Hawks :(

[lbrtyldy]

Just starting reading this thread because we have had a hawk skulking around here for a few months now and it has only, luckily, picked off one of the chicks. Now they're almost full grown so maybe the hawk won't bother with them. But the stupid thing keeps doing a fly by almost every day and getting the girls all in a tizzy. The dogs and I go running out and have often seen the beauty fly off.

I heard from a friend that they had netting over their pen and a hawk got all kinds of wrapped up in it and couldn't get out and was screeching, etc. I can't remember how it was resolved, but I can't imagine it went well for anyone.

I think I'll just try to keep an ear and eye out and skip the netting.

I think the dogs really help keep other predators away. They are all around the chickens and in the chicken pens so probably the scent deters a lot of critters. Plus the 5 foot fence, 1 foot under ground too and a secure coop do wonders in keeping incidents down to a minimum.

 

[chickortreat]

I saw a big hawk today. It lit in a big oak over at my folks' house. I had to look through my scope to be certain it was a hawk, as there were some buzzards circling. They caught sight of a dog I dispatched the other night that was in my dad's garden. No, I didn't shoot the hawk. He flew too quickly.

 

[Blondiechic]

I have dogs but the hawk sits in the tree anyway. I shouted at it last time and it just circled above me!
I have found my glitter balls are working at the moment - our hawk doesn't visit daily but I haven't seen it since i hung them. I was a bit skeptical about them but as I rode my horse home the other day down the hill I looked over to our place and could see one of those balls so brightly and I was about half a k away!
Today I am ordering some garden scarecrows and found an owl which moves its head for out there as well, I am over aesthetics!
I hate having them locked up even though its a massive run and hate being so freaking paranoid.
When the hawk visited last it went under the trees and shrubs to have a go at my girl Walter... I have half chicken wire over the top now and mirrors and...glitter balls everywhere!
Looking at netting for the rest, have the garden man coming next week.

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I have a rooster and 2 hens, all siblings and just turned 1 yr. old. Usually they are kept in their coop with a 20' by 20' covered run and are happy. But to make them happier, I let them free range a couple days a week under supervision.

On Sunday as I was sitting on my front porch, my rooster let out that distinctive scream that they do whenever they see a hawk and then I heard a wrestling match going on! I ran to the side of the house just in time to see the hawk fly up into a tree.

The hens were cowering under the boxwoods and my rooster was alive but missing a bunch of feathers on his back. I coaxed them back into their run with some mealworms and that's where they're going to stay for the next few days.

One thing strange though, my rooster hasn't crowed one single time since the attack where he is usually so vocal throughout the day. Don't know if his neck got injured or if he's still shook up. Tomorrow I'll check him out real good for any injuries.

edited to add: rooster is just fine, he spent most of the day crowing.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I woke up to an interesting match yesterday. I have one jersey giant rooster that lives outside the coop due to his aggression to the other roosters, and one male guinea thats his buddy and refuses to go in the coop. Well yesterday i woke up to the whole pen going batcrap crazy. grabbed mr shoty on the way out the door thinking i would have an issue to take care of. I get behind the run to see the rooster and the guinea cock tearing the crap outta a redtail. Wasnt my business so i went on my way. Everyone in the pen was rooting for them tho. Havent seen the hawk just a ton of feathers.. assuming the dogs finished it off. Should be a lesson for other hawks Btw i did check both birds when they roosted this evening. some scratches but no major harm.

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

Wish I could find a bunch of redtail feathers......my dreamcatcher on my rearview mirror needs a few more on it.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I thought it was more amusing then watching the occasional hawk bounce off the wire and into the coop wall... my birds got justice! LMAO

 

[bobbieschicks]

We just finished covering the entire area that we fenced off for our chickens with netting yesterday. I am so happy to hear that it worked for you! Did the hawk bounce off or get caught in the netting? Did you need to make repairs? I have posted pictures earlier in the thread of the area we covered. It was a big job, but sounds like it was worth the work! Of course it is pouring rain her this morning, and the chickens won't come out of the coop!!

I didn't actually see him try to land I just heard the commotion and turned around to see him swing up and over the coop and take off. I heard a bunch of whoosh sounds, so probably he caught himself either hitting the net or just before hitting the net? I didn't need to make any repairs. My netting is covering a 50'x30' area. I use the coop in the center as my center pole.

 

[hennotrooster]

Okay, Hawks are larger than falcons?

We have a fenced yard for our hens and a coop in their yard. My father in-law recently strung rope along the top so they would stop getting out, well now they figured out how to get on the roof of the green house and fly down into the our yard we have 3 acres. Our escapee started then her three sisters figured out how, the two older ones do not try to get out, yes they do, they try to squeeze through the fence holes.

All that being said the four were chasing after a falcon

(I assume it was a falcon it was rather small) not sure why but the girls chased it till it flew up into the tree and every time it tried to come down they went after it. There has been a much much larger bird I will assume is the hawk that has been sitting on their fence. I went out to check on the girls and they were under the cypress bush in their yard, the hawk has been bringing it's catch and eating it in front of the greenhouse near the fence to the hens yard. The ravens gather around the hawk trying to steal it's catch. My hens do not have chicks or a clutch of eggs anywhere. The falcon was trying to bath as they have done this for the last two years. Is this normal for them to go after something that sees them as a potential meal? The two older hens terrorize the younger four on a daily basis and they do nothing to defend themselves but they will go after a squirrel, our dog and now this falcon.

I am sorry for all your losses these hens sure grow on your heart. I never thought I would be attached to one but I am and I am getting ready to do away with the older two for tormenting my Speckles she is timid and loves to be close to whomever is in the yard.

 

[hennotrooster]

So that is what a roo is for ours was not a protector once their yard went up. He would chase off the raven when he was running around on 3 acres but once contained in their yard he stopped all together. He did not even control the hens well he never did that anyone one wanted nothing to do with him and the other was at his side all the time but ignored him when he would try to round them up to the coop for the night. Chickens are funny.