Houston Hungry Hawks

[jackie2eason]

I am new to the backyard chicken world, last year I decided I want to get a Silkie chicken as a pet for our yard, needed to get a hen as I live in a subdivision, we got her and she was 1 1/2 years old and her name is Penny. She is a great chicken and loves to come in the house and hang out with us and my 3 small dogs, she started to get very broody and stop laying eggs and would not come out off her coop so we decided she needed a friend. We got another Silkie named June which is supposed to be a hen (don't know yet) she's about 5 months old, ever since we got her all I see is hawks all over the trees watching the chickens. There is a lot of shrubs for them to hide under but I am scared ,some of the hawks are really big and they watch the coop. I have 2 fake owls which seem to do nothing, any ideas...Please! The chickens stay hidden for most of the day, yesterday we saw a hawk fly over our heads with an animal in his talons!

 

[DyingPhoenix]

If you have an uncovered run and the chickens have access to open air with no defense, then it's only a matter of time before one of them will go after your silkies! The only solution is to keep them in an area that's covered with netting or a fully enclosed run. I would only let them have access to an uncovered yard when I was physically there, and even then I would keep watch. Some hawks are brazen enough to go after them with you right next to them!

I free range my birds when I'm home and noticed if a vulture or other large bird flew over, the silkies and other crested birds like polish, etc, didn't have remotely near the reaction time of the others. They just can't see above them and are like beacons for aerial predators ( or any predator! ). Sometimes they would even stand there in the wide open, confused, while everyone else was hiding.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Sorry to hear you have seen hawks. You are wise to be concerned. Hawks can kill in a moment.

Silkies do not run very well. Anytime I have let mine free range, sooner than later, I go out to see a hawk killed Silkie. (Edited to add...like the above poster states....I have been in the yard and had a hawk kill one of my banties almost under my nose).

What helps is making them unavailable to the hawks. You may need to lock them up in a covered, netted run, for a few days until you stop seeing the fly-bys.

I also string hawk netting up between trees and run some fishing line. It makes it harder for the hawks to swoop and kill quickly.

Hanging flashing cd's can help, or silver colored tape strips.

The biggest thing is remaining vigilant if you have smaller, slower chickens.

My larger fowl have been bred and naturalized to run and take cover, and the netting really helps defray kills, but my smaller banties that are heavy footed are sadly usually just hawk bait.

I have taken to making a separate coop and run that is fully encased in netting and wire to protect them from the frequent hawks we have in our area.

Just my experiences.
LofMc

 

[ame087192]

I totally understand you on this topic. Up until a few weeks ago my 6 hens would free range in our backyard. But this year hawks are everywhere. One day something strange caught my eye- a hawk hanging out on the grass with my chickens! Here were my new- 18+ week old hens pickin around on the grass and a small- Cooper’s hawk was just hanging out staring at them!
That was the end of free ranging. I had a new coop, and new fully enclosed run built. They have plenty of space and I let them out to free range my backyard while I’m home.
Good luck

 

[jackie2eason]

Thanks all for your replies, I just think it's weird that I have had this chicken for a year and never noticed any hawks around, one day I had 2 herons in my yard also looking to get the chickens I guess, it almost fell in my pool! I am going to try the CD's and call the game warden up to see if there's anything they can do, I'm scared they can get my dogs also.

 

[jackie2eason]

I totally understand you on this topic. Up until a few weeks ago my 6 hens would free range in our backyard. But this year hawks are everywhere. One day something strange caught my eye- a hawk hanging out on the grass with my chickens! Here were my new- 18+ week old hens pickin around on the grass and a small- Cooper’s hawk was just hanging out staring at them!
That was the end of free ranging. I had a new coop, and new fully enclosed run built. They have plenty of space and I let them out to free range my backyard while I’m home.
Good luck

Do you live in Texas?

 

[ame087192]

Do you live in Texas?

No, California.