! I put a tiny table and chair in their fence to see if they'll perch and I hung $ store mirrors on their fence.
Anyways I have access to a young rooster for free, but husband says they'll stop laying eggs and only want to set on eggs to be hatched. I was wondering about the truth or "science" of that? Plus, I'm not sure we can have rooster where we live.
Anyways, the BackYard Chickens is a wonderful wealth of information and interesting reading material.

Welcome to BYC!!

 

[Stellasmomma]

Hi, this is joyce and we've started having issues with a hawk. I had 3 old girls for 2 years now and I started with 7 five years ago and they were free range. I now have 11 as of this past May,and I think because there's so many now that they caught the hawks eye. He attacked 2 of my younger girls and long story short,they survived. Now I have 8 in a small tarp covered fence area and only free range evey night around 6pm when I can be out watching. We ordered a covered chicken run from Amazon that came yesterday. We also strung 2 wires with pie plates last weekend and I haven,t seen or heard a hawk at all. We live in Central florida so not sure how the pie plate string will hold up under relentless storms and wind. Plus we have 2 fake owls ,but I don't have much confidence in them even though i move on every couple days.
I HATE keeping them fenced, but I was so stressed when I walked outside and saw hawk on top of my little brown hen and total fear for her just about made me hyperventilate! I put a tiny table and chair in their fence to see if they'll perch and I hung $ store mirrors on their fence.
Anyways I have access to a young rooster for free, but husband says they'll stop laying eggs and only want to set on eggs to be hatched. I was wondering about the truth or "science" of that? Plus, I'm not sure we can have rooster where we live.
Anyways, the BackYard Chickens is a wonderful wealth of information and interesting reading material.

I don't know if this will work where you live as you have said you have some pretty big storms but I thought it worth a mention, we were having trouble with hawks we have a small farm on 8 acres with a pretty open area in the middle in back of the house this is where my girls free range. We started having issues with hawks so my husband had the idea of putting in large yard spinners these are about 5 ft tall. We placed them in various places around the yard they spin when the wind blows even just a bit and the sun hits the metal it provides a distraction for the hawks and they don't have a clear path to grab the chicken so far (knock on wood!) it has been wonderful in deterring them. I also kept one little silkie mix roo who has been fantastic at warning the girls, out of 6 roosters I ended up with out of my spring babies he is the only one that actually tries to protect the girls. So between him and the spinners we have been hawk free!!