Help me I have a Hawk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SconnieChicks]

What is the best way to keep a Hawk away from my flock? My dad stopped over yesterday afternoon and a hawk had killed and was feasting on one of my chickens:-(. What will keep them away so I can let my chickens out again?
Does anyone know if a scarecrow would deter a hawk?

 

[groundpecker]

nothing will keep a hungry hawk away or from returning for another meal. You can keep your birds locked in their pen for 2-3 weeks and maybe the hawk will go away. You may want to use the S.S.S method on a hawk that keeps hanging around..but that is illegal, so i cannot recommend breaking the law.

 

[SconnieChicks]

been thinkin SSS but i was hoping not to have too if i could get any other ideas before this weekend

 

[Wisher1000]

If you have a pen, some people have reported that stringing fishing line across the top (back and forth, both ways like a spider web) will keep rapters from getting them in the pen. Other than that, make sure they have access to plenty of cover - bushes, cars, plywood on buckets, etc. for them to dive under when the hawk comes. If you have a roo, he will likely be viglilent now that there has been an attack. Some roos will fight a hawk, sometimes they survive the fight......but not often. I have hawks in my area and lose birds to them on a regular basis. I have never seen one take a chicken but have found the evidence. Usually, I will lose the smallest chicken, then the next smallest in a couple of days and so on for two weeks or so and it will stop for a few months. I am sure you are not willing to risk that many birds. You may have to keep them up a while.

 

[da417]

I used the fishing line stringing method and added small aluminum pie tins hanging from various places on my "web" The pie tins wave in the wind and reflect the sun, discouraging the hawks. Also the hawks will not fly into a place where they do not have enough room to fly out of...or feel they will be trapped. I also encourage crows and ravens around because I have seen them chase hawks away from my place. Be careful with bird feeders though because hawks will also watch those to attack the birds that visit feeders. My bantams are in a smaller pen that my wonderful hubby covered with chicken wire on top so nothing can get in. Good luck.

 

[da417]

Also you might try an Owl statue or inflatable one if you can find one. Hawks do not like owls and I have been told placing the Owl thing on the top of the coop or on a large pole kind of like a scarecrow is a hawk deterrant. I never tried this myself, though. I felt safer with the fishing line....

 

[centrarchid]

Several methods can be employed. Keeping chickens in hawk proof containment is most consistent and often best with small number of chickens. You can provide cover that obstructs hawk's view and makes so chickens have chance of evading capture. Having an adult standard sized rooster can be very effective against hawks targeting hens and young birds. A dog that is reliable can be very effective against all hawks so long as dog can get to where chickens are located. I use all three and in past prior to having dog would allow birds to free-range only at end of day with me present. I seldom loose chickens to hawks and effectively none over last two years even though hawks are quite abundant and targeting neighbors birds.

 

[SconnieChicks]

Here is my 1st attempt to deter the chicken killer, we'll see how this works.

 

[Wisher1000]

I can't see the pic

 

[scooter147]

The owl deterant. Keep in mind chickens are afraid of owls too. So be careful where you put it. I know this because I learned from experience. Took me about 15 minutes to figure out why the chickens refused to come out of the coop. DUH!!!
The string and cd or pie pan deterant. For me it didn't work, others have had good luck with it. I lost birds.

I then covered my run with deer netting and for 8 or so years not a single loss to hawks. I've lost three bantams in the last week to Coopers Hawk. Still don't know how he was getting in. However, he won't be a problem any more. ;-) ;-)