HELP the hawks keep going after my chickens

[Crazyhen95]

My chickens are free ranged chickens. They run around the yard all day long until night and then i lock them up in the coop. For the past 4 days the hawks have been coming around and end up scaring my poor babies, they end up hiding in the brush on the stone wall but im worried that the hawks might end up succeding in killing some of my chickens and thats not all. my dad has a small dog and im also worried for him as well. what can i do to keep the hawks away?

 

[carlf]

You must secure your birds in the run until the hawk loses interest. And you may just have to live with the fact you will not be able to safely free range them.

I assume you have a 5 sided run with a lockable door, right?
If not, lock them in the coop until you get it built.

 

[CluckerCottage]

You are right to be worried that hawks will get your chickens.
It's not a matter of IF, it's a matter of WHEN.
carlf gave good advice, secure your birds.
Hawks won't just "go away" if a potential food source is nearby.

 

[Crazyhen95]

I'll try that thanks

 

[sebloc]

Alright. Here's a mistake one of my friends made that I hope you never make.
Do NOT shoot the hawks and/or kill them in any way. Killing hawks is a punishable crime in most states.

We have lots of hawks, and 6 chickens. We knew there were tons of them, and originally we were going to get around 20 chickens incase a hawk did kill a large cluster (or should I say cluckster) of chickens. Putting them in a run is the safest option.

Good luck.

 

[carlf]

It is illegal to shoot Hawks, owls, Eagles and buzzards in the USA, all 50 states and the territories

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It is illegal to shoot Hawks, owls, Eagles and buzzards in the USA, all 50 states and the territories

It is also illegal to harass these vermin so technically it is a Federal crime to protect your chickens in any and all ways.

Just saying.

 

[carlf]

No, you are incorrect.

The word "harass" is NOT included in the MBTA:
“Unless and except as permitted by regulations made as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to barter, barter, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, export, import, cause to be shipped, exported, or imported, deliver for transportation, transport or cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried, or receive for shipment, transportation, carriage, or export, any migratory bird, any part, nest, or egg of any such bird, or any product, whether or not manufactured, which consists, or is composed in whole or in part, of any such bird or any part, nest or egg.”

From the PDF linked below:

3. What activities can I do without a depredation permit? You do not need a federal depredation permit to harass or scare birds (except eagles and threatened or endangered species), provided (a) birds are not killed or injured and (b) birds sitting on active nests (nests with eggs or chicks present) are not disturbed to the point that it causes the eggs to not hatch or the chicks to die or become injured.

So as others noted, you can harass, but you can't kill or attempt to kill without a permit.
Getting a permit is possible, but difficult:
https://www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-13.pdf

 

[TalkALittle]

“Unless and except as permitted by regulations made as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to barter, barter, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, export, import, cause to be shipped, exported, or imported, deliver for transportation, transport or cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried, or receive for shipment, transportation, carriage, or export, any migratory bird, any part, nest, or egg of any such bird, or any product, whether or not manufactured, which consists, or is composed in whole or in part, of any such bird or any part, nest or egg.”

"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that." -Lloyd Dobler

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

 

[sebloc]

I'm not sure if you have a lot of crows or owls, but if you do that would keep the hawks busy. Though I have seen some owls eating chicks/chickens, if you have a group of predators, they'd end up fighting more and would likely not be thinking about chickens. We have had numerous crow vs hawk fights occur in our backyard, and with that, no hawks or predators even tried to come near the chickens. I'm sure sitting out side with an air-soft gun would scare them away. Well, here's some links that may help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/109210/what-can-i-do-to-scare-away-a-hawk

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/698036/hawks-how-can-i-keep-the-hawks-away-from-my-chickens



I'm gonna be honest here, if you have lots of hawks, you're gonna lose a couple chickens to them. Period. Building a run is the only real way to keep them safe.

Quoted from countrysidenetwork @ http://countrysidenetwork.com/

"Roosters Make Great Hen Protectors

My hens were always pretty good at protecting themselves. But adding a rooster stepped up the protection. Many times I’ve watched our rooster, Hank, scanning the skies for flying predators. If he sees something, he’s quick to let out his alarm call and gather the hens in a protected spot.Then, he’ll walk back and forth in front of them, keeping them together until danger has passed. Now I know that not every rooster is great at protecting his flock. But if you find a good one, keep him! It’s a highly desirable rooster behavior.

Get A Watchdog

Our dog, Sophie, is great with our chickens and when she’s out with them, she is a wonderful deterrent. So I make sure to let her out at various times throughout the day. This way predators don’t catch onto her schedule. If they don’t know when she’ll be out, then they are extra cautious.

Make A Scarecrow & Hang Shiny Objects

I like to put my Halloween scarecrows to good use year round by mounting them around the chicken yard. Just make sure to move them every few days so the hawks don’t figure out your tricks. Also, shiny, hanging objects can confuse flying predators. I like to use pie tins. I punch a hole in each tin and tie them from random tree branches. Here’s another interesting idea for how to make a scarecrow out of old garden hoses.
Predator vs. Predator

Hawks don’t like owls and vice versa. So head to your local farm supply store and pick up a fake owl. (Mine has been around for a while, so please excuse his missing eye!) Mount him in your chicken yard and watch the hawks scatter. Just make sure to move him around to get the full effect. One word of advice, this has worked well for me, but I’ve seen reports where it didn’t work well for others. So don’t make this your only form of defense.

Plant For Cover

When chickens spot an aerial predator, they need a place to hide. Our chicken coop is off the ground so our chickens often hide underneath it. Plus, they love to go under our deck and the overhang of the house. In addition, I have lots of shrubs and bushes planted throughout my yard that are favorite hangouts for my birds.
Unfortunately, aerial predators are not the only predators you have to worry about. Here are some additional articles to help you tackle a range of four-legged predators. Do raccoons eat chickens? Yup, and it’s important to learn how to raccoon-proof your coop and run. Do foxes eat chickens? Yes, they do. Tell-tale signs are missing birds, piles of features and a panic-stricken remaining flock (if any). The good news is you can learn how to keep foxes away from chickens as well as other predators like coyotes, skunks, dogs, weasels and more.
Good luck predator-proofing your flock!"
Once again, made by @ http://countrysidenetwork.com

Those are your options for keeping your chickens free ranged. Not much else you can do. Good luck.