Intro and chickens getting hawked!

[Guardihen]

I had about 14 hens and a rooster out in the Ohio countryside. Fast forward 2 yrs and now I was down to 3 after a few hens brooding and chicks. Anyone else experience this??

 

[OnlySympathy]

Welcome to BYC!

That sounds like lack of cover and poor hawk management. I think cover speaks for itself but they need to be able to hide at a moments notice. And anytime there is a hawk attack you should keep all your birds locked in a secure run for 2 weeks. Without that hawks just see your property as a buffet and won’t move on to find other food

 

[GodLovesU]

Sorry to hear about your losses. Good luck!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have driven through Ohio and I suspect your problem is not enough cover. Do you have a picture of what their free range area looks like? I haven’t lost any to hawks but I’ve only had chickens here since May. This is what my chickens spend their days in. When they spot/hear a hawk they vanish. I can’t even find them.

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
Chickens need plenty of cover areas like woods, large shrubs and bushes, and yard clutter.
My chickens mainly will use all of the above plus sometimes use our vehicles, tractors, equipment, etc.

 

[theoldchick]

Free range chickens need access to cover to prevent hawk attacks. However, some hawks will fly right in to snatch a bird so the safest thing for them is to keep them in a covered run.

 

[Bsmac]

Hello! Welcome to BYC! Sorry for your losses... That`s tough... We can`t free range here. Have lost 4 birds in three years from ailments (3) and one from extreme bullying.

 

[N F C]

I'm sorry for your losses. As others have said, once a predator finds a food source, they'll keep coming back so I have found that a covered run is safest.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
I've run a flock numbering anywhere from 12 to 32 for over 7 years and have only suffered a single loss to a hawk. I have witnessed 5 failed attempts.
I always have at least one rooster on the lookout and my birds have multiple sites of overhead cover in their pen.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

One thing that hasn’t been discussed but is worth looking into: some breeds are more savvy free rangers than others. A lot of domesticated chicken breeds have been bred to be more or less dependent on us as opposed to being self-sufficient. They are not good foragers, they are not wary of predators and they are not agile enough to elude a predator by flying. My black Australorp, for example, is a big girl, first at the feed dish every morning and if locked out of the coop she will sleep on the ground. Most of my other chickens (Buckeyes, game hens, EEs) skip the food dish to head into the woods first thing and prefer to sleep in the run or the trees. They are very aware of hawks. The Australorp was dust bathing once in the open and a vulture thought she was dead and started circling. She finally looked up and then ran for inadequate cover beside the barn. She was lucky it wasn’t a hawk…though it would have to be a big hawk to lift Fatty off the ground