Hawks :(

[SallyinIndiana]

I have a martin colony out front and it's done nothing to the 2 hawks that are now eyeballing my free range chickens. My dog, border collie, jumps around and barks at the hawk, but this is not deterring the hawk. I have a tin chicken coop and a fenced in barren yard. I like the chickens to be able to wander around, but scared that the hawk is going to soon make off with one. The chickens are venturing out into the field, chasing grasshoppers, I'd rather they stayed close to the house though, more shrubs. Half of my land is forest and the other half is pasture. The hawk has been hanging out in the forest area. I'm thinking of making a few scarecrows and placing them around. I've got an owl somewhere... I hear him hooting in the distance. Instead of chasing the hawks I think he too is eyeballing my chickens! I don't know what to do! I've heard cd's, scarecrows, fishing line...etc. I don't own a gun, but I have heard that catching them in the live trap works. If I take the hawk and let him go about 20 miles from my house will he come back?

It is my understanding that trapping them is not legal unless they are young and you plan to keep them and train them.
Will the hawk come back? Yes most likely before you got home, they are fast. Have you looked into the price of a hawk trap? Most times a net to cover a large pen is cheaper and in no way illegal.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
where did you get your owl?

 

[chickenlver2013]

where did you get your owl?

co-op and tractor supply has them I bought 2 one that's head moves at the co-op and one at tractor supply. It's been 6 months since I've seen a hawk.

 

[Nambroth]

I have a martin colony out front and it's done nothing to the 2 hawks that are now eyeballing my free range chickens. My dog, border collie, jumps around and barks at the hawk, but this is not deterring the hawk. I have a tin chicken coop and a fenced in barren yard. I like the chickens to be able to wander around, but scared that the hawk is going to soon make off with one. The chickens are venturing out into the field, chasing grasshoppers, I'd rather they stayed close to the house though, more shrubs. Half of my land is forest and the other half is pasture. The hawk has been hanging out in the forest area. I'm thinking of making a few scarecrows and placing them around. I've got an owl somewhere... I hear him hooting in the distance. Instead of chasing the hawks I think he too is eyeballing my chickens! I don't know what to do! I've heard cd's, scarecrows, fishing line...etc. I don't own a gun, but I have heard that catching them in the live trap works. If I take the hawk and let him go about 20 miles from my house will he come back?

If you are in the USA, trapping, harassing, harming, etc... a hawk is illegal. Even if you don't care about the legalities, trapping and moving the hawk 20 miles or 200 miles is not going to do you any good. Hawks are migratory and will easily fly such distances to return to a home territory. Even if you were to remove the hawk (again illegal), another would likely fill it's place. The best thing you can do is cover your chicken run with netting, have a livestock guardian dog, or resign that you might lose one or two birds now and then.

 

[BarneyChick97]

I've read a few of these horrific and sad stories... and I'm freaking myself out!! (as an added bonus, as I'm reading these stories, I'm hearing ALL kinds of calls, mostly from the RTH's, but also, an eagle!! Darn, its such a nice day!!

)

We lost one of our sweet ducks to a red tail hawk, on Memorial Day. So we have built 2 larger chicken "tractors" with PVC pipe (1- 5x10x2.5' and 1- 5x5x2.5' ) and chicken wire....its held on with zip ties.

I want to know a few things....?? To the people that had a hawk grab through the fencing....how did that exactly happen? Was there large gaps? Was it just laying over the top? Was it the actual poultry mesh?? Or am I missing something?? Right now, I rotate my chickens and ducks in them. We have an adult female turkey who would really LIKE to free range, but I read in the Wiki info that RTH's have been known to kill/eat wild turkey hens? Is there anyone out there with turkeys who have had any issues with hawks trying to get turkeys? Honestly, I'm really freaked!! We also have 4 new turkey chicks that we are going to have to some how move around the yard. Our coop is really nice, and I feel like they are very safe in it. It has a full roof, and is completely surrounded with chicken wire. Its just really hard to have had everyone enjoying all free space, bugs, slugs, worms and grass....and then the MEAN hawks came to the party and ruined all the fun!!

Thanks...

 

[Nambroth]

BarneyChick97,

In regards to turkeys, it depends on the age of the turkey, the breed, and the (in)experience of hawks. Chicks and youngsters of any type of poultry we keep are never safe from hawks. Full grown adult turkeys, especially the larger breeds, have some security but you are right. Hawks-- especially the larger species-- have been hunting wild turkeys (and their poults) since long before humans came to North America, so it is not out of the question. A hawk is less likely to try to take a turkey out of a group of turkeys. Young birds and lone hens are the most likely to be predated upon (because they don't have a boss tom or other flock members to immediately kick the snot out of a hawk!) Inexperienced hawks will sometimes do some very stupid things though, and hunt birds that they shouldn't mess with, which is why yearling hawks have such a high mortality rate. A bigger threat to turkeys is if you allow them to roost outdoors, great horned owls are quite good at hunting them, depending on your location and owl population.

As always, the more fragmented the habitats of these wild predators becomes, the harder time they have hunting truly wild prey, and the more they tend to take on our backyard livestock and pets.

 

[gmomfarms]

In most states, you can not legally kill hawks, so you must protect against them and accept some predator loss as part of the process and cycle.

 

[BarneyChick97]

Our adult turkey is a bronze. She's a loner, for sure. So far, we've only let her out if we are right there. She seems a little freaked out still (and it's only been a week and a half?). I didn't even think about owls!? My goodness!! My chickens have been able to free range for almost a whole year....and this happens! I DO hear owl sounds during the day high up in the trees? I've never seen one, but now I'm gonna be on the look out!!!! I guess I thought that owls just ate small rodents (I've seen the pellets under some big cedar trees around our property), NEVER thought of chickens or ducks!

Dang!! I'm still pretty sure that it was the red tails that killed and ate my duck though. I've seen them dive bombing "something" in our neighbors field. They come out usually in pairs. Its like, every few days, and then they must go somewhere else, and we get a small break, but then they are back again (they must rotate with the eagles). I've had eagles fly through my yard---but they only seem to in the late late day, or early morning. They don't seem to "stalk" our yard, but those hawks...um, I see quite a bit! So I guess everyone will be caged. Our turkey chicks that we have right now are white (I think it's a tom, he's very good at strutting), another bronze, and 2 red bourbons (which, seem to be small, so I'm guessing, that will be perfect hawk bait????!).

 

[Hangtown Farms]

If you are in the USA, trapping, harassing, harming, etc... a hawk is illegal. Even if you don't care about the legalities, trapping and moving the hawk 20 miles or 200 miles is not going to do you any good. Hawks are migratory and will easily fly such distances to return to a home territory. Even if you were to remove the hawk (again illegal), another would likely fill it's place. The best thing you can do is cover your chicken run with netting, have a livestock guardian dog, or resign that you might lose one or two birds now and then.

yes it is not illegal for a livestock dog to kill a hawk just people to.
1 point is not all hawks are chicken killers. Migratory hawks are more likely the culprit than year round ones. we have both. I lost 8 in a week and a half.
it finally went away. have had no issues since but my runs are covered with a netting that would kill one if it tried to dive bomb through.
However no issues. I plan on letting them range again once I get the pasture area fenced. At least the layer flock and not the rare breeders I keep.

It is a silly law though. Tons of hawks out are way and once they kill chickens they are pests and do not stop.
I think the main reason is they worry about miss id or over killing so I se both ways.
I think out here though if you call the Warden they will try and trap it.
When I called mine he had told me to call the main office in Sacramento

 

[chickortreat]

I think the law against killing hawks was enacted years ago, when hawks MAY have actually been endangered...who knows, bureaucrats are known for passing stupid, worthless laws that do more harm than good. Like most of this type of refuse, it will be "on the books" forever, even if hawks are killing every chicken in the country. Murder is illegal, but when some thug comes through my front door, Imma gonna find out the effects of a 10mm hollow point on human tissue. There is a difference in "killing hawks" and defending one's livestock.