Help! Stalking... or Friendship?

[Painted Calls]

I would imagine it's sort of like hungry people peering into the lobster tank at Red Lobster.

 

[centrarchid]

Around here red tails are more commonly called chicken hawks for a reason. I didn't even know their actual name till I was almost in my teens. Coopers hawk we grew up calling quail hawk, they are rare here.

We called Coopers Hawk the chicken hawk and the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk we called the blue darter. Coopers have proven time and again more problematic with chickens as they will target chickens they can fly away with.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

Around here red tails are more commonly called chicken hawks for a reason. I didn't even know their actual name till I was almost in my teens. Coopers hawk we grew up calling quail hawk, they are rare here.

Same here I never heard of them as red tailed either till I was probably a teen in FFA, they were chicken hawks and there has always plenty of them around.

 

[neo71665]

We called Coopers Hawk the chicken hawk and the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk we called the blue darter. Coopers have proven time and again more problematic with chickens as they will target chickens they can fly away with.

Yeah I learned later on there were a few different hawks around the nation grouped together called chicken hawks. While I have seen a few coopers over the years where I'm at most of what you see is red tailed hawks. We do have a breeding pair of resident gray hawks (not supposed to even be in arkansas) but they are smaller than my chickens so I don't worry about them.

Same here I never heard of them as red tailed either till I was probably a teen in FFA, they were chicken hawks and there has always plenty of them around.

Pretty sure it was 4h or ffa where I learned the real name. I know granny kept a sawed off 12 gauge double barrel just for stuff bothering her chickens. I've seen her shoot plenty of red tails off a chicken they just killed.

 

[freedom chick]

Dinner.
Very patient predators. Try to come up with a way to keep your girls safe. You could put in posts and string wire across the top, hang reflective objects, get a fake owl from tractor supply (?).
I have never had one just hang out but heard Cooper’s hawks will. I have to say, in Ohio we had so many hawks, there never seemed to be a shortage of these beloved birds. You have a BB gun to train him? Maybe something a little stronger? At one point we considered a livestock guard dog. Any possibilities of moving the coop to an area with more aerial protection? Maybe a fenced/covered run?

 

[neo71665]

Before ya just start shooting or trapping nuisance animals might want to check local laws. Some places you can do whatever to protect your property. Some you are required a permit first if the animal is out of season or a hunting license if it is in. Some the animal might be protected and you can't legally do anything and you just need to practice the 3 S.

Birds and hawks often fall under federally protected and a whole different set of rules apply.

 

[Chickassan]

If by friendship you mean lunch plans....

 

[Sea Wolf]

. You have a BB gun to train him? Maybe something a little stronger?

Really? A seriously STUPID bit of advice as raptors are FEDERALLY protected. All of them!Everywhere! Shoot with a BB gun to fly off and die a slow death. Bird is found and autopsy done to find out why it died (Yes, they do this). They then start knocking on the doors of the local chicken owners as part of the investigation.

As the Gos .. and they are a pretty neat raptor .. is already attracted to the birds movement, it will be watching. If you make a run, just make sure it is covered. Easy enough to do with chicken wire that has the large openings in it. Doesn't have to be the smaller diameter holes. I have found that a good smattering of the reflective "scare tape" for birds around the yard also works for raptors. They can't focus on a target with the moving, flashing strips breaking their concentration.

 

[dovecanyon]

S.S.S.

 

[kodster]

Looks like you have a very secure set up for your girls, but you'll need to discourage the hanging out behavior of the hawk, because when you least expect it, expect it. The worst will happen.