HELP!!! Hawks attacking my girls

[SoCal ChickaD]

HELP!! I live in Southern California where Hawks are very present. I live in a suburban area with 2 chickens in a small coup. My girls are about 3 1/2 months old now and I let them free range in the yard in the mornings with my supervision. After they spread their wings a little I put them in their "Peck N Play" which is a small cage with top (see picture attached). The last 2 days I have had 2 Hawks, a Coopers Hawk and today a Red Shouldered Hawk swoop down at them. Of course I am now paranoid about letting them out of the cage for a while. I don't think the Hawks can get at them in their Peck N Play but I am VERY concerned for their safety. Any help/advice is appreciated!!

 

[1muttsfan]

I doubt a hawk could injure them in a pen like that. Free ranging would be another matter.

 

[sourland]

Hawks will attempt to get them in that pen. If one of your birds flies up and puts it's head through the top wire, a hawk may very well decapitate it. As a kid I lost any number of ring necks to GHO that would get them flying at night and grab them through the wire. For a variety of reasons hawks were not a problem back in the 50's.

 

[chiknhurder]

I can see a hawk turning that thing over easily. If you've never seen a hawk up close, they are a very large bird. They can easily be 24 inches high/long with a wingspan of up to 56 inches, which is almost a 5 foot wingspan.