Is it true that black chickens can deter hawks?

[ChickenCanoe]

My 2 cents is that size is more important than color. Hawks definately go after my smaller, harder to catch, chickens over my larger, slower chickens. The large ones should be easier marks but the hawks seem to instinctually favor the smaller birds.

IMO, that's because they are easier to carry off for acipiters. Big birds have to be eaten on the spot.

 

[vavavoom]

I've had hawk attacks with all colors of chickens. However, all my chickens are now black. Hawks still swoop down but the roosters attack the hawks and I haven't lost a bird to hawks since I've had this breed with an adult rooster with each flock.

Three years later,…. how did your black chickens do? I’m researching black chickens now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How did they do with what? They just do like regular chickens. They aren't weak chickens like silkies. They are a large fowl Mediterranean breed.

 

[Klutch]

Hawks will hit any color, but some silhouettes of some crows might help or even one of those owl/hawk decoy.

 

[GCrumb]

Good thing we don't have Goshawks

We have goshawks in N. America. The same species as the ones in northern Europe and the UK. Several different subspecies. Ours get ruby red eyes as they get older, instead of only reaching deep orange like the European ones.

We just have lots of Buteos (the family that red-tailed hawks and european buzzards are in) and some are big enough and generalist enough to take a chicken. Most N. American Buteos are specialized to take small rodents. They also tend to soar, are often open country birds and sit up high and visible, while accipiters like goshawks tend to stay low and in woodland so you hardly ever see one.

 

[Klutch]

We got these in California, very agile.
https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/profiles/coopers-hawk.html

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Predator and prey is opportunity. I have had a relatively small Coopers Hawk try to take a full grown Barred Rock hen. Color is not a factor, more times than not movement of prey is the trigger.