Hawks :(

[chenoa77]

Quote:
IMHO, not letting the chickens out to do what chickens do is somewhat sad. They love being able to forage and exercise I feel bad for them when they are penned up in chicken prison all day. I have a huge coop, would fit 60 chickens easily with room to spare and I have a flock of 4 in it. My transition pen is rather roomy also as is the chicken yard that is fenced but none of it compares to freedom. I do understand there is a risk to free ranging as I am sure others do also but it is my job as their caretaker to reduce the risk to them as much as possible even as they experience freedom. Chickens are food pure and simple but that doesn't mean I should just sit back and allow whatever hungry critter comes along to take what they wish. I can only do my best to discourage the predators so the chickens can have a happy healthy existence.

To the poster who mentioned the owl, please do share and let us know if that works as I was considering trying one of those.

 

[bobbieschicks]

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.

Yes the netting works great for the run areas of course the chickens have to be in the covered run to protect them and not free ranging like my poor girl was who got eaten by the hawk. It is a bit of a pain to install. I had my 11 year old son help me and we used the coop as the center of it and just zip tied it to the 4' fence surrounding the run. I was surprized by the nonrectangular shape as well. But I didn't cut the netting - instead I zip tied the excess whereever needed to keep it from dangling down. I'm glad I did because now I have some play in terms of expansion or fixing any tears.

Before I got the netting I used the dangling CDs idea - and it kept the girls safe for almost a year. I just used regular twine to hang my CDs since I didn't want to buy fishing line. It worked fine.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

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!

They are federally protected. therefor illegal to harm in ANY State. You are advocating illegal activities. If thats your call, then you risk prison yourself, dont try to put others in that situation.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

You can apply for a permit to take one. You have to call fish and game. I am not sure how long it will take but worth checking into. Gun shots have been working to scare them away. I have been shooting in the general direction. ( I have no neighbors and a hill against the back of the property.)
It is keeping him farther away. maybe after the gun noise and the chickens being covered he will go away.

I have barbed wire on the seems of the covered run. hope he trys to get into it. he deserves it. I have a pull string on the coop door so if he where able to get in I can close the coop door so the hens would be safe. Then call fish and game or forget he is in there.

 

[bobbieschicks]

You can apply for a permit to take one. You have to call fish and game. I am not sure how long it will take but worth checking into. Gun shots have been working to scare them away. I have been shooting in the general direction. ( I have no neighbors and a hill against the back of the property.)
It is keeping him farther away. maybe after the gun noise and the chickens being covered he will go away.

I have barbed wire on the seems of the covered run. hope he trys to get into it. he deserves it. I have a pull string on the coop door so if he where able to get in I can close the coop door so the hens would be safe. Then call fish and game or forget he is in there.

We had in the fall/winter migratory coopers hawk & red hawk last year and this year we had a red hawk (that's what ate my silkie). Last year I just had the enclosed secure run and to put them in it until the hawks went away. I also strung twine and hung CDs from the twine over my open larger run. That seemed to help.

This year I have aviary netting over the outer run and the entire area is enclosed. However I like to let them freerange and accept that some will be targets of predators. When the hawk attacked this past time I simply put everyone inside the netted run and left them penned up for about two days. The hawk returned several times in that time frame - it sat on the gate post and on the back yard fence - but it did not find a way into the run through the avairy netting.

I would suggest simply penning them up for a couple of days to deter the hawk from thinking there is imore food available. Then start hanging CDs and running the fishing wire to deter them from coming back.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

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!

our run has netting over it but the hawks are still getting in. so we are considering many options including a higher quality net or a chicken wire roof.

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...

Can you provide a link to where you purchased such an owl?

 

[Melabella]

http://www.gardenersedge.com/garden-defense-electronic-owl/p/RH4E



Found this,,,, looks comprable to what she was talking about.

 

[Melabella]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_l...TF8&field-brandtextbin=Bird-X&node=2972638011

http://margosupplies.com/public/

on the margo supplies website there is a whole page that wouldn't let me copy the shortcut. It has a heading for "moving scare supplies",

 

[myhappyfeathers]

Hi ande, I am so sorry for your loss. Please don't listen to the ones against free ranging, many of us free range our feathered friends. It is always very hard to get over the ones you lose, and always seems to be the favorites. Maybe try to add some more hiding spots if you can. Best of luck to you and your chickens

 

[Hangtown Farms]

yeah free ranging is natural.