How to deal with hawks in the yard?

[casportpony]

I think having the ducks, turkey, geese, and a dog do help keep the larger hawks at bay, but that pesky small hawk still comes at least once a day.

 

[besorto]

Thanks for all the replies I do have a rooster, but he's a bit of a pansy LOL. I keep the little wimp around because he's adorable, but he doesn't watch over the hens at all. My son goes out every few hours with a blow horn to scare away any nearby predators. Might look into getting an actual rooster, like a RIR

 

[Folly's place]

It's very difficult to introduce adult roosters to each other! Get straight run chicks in spring, and try keeping a cockerel out of that group. Mary

 

[Kathy Golla]

@casportpony

Good god that's a big red tailed hawk.

Been following the hawk discussions intently to try to figure out how my family can share space and make the best of both worlds.

I live in a suburb of the SF Bay Area. We have a few hawks over some lots or open spaces but I've never seen one near my house. My six hens (they are less than 1 yo) free range in the yard every day the last 90 minutes of the day. Last Wed I was out there with them and a red tailed attacked and missed. First time I've ever seen a hawk by our house. That hawk was maybe six feet from me.

The girls are in their pen now, haven't seen the hawk back yet investigating. We are all on edge. My risk tolerance for losing any one of the six is very low.

 

[Folly's place]

Kathy, it's one of the risks of free ranging, and I'm glad you averted disaster this time!
Keep your birds locked up for at least another week or two, in the hopes that your hawk will give up and move on.
That's also why having a safer covered run pays off!
Mary

 

[Grenadianexpat]

Hawk pictured appears to be an immature accipiter of some sort. Not a Peregrine Falcon.

I had supplied an appropriate link to enable guessing to be taken out of the mix a couple of times, but as it doesn't seem to be used, and as we don't have a limitless supply of Hawk types I'll present them for you.

We have 1 Genus Pandionidae, 3 Falconidae, 5 Accipitridae, and a Partridge in a pair tree. Does it really matter?

 

[besorto]

My hens free range in my yard all day with the dogs and have TONS of places to hide, I'd feel terrible locking them up. I am buying a pair of muscovy ducks this sunday though, hopefully they're a bit more intimidating than my Buff Orpington rooster!

 

[besorto]

I might just buy a Thai game fowl, my sister has tons!

 

[centrarchid]

I had supplied an appropriate link to enable guessing to be taken out of the mix a couple of times, but as it doesn't seem to be used, and as we don't have a limitless supply of Hawk types I'll present them for you.

We have 1 Genus Pandionidae, 3 Falconidae, 5 Accipitridae, and a Partridge in a pair tree. Does it really matter?

I was not doing a lot of guessing. Your dead bird is one of the Accipteridae within the genus Accipiter. It is also immature.

 

[Kathy Golla]

Me too, but man when you have a close call like that when you are standing six feet away and see it all happen it makes you rethink, Wow did I avert disaster, was this a sign?
I don't think I could get over it if i actually lost a hen to a predator right in front of me.
Losing the top hen, or the buff I've spent two months treating bumblefoot on, or the broody that's been in the breaker two times, so many things are going through my head.