how to get rid of a hawk killing my chickens

[sarah hugs]

Yes, do not free range. Keep your birds in a secure run with netting over it.

Unfortunately Hawks, eagles and owls are protected by federal law. To shoot or harm one can land you in a lot of hot water. It's perfectly alright for them to destroy flocks but we can't destroy them and trust me, there have been times where I sure have been tempted. So far I've only had them scope out the buffet table and haven't had any kills but I don't free range because of them.

So my best advice is that unless you can sit with your birds and guard them while they are free ranging, then your best bet is to not free range. Once a predator knows where the free meal is, it's going to come back for seconds.

I've even heard of instances where hawks have swooped down and taken a bird while a human is standing less than 50 feet away.

I'm so sorry you have lost birds.

I agree, do protect your flock by keeping them enclosed if you can't be outside working nearby. If you kill this hawk, then another will move into the area and another and another. There aren't many domesticated animals that you can just let out into the world and walk away without a care, at least not where I live.
Federal laws (what state isn't part of that?) protect raptors and for good reason. They hold an important place in the food chain. I'm all for chickens, been raising them for years and live in a forest. They are let out only when one of us is making noise working outside. Do you want to live in a world without raptors?

 

[ErnieBerley]

I cant free range my chickens and have to keep them under bird netting in their run. Otherwise, I have a Coopers Hawk that finds the smallest entry into my run and has gotten 4-5 chickens in the past year. It actually got caught in my netting - I didn't hesitate to free it...although I could have saved my favorite favorite white crested Blue Polish that loved for me to carry her around....the hawk got her in july. oh well.....

 

[ErnieBerley]

Never tried a tractor but yes, they do work great - you can make one with wheels on one end so one person can tip it up and move it easily.

Hawks can walk into your coop, not just fly, so a covered tractor will only protect them somewhat.....

 

[ErnieBerley]

hello I have lost 5 guinea hens and 1 chicken hen to a hawk which I caught on camera and saw it the other day and scared it off. I cooped my other 2 chicken hens which free range all day and built a scarecrow and put some reflective tape on it to try to deter the hawk away. Was wondering if there were any other tricks or advice to keep them away.

I also hear that reflective tape is good to string around your chicken run... I have colored frisbees on the tops of my support poles in my run.... It may work sometimes, but I still get a hawk at least every 3 months trying to get in....

 

[Schuey72]

I agree, do protect your flock by keeping them enclosed if you can't be outside working nearby. If you kill this hawk, then another will move into the area and another and another. There aren't many domesticated animals that you can just let out into the world and walk away without a care, at least not where I live.
Federal laws (what state isn't part of that?) protect raptors and for good reason. They hold an important place in the food chain. I'm all for chickens, been raising them for years and live in a forest. They are let out only when one of us is making noise working outside. Do you want to live in a world without raptors?

I cant free range my chickens and have to keep them under bird netting in their run. Otherwise, I have a Coopers Hawk that finds the smallest entry into my run and has gotten 4-5 chickens in the past year. It actually got caught in my netting - I didn't hesitate to free it...although I could have saved my favorite favorite white crested Blue Polish that loved for me to carry her around....the hawk got her in july. oh well.....

I'm sure a livestock guardian dog (LGD) has been mentioned already; it's the only way we have been able to free range our chickens and guinea fowl. This wouldn't be an immediate fix for your hawk problem, but if you get a LGD puppy, the earliest it could be independently working is by age 2. Let me know if you want more info on dog breeds and how to use LGDs. Good luck!

 

[CommunistEgg]

To the OP:
I really don't have the patience to read through the 8 pages of replies
We had several coopers hawks move in on our chickens and two things drove them away completely 1. We set some poles in the ground and criss crossed string from top to top randomly (you can pm me for a pic if you want) the the hawks/birds see it and know they won't have room to extend their wings to land. 2. For a few weeks I watched our open run religiously. They didn't get their meal and had to look elsewhere. It really discouraged them

 

[Vicker]

We built a low covered shelter in the middle of the area where they run free so they can duck under if they spot a hawk. I have also had success with crow decoys and adding black chickens to the flock. We have crows in the area that naturally chase hawks, so they avoid the big black birds.

 

[BudandBranch]

People do things differently. Everyone doesn’t like caging chickens in a little coop and run in a tiny backyard. Some people actually live in areas where there’s a lot of foxes, hawks, raccoons etc and not in the suburbs. There’s huge difference in the amount of birds people keep too.
Aside from all that free ranging birds are healthier and aren’t stomping around in their own filth all day every day locked away.

You obviously have a lot of stereotypes in your head about chickens that don’t free range all day and how and where they are kept. I have a huge secured run with a drainage system under it to keep it dry and it’s clean and I do also let my hens out each day because they enjoy it and like to forage but I don’t leave them out when I’m not around because I live in an area next to a river with a ton of predators (not just raptors) and a lot of hawks - two resident hawks in fact that have lived around my acreage for years. It’s funny you mention health because dead chickens aren’t very healthy, but I guess that’s just my opinion though, right?
My point is - if you make the choice to leave them out all day unguarded even though you know there are predators whose instinct it is to hunt them it is senseless and cruel to shoot those predators. You have the option of securing the chickens (prey) - even if it’s just when you aren’t home outside and nearby. You are basically luring them only to kill them.

 

[Kikiriki]

My Turkish Kangal Dog learned to respond to airborne predators at five months old. It was a happy accident. The chickens were out, and I was gardening. The dog was roaming. A hawk cried out and I saw it in the neighbors tree right next to us. I also noticed it had gotten the dogs attention. I wanted him to know it was something I didn’t like, so I pointed at it, said, “bad bird!” and started growling and barking. The dog looked at me like I was a lunatic, and prob any neighbors who saw me did, too, lol. I kept at it, and the hawk made more cries. The dog finally joined in, and when the hawk flew away, I praised him heavily. the next day the same thing happened and I got to reinforce the training. It worked. He is now six years old and will still alert to a hawk sound, and large birds flying over the yard. It does deter the hawks from seeing our place as an easy hunting ground.
The only downside is that the dog can’t tell a vulture from a hawk and he will bark at them, too. It is still worth the protection, though.
A rescue dog is an option to keep in mind. Work with a reputable breeder for a chance to adopt an adult dog that needs a home. My dog’s breeder is a very ethical woman, whose first concern is the quality of the dogs, and she is very good at getting the right personality of dog for her customers. Look up Shadow Wings Farm in Georgia.

 

[Luieunited]

Don't think the black chicken theory is true. I recently lost my black sex link to a hawk, she was completely black.