How to help prevent eagle attacks on free ranging chickens?

[rascal66]

We have just begun free ranging the chickens. They're so happy and eating up all the yummy grass and bugs as they please. The area they range is limited, but it's about 1 acre they have to roam. I have the main run, which is fairly large on its own and safe from arial strikes. I have a small livestock shelter and just a few tree stump and boulders through out this area.

I had an Eagle take out only one hen several months back, but just yesterday we saw one make an attempt at my girls. Thankfully the roosters around are doing their job sounding the alarm. Mind you, its 80 chickens and about 3 roosters... I feel like my luck might run out and I'm going to start seeing casualties. I don't want to quit free ranging them though. Im afraid the large run won't last too long with them hanging out only in there.

Any suggestions? I have read that disks and scarecrows help, but do they really? Could we possibly put out a few outdoor tents to provide a sort of arial shelter/blocker? I was thinking of trying to put up a few posts and stretch out a tarp, to make a few scattered semi sheltered areas. Mostly to provide shade and help prevent swoop downs. I've heard that eagles usually need quite a bit of space to swoop, so the idea was to minimize large open spaces by placing out these tents. Would this work?

 

[cavemanrich]

I was thinking of trying to put up a few posts and stretch out a tarp, to make a few scattered semi sheltered areas. Mostly to provide shade and help prevent swoop downs.

This is the only thing that comes to my mind, as a possibility to deter, and make swoop downs more difficult.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Shadrach]

We have just begun free ranging the chickens. They're so happy and eating up all the yummy grass and bugs as they please. The area they range is limited, but it's about 1 acre they have to roam. I have the main run, which is fairly large on its own and safe from arial strikes. I have a small livestock shelter and just a few tree stump and boulders through out this area.

I had an Eagle take out only one hen several months back, but just yesterday we saw one make an attempt at my girls. Thankfully the roosters around are doing their job sounding the alarm. Mind you, its 80 chickens and about 3 roosters... I feel like my luck might run out and I'm going to start seeing casualties. I don't want to quit free ranging them though. Im afraid the large run won't last too long with them hanging out only in there.

Any suggestions? I have read that disks and scarecrows help, but do they really? Could we possibly put out a few outdoor tents to provide a sort of arial shelter/blocker? I was thinking of trying to put up a few posts and stretch out a tarp, to make a few scattered semi sheltered areas. Mostly to provide shade and help prevent swoop downs. I've heard that eagles usually need quite a bit of space to swoop, so the idea was to minimize large open spaces by placing out these tents. Would this work?

The only realistic option is to provide the type of cover where the chickens can hide and that is strong enough to withstand a hawk strike.
Natural cover is often best but failing that you can construct a number of shelters.
For the vast majority of people who free range their chickens some losses are inevitable.

 

[centrarchid]

Eighty chickens on one acre means very little quality forage from yummy grass and bugs per bird. The chickens are likely getting virtually all nutrition from feed and it is those feeding areas that I would invest in protecting or at least enhance cover value for. I would make a couple covered patches where a shade cloth is stretched on a frame over the feeding areas. Area covered? Chickens and raptors can both see the cloth and see through it. The eagle might even attempt to dive through it once before figuring out it is a barrier.

The number of birds is approaching where a dog would be economical, approaching.

I assume raptor ID is confirmed as either Bald Eagle or Golden Eagle?

 

[cmom]

I don't free range anymore due to losses but the birds have nice large pens with trees. The pens are covered with heavy duty netting so no aerial predators can get to them because I have a couple of coops that are open on one side and had an owl kill several birds. I do give the birds grass clipping for them to scratch in. I have a grass catcher on my yard tractor. They love it. In the winter months I get some alfalfa and they love to pick through it too.