Is this enough hawk protection??

[gabby3535]

I have a 2 acre fenced field, in part of which is a small barn, my coop and 26 x 20 foot run............
When the chickens are a bit bigger (they are only 7-9 weeks old right now).....I will be letting them free-range
in this 2 acre field when I am home.
I used to keep this field mowed......so it was like a lawn........but I have let the grass grow now, and have cut several,
wide paths throughout the entire 2 acres (see picture below) thinking the chickens will have both short grass paths to
walk around on, and tall grass to explore, as well!
I am wondering, though, if they are out free-ranging.......and a hawk should fly over.......do you think the tall grass would
be enough protection......if they can't make it back to the run or coop in time?
Actually.......the grass would be more of a hiding place (as in disappearing act!) than actual 'protection', per se.
What do you think?
Thanks for any advice.............

 

[Goat_Walker]

Im not sure, considering we dont have a hawk problem thanks to over hanging trees... but i am so jealous of your land!!

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have pretty much the same situation so I will be interested to see what answers/opinions you get. My chickens are the same age as yours so they aren't out yet either. My thought is that hawks are pretty persistent and I'm concerned that once they know the chickens are there they will just sit in a tree and wait 'till they come out from hiding if an initial attack fails. For myself, I'm really leaning towards a covered run in a corner of my pasture.

 

[gabby3535]

Here is a picture of my 'fort knox' run.........which is to the right of my field with the mowed paths.........
Run is complete with buried hardware cloth around the perimeter, as well as hardware cloth 2 feet up the sides,
flight netting over the top, and 2 strand of polywire electric fencing on the outside (as well as 2 strands on the
roof of the barn (where a predator might think to climb and leap onto the flight netting...........since the run is
right next to the barn) as well as on top of the flight netting in the area where said predator would 'land' should it
make it past the electric on the barn roof!!!
I LOVE my chickens, and this is the very best I can do for them for protection!
I am a little nervous about letting them free-range.........but the quality of their life will be so improved with that...
it will be worth the risk! I just hope the tall grass will allow them to 'hide' if need be.....

 

[gabby3535]

I am hoping my big Sussex roo will be a great warning system for his 'girls'!
Also, I love crows.....and have been leaving bread out for them, daily, for the past
3 years! I have heard that crows will also offer some protection from hawks......and will
chase them off if they're hanging out in the immediate area................
I'm hoping this is true!!

 

[ascott1978]

I would think not, when animals enter the grass the grass would spread apart. Anything flying over head would see it once directly over head. With that be said the odds of evasion is high in favor of the chickens seeing the predator would have to be directly overhead.

Consider this as well, hawks primarily prey are rodents and rabbits. Most these creatures already hind in the bushes and tall grass.

I don't say this to scare you, but I think there is safety in the grass but not as much as we would hope.

 

[gabby3535]

Ooooooo, good point!
What would you recommend then?

 

[Bridget399]

Snakes hide in tall grass...

 

[TXmom]

I've seen posts before about the best hawk protection - Turkeys. I guess hawks are afraid of turkeys???

 

[ponchiepeepsDH]

Down here in the Bayou we have Cooper's Hawks (chicken hawks). We learned the hard way that they are persistent and attack from the ground. It actually reached in between the fence and popped the head off our #1 gal. I researched and found they hunt from the bushes, once they know there is food in the area. I'm wondering if they see your chickens and then follow them into the brush. They also go after the cardinals and nests in the woods boardering the fence area here. We have since added an inner chicken wire fence to the main fence to protect them from that. Another concern that someone brought up is snakes. Don't know what you get, but we have some big rat/chicken snakes down here too. Haven't seen any, but keep it mowed and patrolled constanty. I think you make is as safe as possible, have a rooster and the rest is the circle of life.