Hens and Young Hawk and No Clue

[sunrise.superman]

I'm in Northern Colorado and my hens free range my large yard during the day right now as I rebuild a bigger coop and run. I've not had to deal with issues from bold hawks before since my yard is nearly 80% covered in tree canopy, a large lilac stand to hide under and that they use for a gathering spot, the coop, and a few other large bushes, deck steps and so on. Too many obstacles to take a good dive and the hens have plenty of cover.

Today though I have a juvenile camping out on my son's climbing gym and harassing the ladies. So far the ladies act as if nothing is going on for the most part. A startled cluck now and then but I was expecting them to take cover as they do if a hawk even flies by in the neighbor's much more open yard. Today they seem utterly clueless. I have a lot of open spaces nearby and TON of bunnies and such that the hawk shouldn't be desperate for hunting grounds or easy prey.

I don't have a roo bc I'm in town. We have lots of open spaces and huge yards, but still, didn't want to hassle my neighbors. I have one yound Welsummer that may prove to be a cockerel that I was planning to rehome but maybe not now...

Is there a way to help the hens get a clue? Are they not alarmed bc it's a young hawk, or bc it's not attempting the usual divebomb technique? Because they don't have a roo sounding the alarm? I have a net but it will not cover even a fourth of the yard. It is planned for the non-secure areas of the run I'm building.

I can't imagine he could be too successful since my little d'Uccle is nearly the same size and the rest of my birds are BO, BJG, GLW, etc. All twice the size, but he could certain cause an injury in an attempt.

How does one give the ladies a hint at self-preservation? Is that even possible?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am in northern Colorado too.

Those hawks can be determined in their attacks.

The trees do not really help. They hide the hawks while they pick a target though.

They are designed to fly through very tight spaces.

 

[centrarchid]

They aren't grouping up under anything though. I would be overjoyed if they were. I saw them all essentially sitting ducks out in the open when there is cover withing 5-10' of any point in my yard...copse of trees, deck stairs, large bushes, the existing coop.... When redtails fly over next door they are very alert and most will ease toward cover.

That's why I was confused today when the young hawk is well under the high tree canop and/or landing on the jungle gym more than once and the birds are just continuing to graze or staring at it...and within feet of good cover.

At this point in season the hawk is full sized. Would need to see feathering to make call on whether is adult or young of year. In my setting most Coopers Hawks are not an issue, even with adult Coopers Hawks. Most of time Coopers are after prey they can easily fly with. Numerous times I have had Coopers come in and perch within a few feet of chickens that are loafing in cover or even dust bathing. The hawks doing this do not seem particularly interested in the chickens themselves, rather they appear to be interested in small songbirds that fly in a little later where the hawk then goes hard after those. The chickens usually do give an alarm when the hawk flies in and out in those instances but do not get overly exited.

A couple years back I had three Coopers Hawks coming into barn area at different times every day. I never saw them at same time. Two where after songbirds as described above. The other was more consistent with reputation of Coopers Hawks where it targeted juvenile game chickens that were about 10 weeks old, too heavy to carry off. The adult chickens that where all penned seemed to give alarm calls very loudly when this hawk was in and around barn. To stop that problematic Coopers Hawk, I simply released a fully-feathered adult rooster produced by crossing American Game with American Dominique. He was nowhere near as hawk aggressive a game under similar conditions, but would still move towards the hawk when it came in and would slowly try to get to where hawk was perched which was usually less than 10 feet up. The sounds produced were very much like a rooster produces when challenging another rooster he can not get to. There was clearly a lot of display. Someday I will try to get a falconer to come in so sounds can be recorded. I have recordings of response to Great-horned Owls that are very different linked somewhere here on site. Owls are more reliable visitors.


If your hawk does go after the chickens, it will get only one at a time. Leave carcass in place if it does to by you time getting others confined in a secure location. Coopers and their smaller cousin the Sharp-shinned are good at finding openings. Both can be stopped with deer netting or bird netting when latter is draped over something like 2 x 4 welded wire fencing. I have messed with these guys a lot over the years. They are really cool, but can be persistent in their efforts to be a pain in the butt.

 

[sunrise.superman]

I will hopefully not get a closer look in the future, but if it returns I'll see if I can get photos to help determine what it is. Perhaps sharp shinned? Again, it seemed to be biting off more than it could chew even with my little bantam, but was very persistent. I sent my son out to play in the backyard and as boys do he made enough racket to ward off a return visit.

 

[centrarchid]

So many things can be going on with this and species of hawk is important. If possible, then post a picture of the hawk. I have had hawks of a couple species that would come in close resulting in chickens going to cover. The chickens making noises may be indication they are giving hawk a warning, even when the chickens are immature themselves. Provide a picture of the hawk as how I manage is very hawk species specific.

 

[centrarchid]

If your birds are grouping up under something with Coopers Hawk, then they most certainly have a clue. Panicking and running to scatter is what the hawk wants. Chickens sticking together and potentially fighting back is not good option for hawk.

 

[sunrise.superman]

The trees do not really help. They hide the hawks while they pick a target though.

Hi 21hens-incharge! How far North? I'm up by Loveland/Fort Collins.

That's what I've always heard, too. So far bc I have open yards around me with trees only on the perimeter...and 2 with bird feeders and easy pickin's for a hawk meal...the hawks haven't bothered with my birds at all. I will be using a covered/secure 8x24 run and netting where I'll have the chicken garden and walk in coop entrance...but as a single mom w a 5 yo it's slow going some days.

This one today was surprisingly small. I expected larger for this far along in the summer. He didn't have much heft but potential damage all the same.

 

[sunrise.superman]

We could quite literally be neighbors!! I am in Loveland.

Wow! I'm North Loveland. 41st and Taft area.

That's a quick hawk and persistent kestrel! I'll keep a sharper eye out then. So far the birds have only seemed on the radar with the neighbor's yard (neighbor wanted the ladies over for a bug meal). I had kestrels using my patio for field mouse and baby rabbit dining when I had property, but haven't seen them close since living in town.

 

[cmom]

Hawk eating a snake on one of by Bluebird nest boxes then went to the bird baths for a bath and drink, sorry for the blurry.

 

[Fishkeeper]

He could definitely injure them- puncture wounds are nothing to mess with, and hawk beaks are strong. Hawks don't aim to fly away with a food item, they try to kill it.

It might be possible to get the idea into them by sounding the alarm yourself whenever you see the hawk. Do you have any kind of a signal to them that something is threatening, or a way to teach them that?