Hawks :(

[Hangtown Farms]

I lost 2 of my three rare roosters. a empordanesa and a icelandic. today a icelandic hen. this in the last three days. big red tailed hawk.
I tried to catch him but did not work. he got through the netting.
I left my local warden a message asking how I can protect my flock. the roosters protect the hens and our taking the brunt of it.

My message to him was simple. I need him removed tomorrow. I have a right to protect my property and my business.
If you can not have him removed please send my fine for exterminating him to ....

 

[chenoa77]

I came to this forum to see if others were having hawk issues and I see they are ): I am in south Alabama and see hawks every now and then, a few months ago I had a young hen come up missing and just assumed it may be a bird of prey but never saw one. I free range the chickens during the day and put them up in the evening, I also have 2 young turkeys that hang with the older flock (about 7 months old is the age on those, turkeys also). So today I hear this repetitive racket, kind of sounded like a goose almost but since I don't have a goose.....the noise kept on so I went out to the back where the coops are to see what was up and there it was, a hawk eating one of my barred rock pullets right there in the chicken yard (fenced area and I leave the gate open so the chickens can free range outside of it). The 7 month old chickens and the turkeys were hiding in the brush, the other younger chickens (about 3 and a half to 4 months) were hiding in the larger coop. With the 7 month old flock is a red leghorn rooster and with the younger flock there is at least 4 roosters out of 7 total chickens, well now 6. I am new to chickens and still learning the lingo so bear with me. The 7 month old chickens have their own little click and the younger ones have their own little click, they don't all hang out together (weird). I don't know if anyone tried to come to the rescue of the poor little gal but those turkeys sure enough ratted that hawk out. So now I am trying to figure out what I can do to keep the hawks at bay, I have a bunch of pecan trees on the property so hawks can sometimes be sitting in one and I may not notice right away. I guess I will try the scarecrow idea and maybe hanging shiny things, it seems some here have had pretty good luck with that? My dogs are of no use as they want to eat the chickens too so I have to keep them away from the chickens. I have one dog, a mini Aussie who won't mess with them if I am standing there but if I am not.......

It was somewhat traumatic to me and the flock, I know things like that happen but, you get attached to these guys, and I had to pick up the half eaten chicken, yuck.
I guess I will keep the younger ones up in their coop for a day or two as I am concerned now the hawk may come back looking for another meal. The 7 month old chickens are pretty large and would be harder to get a hold of so I think it should be safe to go ahead and let them out as usual.

If anyone has any other good ideas to keep the hawks away I would sure appreciate it, I guess when they free range it is a risky venture and I will just have to suck up an occasional loss but I really don't want to keep getting hit all the time, I like raptors too but......

I rarely see crows so don't have those to keep hawks away. I might see them briefly in the middle of winter, huge flocks of them but they are gone pretty quick.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

I came to this forum to see if others were having hawk issues and I see they are ): I am in south Alabama and see hawks every now and then, a few months ago I had a young hen come up missing and just assumed it may be a bird of prey but never saw one. I free range the chickens during the day and put them up in the evening, I also have 2 young turkeys that hang with the older flock (about 7 months old is the age on those, turkeys also). So today I hear this repetitive racket, kind of sounded like a goose almost but since I don't have a goose.....the noise kept on so I went out to the back where the coops are to see what was up and there it was, a hawk eating one of my barred rock pullets right there in the chicken yard (fenced area and I leave the gate open so the chickens can free range outside of it). The 7 month old chickens and the turkeys were hiding in the brush, the other younger chickens (about 3 and a half to 4 months) were hiding in the larger coop. With the 7 month old flock is a red leghorn rooster and with the younger flock there is at least 4 roosters out of 7 total chickens, well now 6. I am new to chickens and still learning the lingo so bear with me. The 7 month old chickens have their own little click and the younger ones have their own little click, they don't all hang out together (weird). I don't know if anyone tried to come to the rescue of the poor little gal but those turkeys sure enough ratted that hawk out. So now I am trying to figure out what I can do to keep the hawks at bay, I have a bunch of pecan trees on the property so hawks can sometimes be sitting in one and I may not notice right away. I guess I will try the scarecrow idea and maybe hanging shiny things, it seems some here have had pretty good luck with that? My dogs are of no use as they want to eat the chickens too so I have to keep them away from the chickens. I have one dog, a mini Aussie who won't mess with them if I am standing there but if I am not.......

Aw, me. That is really sad and I'm sorry for your loss. I too am a new chicken owner and have been following this thread religiously. Do you know how the hawk got through the bird netting? Through the netting itself or in an unsecured corner, or through the door? I just ordered some and installed it yesterday.

And to the person who said how hard the bird netting was to straighten out, thank you. That heads-up really calmed my nerves as I laid out the long piece in my living room and counted out the squares so I could cut off the size piece I needed. If you thought the netting would be folded or bunched up square, you'd be wrong. It comes stretched diagonal corner to diagonal corner and then folded like yarn.

Edit: And I apologize because I think I quoted the wrong post about the netting.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

The hawk came back yesterday and got another 10 week old female. And then my two RIR full grown roosters got spooked and attacked one of the 10 week old females too. So I lost 2 birds in one day.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I lost 2 of my three rare roosters. a empordanesa and a icelandic. today a icelandic hen. this in the last three days. big red tailed hawk.
I tried to catch him but did not work. he got through the netting.
I left my local warden a message asking how I can protect my flock. the roosters protect the hens and our taking the brunt of it.

My message to him was simple. I need him removed tomorrow. I have a right to protect my property and my business.
If you can not have him removed please send my fine for exterminating him to ....

It isnt a fine, It can be up to a 5 year prison sentence.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

yesterday in the rain I built a 10x10 dog run that I attached to the coop. I am going to use 1 1/2 inch galvanized stucco wire for the top. I have a few rolls of barbed wire that I will be using on it as well. This may help tell he goes away and can let my chickens back out.
I was also told the sound of gun shots may work so yesterday when I saw him I fired off a few rounds from my handgun. That did scare him off. I did not see him after that but I will do that everytime I see him. Maybe that will help. I do not have close neighbors so that does not matter.
most my neighbors shoot as well.

 

[kcfuerst]

Fishermen use heavy monofilament fishing line to keep seagulls and other birds away from their catch. The fishing line confounds the birds' vision and they don't care to navigate through the lines. They also use this type of deterrent on piers, docks, and marinas. If you have the means and ability to string up some fishing line far enough overhead where it doesn't interefere with your operations, I would highly recommend installing some.

I live in the city, but my property backs up to a riparian area and a year 'round creek and there are plenty of hawks flying overhead. Mostly they hunt down the stream corridor, but on occasion I have seem them eyeballing my girls (and I stand by with a heavy rake in my paws). Unfortunately for me (because they are ugly), but fortunately for my girls, the ancient above-ground powerline system ends at the back of my property creating a web of lines that the hawks seem to dislike. Knock on wood, I have never lost a bird to a predator while they were out ranging. We have 'possums, skunks, raccoons, dogs, hawks and two legged predators.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

Embarrassed that I had to look up the word riparian but now I know.

 

[DianaMallory]

I have a pesty coopers hawk that keeps visiting my yard. He keeps getting braver and braver. Yesterday he landed right in front of my deck in my little fenced area I have for my dogs. I shewed him away. But I have an SSS plan for him. Shoot him, shovel him and Shut up about him! It is illegal in many states to kill hawks. Don't call your game warden because they can't fine you for what they don't have a clue about! Make sure you have no witnesses! And this may sound mean but here goes, I get sick and tired of coming here and all these peeps free range their birds, and then cry and boo whoo when they loose one or 2 of their flock. If you free range, you are putting your flock in jeopardy! The simple solution is DO NOT FREE RANGE! If you insist on free ranging know and accept the fact that you are putting your flock into the food chain and deal with it! My birds only get to free range when I am standing right there with them! Usually before bedtime! The rest of the time they are in a completely enclosed coop and run. That is enclosed with hard ware cloth! I have been through 2 predator attacks before this flock. Not going through it again do to ignorance!

 

[Blondiechic]

I've moved on from the hawk for the time being and we are all on fox alert again. Keeps attacking during the middle of the day. Took three of my neighbours girls yesterday while they were home - her husband saw him leave with one. At least that confirms my girls were taken from my back garden by a fox and not a random stray dog...

I am delighted to report that giltter balls and mirrors (the odd make up mirror pointing to the Hawks favourite tree about the place and one big on on my outside wall) SEEMS to be working, I haven't seen the hawk since I put everything out there. My new fancy owl with a moving head and bright eyes arrived on Friday so he is being moved about as well... I don't have crows but have been paying more attention to the bird song as it changes when the hawk comes along.

We are also having trouble with one particular bush turkey who we all thought was visiting our various properties and hanging out with our flocks - one of them is now attacking the girls. I have never seen my husband move so fast as on the weekend shooing it off poor Dora!

Chicken owning has never been so stressful as this last six months...