Is this normal for hawks? What to do?

[Critter Mom]

A red-tail hawk has "visited" several days this week. The first time I saw it, it swooped the ventilation window at one end of the coop and was foiled by the hardware cloth. Yesterday, I was standing with my torso blocking the open door to the coop and my dog was right beside me. The hawk struck anyway and - thankfully - aborted at the last moment. Those talons were sharp and less than 2 feet from my head! Then it perched on top of the coop as if waiting for me to leave.

I have attached a second layer of hardware cloth to all openings on my coop and searched my run for any possible points for my defenses could be breached. Any ideas of free-ranging are gone. I am pretty certain that my girls safe within their coop and run, but I am apprehensive about the safety of my family and friends near the coop. Those talons were sharp and less than 2 feet from my head!

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have advice to share?

 

[my94fb]

Hi Critter Mom. I'm in southeastern Ohio, and there are at least three nesting pairs of red tailed hawks in our valley. Yes, hawks will absolutely do what you describe if they think they can get an easy meal. Our solution... our roo, Jerk. He is aptly named, trust me; we have to carry a stick whenever we go in the 1/2 acre space we have fenced off for our flock of 30. I know many don't like or want a roo, but I've always kept one and after 5 years have yet to lose a bird to a predator. Note that we have weasels, raccoons, possums, and coyotes in our valley too, so we don't let everyone free range outside their pasture unless we are home and outside. Not sure what else you could do... maybe spray the bugger with a hose? Best of luck to you!

 

[aart]

A red-tail hawk has "visited" several days this week. The first time I saw it, it swooped the ventilation window at one end of the coop and was foiled by the hardware cloth. Yesterday, I was standing with my torso blocking the open door to the coop and my dog was right beside me. The hawk struck anyway and - thankfully - aborted at the last moment. Those talons were sharp and less than 2 feet from my head! Then it perched on top of the coop as if waiting for me to leave.

I have attached a second layer of hardware cloth to all openings on my coop and searched my run for any possible points for my defenses could be breached. Any ideas of free-ranging are gone. I am pretty certain that my girls safe within their coop and run, but I am apprehensive about the safety of my family and friends near the coop. Those talons were sharp and less than 2 feet from my head!

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have advice to share?

Doubling the HC on the windows really isn't necessary.
Is your run covered with mesh at least?
Just keep them confined and the hawks will soon move on with no successes at a meal.
Tell your family and friends to keep an eye out so they don't end up with an eye out.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

The Red Tailed hawk will stop if you cover your run, they don't stoop if they understand there is no hope of getting to the prey animal.
Yes the talons are sharp and almost 2" long as well. I have only heard of one person being injured by one though, usually they have very good control in flight or stooping. I have seen them take small dogs, chickens, rabbits, and other like sized critters.

We have Red Tails, Golden and Bald Eagles, Harris Hawks, three different Owls, all patrolling our land. Two Red Tails have nests on our land. These are protected birds and that means you can't really drive them away or kill them. In my case the Red Tail is not only my spirit animal but also my name comes from them coming around me. If you just make it so they don't have a chance to grab an easy dinner, they will stop stooping, they will still circle for quite a while, but they are not going to waste much energy once they get the idea that there is no hope for an easy meal.

 

[oegbantamsftw]

we would shoo hawks with a loud noise or spray water at them with a garden hose

one would come by every morning and I would rush out to my flocks defense and flail my arms for it to leave than the rest of the day was calm

 

[theoldchick]

I have a nesting pair of red hawks whose youngsters are now learning to hunt. They will do as you described, and as mentioned, once they learned there is no food they will hunt elsewhere. As a result my flock does not free range unless I'm on guard. I have a dressage whip with a yellow plastic baggie tied to the end that I will flap about if a hawk gets too nosy. This also alarms the hens into making a retreat. It's also good for stray dogs wandering by. Also remember if you have a large rodent population you will have hawks patrol your coop. If a natural food source is scarce Hawks will get desperate and go after whatever they can get. I've seen Red Tails eating road kill. I've seen a Cooper's Hawk dive into trees to get their prey. Just make sure your pen is covered with well-secured chicken wire.

 

[Bird Fever]

What times during the day have these encounters taken place? I'm curious because a day or two ago my flock was screeching bloody murder around 6 in morning, and when I looked out my bedroom window I saw a red tail swooping down one or two times through the backyard. Thankfully, the chickens were safely concealed under trees.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

Our hawks are patrolling from daylight to around 11 am then again from 6pm until dark. I've seen them take off right at sunup and I've seen them take off anytime after sunup. I think it depends a lot on their hunger factor. But it does make sense, think of when the prey animals are usually out and about, mostly it is right at dawn + a few hours and then again a few hours before dusk up till dark. These are the times that you will see the hawks hunting the most. When their supper animals are out and about, so are they.

 

[theoldchick]

I have owls on patrol at 6 am. They have a tendency to keep the Red Tails at bay for a short time. 8 am the crows are trolling the horse manure for oats. Around noon the Red Tails are high in the sky. The juveniles are screeching. They have been targeting the local song birds while the parents are nailing the voles/moles out in the pasture. They don't mess with the turkey poults on bug patrol who are guarded by the Turkey hens. The hawks will ride the thermal for a while and when the temps get too hot I hear them in the trees. I usually see them again when the air cools down a bit. I've noticed the juveniles make more noise-calling the parents and have a tendency to get closer to humans.

At my place everybody seems to have a certain order in which to appear.