Letting my chicken out of their caged run

[ordermatters]

I need your advice here, please. I live in the suburbs of LA, CA. I have a nice well and safely fenced-up backyard. I just started with my chicken "adventure" and my 4 "girls" ( about 4-5 months old). I would like to let them have a little fun roaming in our backyard and not constantly having them locked up in their 10 x 10 f enclosure. Of course under my supervision. OK, most likely I won't be able to be there nonstop to watch them. But I would have them out for a couple of hours and then put them back into their run. NOW, the issue is this! There is a neighbourhood hawk around once in a while. I use to have problems with it when I used to breed exotic birds in an aviary outside. But I am asking myself. First, my chickens are way bigger than small birds. Second. What do farmers do with their chickens when they are outside? I noticed when watching my chickens when some ravens fly around they give up some alarm sound and stand still for a while. So, they do keep alert for predators obviously. We do have lots of hedges and also a huge tree in ou backyard for cover. Just thought I'd mention that. OK. What do you guys advise? Thank you. I certainly don't want to put my "girls" in danger of being killed.

 

[Aklady318]

I need your advice here, please. I live in the suburbs of LA, CA. I have a nice well and safely fenced-up backyard. I just started with my chicken "adventure" and my 4 "girls" ( about 4-5 months old). I would like to let them have a little fun roaming in our backyard and not constantly having them locked up in their 10 x 10 f enclosure. Of course under my supervision. OK, most likely I won't be able to be there nonstop to watch them. But I would have them out for a couple of hours and then put them back into their run. NOW, the issue is this! There is a neighbourhood hawk around once in a while. I use to have problems with it when I used to breed exotic birds in an aviary outside. But I am asking myself. First, my chickens are way bigger than small birds. Second. What do farmers do with their chickens when they are outside? I noticed when watching my chickens when some ravens fly around they give up some alarm sound and stand still for a while. So, they do keep alert for predators obviously. We do have lots of hedges and also a huge tree in ou backyard for cover. Just thought I'd mention that. OK. What do you guys advise? Thank you. I certainly don't want to put my "girls" in danger of being killed.

I'm sort of in the same situation. I have a Cooper's hawks nest with an adult pair living in the tree Above my coop and run area. At first, I had the pen covered but theybran out of the good green stuff so I took off the top to extend the coop. The hawks fly over and perch on a tree to watch. I decided to Learn more about Cooper's hawks, their diet etc. Magnificent raptors.
I have several black birds in my flock and recently watched a video claiming black birds resemble black crows to hawks so they won't mess with your flock.
Ummm...yeah there's been a lot of prayers too.
The roosters and turkeys seem to help too. Roosters give the alarm and they all hide.

I hope you can find some good useful information to help ease your concern for your ladies.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I posted on a thread just last week re a situation similiar to yours. I have a redtail hawk that includes my acreage as part of its territory. It has only killed a handful of my chickens over the past several years, & I credit the presence of my lgdogs to low mortality. The answer to your question "What do farmers do when their chickens are out?" is that farmers at least ocassionally lose chickens. "My" hawk has only killed when my dogs were out of sight. (Also, fwiw the hawk has dove to ground and attacked from large trees including oaks & elms.)
Some people say their dog's presence was Not a deterrent, and still more people say that hawks attacked their birds even with a human nearby. I think it is more likely than not the hawk will eventually attack your chickens, especially if u are not in close proximity. Maybe not the first, second or even third time it sees your chickens alone. But eventually, when it decides the coast is clear. Can u string fishing line, cd's and other deterrents above your yard? Many claim the above deterrents prevent hawk attacks. Your chickens are of course only completely safe in their covered runs. But yes they would be much happier if they had more room to roam. I occasionally leave my flocks penned during bad weather, & boy do they ever fuss about it.

 

[CluckerFamily]

It is truly choice.
I have a rooster that watches for predators and alerts the flock to run for safety.
My flock free ranges from sunrise to sunset even when I am not home.
I have lots of trees, shrubs, perennials, and a gazebo in the area where the flock tends to hang most of the time.
I do watch for signs my rooster gives me: he will warn the flock to run for the run/coop and then position himself in the run doorway; he will also not let the ladies out of the coop if a predator has been walking around the area at night. In these situations, I won’t let the flock free range for a couple days until the rooster starts acting normal... telling me the predator has moved on.

 

[Primicum Bavaricum]

I'm sort of in the same situation. I have a Cooper's hawks nest with an adult pair living in the tree Above my coop and run area. At first, I had the pen covered but theybran out of the good green stuff so I took off the top to extend the coop. The hawks fly over and perch on a tree to watch. I decided to Learn more about Cooper's hawks, their diet etc. Magnificent raptors.
I have several black birds in my flock and recently watched a video claiming black birds resemble black crows to hawks so they won't mess with your flock.
Ummm...yeah there's been a lot of prayers too.
The roosters and turkeys seem to help too. Roosters give the alarm and they all hide.

I hope you can find some good useful information to help ease your concern for your ladies.

Thank you. Unfortunately. We're not allowed to have roosters in the suburbs. But hopefully, our 2 dogs might do some little work for their spoiled lives ( LOL ) and act a little as watchdogs. I know. Wishful thinking.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Thank you. Unfortunately. We're not allowed to have roosters in the suburbs. But hopefully, our 2 dogs might do some little work for their spoiled lives ( LOL ) and act a little as watchdogs. I know. Wishful thinking.

But those terriers think they are big dogs!!!

 

[cmom]

We are rural on a dead end road. I have had issues with hawks too. I finally covered my pens with good heavy duty netting. I also expended the pens out 10 more feet. I had a hawk a couple of times take birds. Once not 10 feet in front of me when I was in our blueberries. One of the birds followed me and a hawk swooped down and killed her right in front of me. It didn't take her but did kill her. It happened so fast I didn't have time to react. Another time I had set up a small temporary pen for some chicks that I was standing right next to and a hawk swooped in and grabbed a chick. Again it happened so fast I didn't have time to react. Good luck...

 

[ordermatters]

I posted on a thread just last week re a situation similiar to yours. I have a redtail hawk that includes my acreage as part of its territory. It has only killed a handful of my chickens over the past several years, & I credit the presence of my lgdogs to low mortality. The answer to your question "What do farmers do when their chickens are out?" is that farmers at least ocassionally lose chickens. "My" hawk has only killed when my dogs were out of sight. (Also, fwiw the hawk has dove to ground and attacked from large trees including oaks & elms.)
Some people say their dog's presence was Not a deterrent, and still more people say that hawks attacked their birds even with a human nearby. I think it is more likely than not the hawk will eventually attack your chickens, especially if u are not in close proximity. Maybe not the first, second or even third time it sees your chickens alone. But eventually, when it decides the coast is clear. Can u string fishing line, cd's and other deterrents above your yard? Many claim the above deterrents prevent hawk attacks. Your chickens are of course only completely safe in their covered runs. But yes they would be much happier if they had more room to roam. I occasionally leave my flocks penned during bad weather, & boy do they ever fuss about it.

Thank you for your input. Btw this ' deterrent with CD's does not work at all. I had that by my aviaries when I bred exotic birds and still, the hawk tried to get to my birds at that time. But as I said, these were tiny birds and the hawk couldn't really get to them since they were caged in.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Good to know your experience re the cd's/shiny objects. Ive never used them myself, but some swear by them. I read a quote some time back on this forum, "Never underestimate the determination of a hungry predator." Ive never forgotten those words.

 

[ordermatters]

Good to know your experience re the cd's/shiny objects. Ive never used them myself, but some swear by them. I read a quote some time back on this forum, "Never underestimate the determination of a hungry predator." Ive never forgotten those words.

Believe you me. When I am hungry, NOTHING holds me back. LOL