Hawks :(

[LeilaBlue1002]

I didn't let them out at all the next day and only for a little bit when I am in the yard since then. We saw him flying around the next day as well;O(( I have had less eggs this week too and I can tell they are stressed. I had 13 chickens when this happened. I guess that really was an unlucky number for me! Still grieving over that sweet little hen . . . . . .

 

[Melinda48]

We bought some "shiny" things at Dollar General and have hung them in our girls' area. Don't know if they are really working or not but have not seen any hawks flying around since we put them out. I read that shiny objects that reflect light make it more difficult for the hawks to hone in on the girls - keeping our fingers crossed!

 

[Bert2368]

Here is slow motion video showing just what a hawk can go through to get a meal- it takes a REALLY good cover to your run before it's good enough.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

I am sooo stinking tired of the hawks visiting us every single day. I have already lost one chick when she waa 7 weeks. Today I went out to check on everyone, and sure enough 2 hawks right over the area where my now 12 week chicks were...and the cockerel...not making a peep Come on King George. I need a second adult roo to help out for a while!

 

[Bert2368]

Hey, I'll flat out GIVE you a nice 1 year old Silver Grey Dorking roo who is good with human type people but hell on cats, weasels and likely hawks. Problem is, you'll need to come to MN and get him.

Got 2 spare adult Silver Grey Dorking roos, don't want to make them into chicken salad, folks! Speak up, don't be shy.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Hey, I'll flat out GIVE you a nice 1 year old Silver Grey Dorking roo who is good with human type people but hell on cats, weasels and likely hawks. Problem is, you'll need to come to MN and get him.

Got 2 spare adult Silver Grey Dorking roos, don't want to make them into chicken salad, folks! Speak up, don't be shy.

Gah I am in OH and pretty sure hubby would kill me if I drove that far for a roo. But ugh these hawks visit every single day! My 6 hens just go hide in the lilac bush but the little ones don't know any better yet and they don't follow the big gals.

 

[Beekissed]

Start feeding the crows....they like whole corn. I'd put up a crow feeding station of some kind for that very purpose....crows drive off hawks and are very vigilant about it, particularly if they establish a rookery in the area. In my area the neighbor baits for deer and turkey with corn and the crows dine at their leisure...and I see them chasing the local redtail hawks every now and again.

http://www.crows.net/food.html

 

[BlueJayFarm]

The crows do help and so do the smaller wild birds that are nesting now too. They attack the hawks and also sound the alarm, which the chickens now know. Today I went out to see what the commotion was about and my cockerel (not yet 4 mo old) Gus was sounding the alarm. Big daddy Ernest wasn't quite sure what was happening so I went out in the field and a falcon took off, causing Ernest, Gus, and the wild birds to REALLY sound off. The young chicks went racing into the henhouse! Gus had been in a different spot from Ernest since big daddy has been giving him the beat-down lately, so it was nice having two sets of roo eyes looking out. I am just about to put an ad up for Gus on Saturday but was glad he did his job in the meantime! (If anyone wants a vigilant Australorp cockerel in the OR/WA area, let me know!)

 

[seann]

The crows won't bother the chickens?

 

[Beekissed]

The crows won't bother the chickens?

Never known them to, though some folks report crows coming into the coops and stealing eggs...never heard of it personally in my whole life in the country. The crows and my chickens will often forage near each other here in the pasture as they are both hunting for the same foods.