Hawks :(

[SallyinIndiana]

Wow it sounds like you have a plan.
We went with a covered run. Every so often we let the roosters out to free range but not so much the hens. I did not want to devote a large amount of my time thinking about the chance of a hawk getting my hens.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

Had my first experience with a hawk yesterday. I went out to check on my young Australorps to see that the glutinous squirrel was not in their coop, eating their food. Of course, he was and the chickens were not to be seen, as usual. I went to see where they were and a huge hawk flew off the top of my house, above the pen, with a loud flapping of wings. Scared the tar out of me. I ran back in the house to get my brother to come out and look for them. When we got out there, the chickens were found hiding behind the air conditioning unit and up in the air above us was the hawk. My brother said his wing span was approx. 6 feet. He was almost white on the underside. I don't know for sure if he was stalking the chickens or perhaps waiting for my dog, 5 lb. maltese, and my visiting brother's 3 dogs, 2 mini dachshunds and a rat terror, who have a 10x24 dog pen out the back door for pottying. The hawk could have been right above either or both of the pens from the peak of my roof.

Anyway, the chickens who I had been allowing to free range are stuck in their pen for some undetermined time. They have bird netting over the top of their pen and I'm scared for my dog too.

 

[mairead]

never has an issue with hawks until this fall when my favorite rooster was eating fallen apples underneath the apple trees in the pasture. I was sitting inside when i heard a lot of noise. i looked outside to see my rooster running for his life to the barn and the hawk swooping down and grabbed feathers. luckily he made it to the barn. He was missing a few feathers though...he was so scared.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Heres one of the products we've been using. http://www.suttonag.com/BirdControlPyrotechnics.html

 

[chickmister]

Heres one of the products we've been using. http://www.suttonag.com/BirdControlPyrotechnics.html

Very interesting information.

 

[Masonicflock]

12 gauge shotty with appropriate shot works great as a "pyrotechnic projectile"... and whether or not the hawk flies away is totally up to you. Personally I'm not wasting shells scaring one off repeatedly

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

12 gauge shotty with appropriate shot works great as a "pyrotechnic projectile"... and whether or not the hawk flies away is totally up to you. Personally I'm not wasting shells scaring one off repeatedly

Theres many thing Ive risked doing time over, but shooting a **** hawk aint gunna be one of em.

 

[Mattemma]

The bird scare whistlers and boomers are neat.Shame they are so pricey,but if is legal compared to bottle rockets then it is worth it.I just saw my huge hawk.If he kills anyone I hope it is one of my hens and not my awesome,super nice rooster.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Fireworks of all kinds are legal down here. The mortars work the best better then any of the pyro rounds imo

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Theres many thing Ive risked doing time over, but shooting a **** hawk aint gunna be one of em.

Could you picture your cell mate's face when he asks so what they get you for and you have to honestly say, I killed a bird.

I don't really agree with the law, there are so many worse things to lock a person up for. Still I'm not killing any bird that could land me in jail.