How to deal with hawks in the yard?

[besorto]

Hello everyone, I'm in need of desperate help here! A couple of hawks have been stalking my hens for a good 4 months already. One of my hens chicks was recently taken by one, and it looks like they've set their sights on my little polish hen now. I have a scarecrow up, but it doesn't look like it's helped much. Not even my dogs are enough to keep them away! I'm at my wits end here!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Keep them in the coop until they leave. They are Federally Protected. They will leave eventually.

 

[I Love Layers]

We fire warning shots and they leave and don't come back. Since they are federally protected you can't do much

 

[CntryBoy777]

All a scarecrow will do is give them a closer perch to launch from. Spend time outside and familiarize yourself with their calls, so ya know if they are in the neighborhood and to be watchful for them. Provide plenty of cover for your chickens to get under when the roos sound the alert. The only way to not do these things is to have a completely covered run for them to be in....the only other alternative is SSS.....just remember decisions have consequences.

 

[sourland]

All that I can say is that I tried just about anything I could of think of or read. @CntryBoy777 , suggests what appear to be the only viable solutions. For me (flying performing Birmingham rollers) complete lockdown was not viable, and as for the second solution irrational as it may be, I am not inclined to commit a federal offense. The hawks put me out of business. I got rid of all of my pigeons.

With chickens I would go with total enclosure and monitored free ranging or accept that I would lose some birds. They will go for the smaller birds first, but I have had Cooper's hawks attack large fowl.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A few years ago I watched a video about metal detecting a WWII battle field in Eastern Europe. They dug up ammo, buttons, coins, Iron Crosses, and even one hand grenade. but the most common find was the wing bands off of racing pigeons. That should tell you how hard hawks are on all poultry, not just pigeons.

 

[I Love Layers]

Also if you are able to have a rooster, and don't have one get a good one. I have many aerial predators from small falcons to bald eagles and I have never had a bird taken with my roosters always watching out for the aerial predators

 

[microchick]

X2 with @sourland.

We have a large hawk/owl/eagle population where we live. Two days ago My bantam roosters were raising cane and standing in a corner of the run. The hens were under a sun screen that I've set up for them. As I walked out to check on them I noticed they were all staring in the same direction and as I neared the run, a hawk swooped down off a post some 75 feet from the run and skimmed our pasture as it flew away. DH had noticed a pair of hawks working the timber to the west of our house so I figure it was one of that pair that had zeroed in on the chickens. Fortunately my run is chain link kennel panels covered with netting. All the hawk could do was watch.

Roosters can be a pain but they can also be life savers. So if you don't have roosters, my advice is to get a couple. Other than that, as the old saying goes, good fences make good neighbors, even if your neighbors are hawks!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

or accept that I would lose some birds. They will go for the smaller birds first,

I have lost some this season. But it is acceptable considering the size of our Y.B. population. When free ranging, it is a risk to allow a livestock that is so low on the food chain to be exposed to predators that don't have the luxury of a McDonald's or Burger King as an alternative means of a food source

. If they don't find a food source, they won't survive.
I try not going to get worked up if a couple yard birds get taking away by the sky birds.

I can hatch more! But I can't hatch them while I'm in Prison.

Most of the scores of yard birds I have that are total f-range flock under trees, scratching and pecking, out of view of the raptors. it is almost always the ones that wonder away from the flock out to the open where they become in the cross hairs.

If losing birds is an issue to anyone, Cover a run with nursery netting such as what you will find covering the garden centers at local retailers. Even a giant tarp.

It just needs to obstruct the view from the sky and the hawks circle down away from your invitation.

What ever material we choose to use will be pricey. But far less than the money spent digging our way out of a hole Uncle S. puts us in.
Hawks come and go.. soon will be gone. Hopefully a larger time span between the next arrivals.


Photos from our old tower DH took down:

 

[microchick]

Man, I wish ours would move on. They have too good of a food source here. Wild squirrels, rabbits, mice and free range neighbor chickens are way too plentiful. We seem to have a very active breeding population of hawks around us all year round. Some are smaller falcons but most are red tails.

Plus like @FarmerConnie stated. Lots of cover for free ranging birds is a good thing and lets face it, some breeds of chickens are just better free rangers than others.

Last year I had an OEGB cross with whatever pullet that became an escape artist. She would find small holes in my net and stage breakouts. I always found her in the same area of the yard scratching about. Our Semid Dwarf fruit tree orchard where there was a lot of cover.