How long should I keep chickens in the coop after a hawk sighting?

[cluckingheck]

There’s been two hawks showing up for the past two days and my chickens are free-ranging. Today ( or, well, yesterday now ) I didn’t let my chickens out of the coop because of it. I have 22 chickens and 3 chicks in a 15x12 coop, but the walk in door can be opened to let them into a similarly sized tack room. The coop and tack room are all one big building with just a divider making the distinction between the coop and tack room. They have enough room to ward off going stir crazy, so does keeping them in for a week sound reasonable? How long does it usually take for hawks to move on, if ever?

I know I need a run and it’s in the works, but I don’t have one at the moment.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I would do at least a week.
Keep an eye out for the hawks returning after that week.

 

[cluckingheck]

I would do at least a week.
Keep an eye out for the hawks returning after that week.

I figured a week would be the default, but I wasn’t sure. It was the same two hawks both days and, as you could see in the video, they were flying around right above the barn. I’m glad the chickens are smart enough to go into the barn when aerial predators are spotted, but I don’t want to chance it.

There’s crows that usually hang around in the area and they harassed the hawks the first day, but the hawks still came back the second. I don’t know if they came back today because I wasn’t home.

 

[JadeFarms]

Each time I see/hear a hawk I keep mine inside a week. They usually figure out they can’t get to them by then so I’ll let them back out.

 

[cmom]

I agree, keep them in for a good week. Free ranging is nice but you will eventually loose a bird either from an aerial predator or a ground predator when you least expect it. I have a much larger flock currently of around 200 birds. Before long I will be hatching this years chicks. I free ranged in the past until the predators discovered my birds. They aren't in our barn but all have coops behind it. They have pens but I enlarged them and covered them with good heavy duty netting. Now and then I will open the gates and let the birds out but they don't stay out long and before I know it they're all back in their pens. My land is mostly open pasture so there is no place for the birds to hide. I think they feel safer in their pens and that is why they prefer to stay in them and they have shade in them too. I do put flock blocks in their pens once in awhile as well as greens, lettuce and alfalfa. They love to peck at them. Good luck...

 

[Geena]

It depends, we have a pair of huge light morph Red Tails that have apparently decided to overwinter here. Thankfully they haven't tried anything yet, but it seems like they might checking out the chicken situation these past few days. You're probably not all that far from me- could be yours don't plan to move on either.

 

[Folly's place]

We have hawks flying overhead often, with no problems, most of the time. if any actually are watching the coop area, or if there's an attack, everyone stays in for at least ten days, until well after any hawk is around. One year we had a Cooper's hawk attack near the house, not at all concerned about our presence (he ate a bird perched on the pickup truck!). He stuck around the longest, our birds were in for almost four weeks that time!
He'd sit on the fence next to the run, asking the chickens to come out and play.
Mary

 

[NorCalJulianna]

There’s been two hawks showing up for the past two days and my chickens are free-ranging. Today ( or, well, yesterday now ) I didn’t let my chickens out of the coop because of it. I have 22 chickens and 3 chicks in a 15x12 coop, but the walk in door can be opened to let them into a similarly sized tack room. The coop and tack room are all one big building with just a divider making the distinction between the coop and tack room. They have enough room to ward off going stir crazy, so does keeping them in for a week sound reasonable? How long does it usually take for hawks to move on, if ever?

I know I need a run and it’s in the works, but I don’t have one at the moment.

After the hawk was successful in killing my poor silkie, it keeps coming back. We are working on more netting to protect the run.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I have redtailed and/or cooper's hawks on our property daily. Matter of fact i watched one swoop down after a squirrel at the edge of our front field this afternoon. It was awesome to watch! But they have never gone after my free range chickens.
I don't know why and sure eventually it may become an issue but I do not intend to pen them up and cant harm raptors so
I would not worry about it unless the hawk has shown aggression, but even if it has, hawks cover several square miles a day. So even if you dont see him doesn't mean it wont be back at any time. The only secure protection is a covered run. If your intention is to continue to free range than i wouldn't waste my time worrying about it. If you are going to build a covered coop, thats the only true protection from aerial predators. So its up to you as far as how much risk you're comfortable with.