Life with Murphy's Law - this time in the Hawk Department

[LynneP]

Red-tails are the dominant hawk species here, and it's illegal to interfere with them in any way, so I hear you. I think Annie's free-range days may be coming to an end. Not sure about your laws, but if we try to discourage them and especially to disturb the nest, the fines are in the thousands of $$$ and it's a federal criminal offence.

 

[OurLittleFarm]

I would call a Wildlife Conservation Office and ask if there is anything they can do. Just tell them they are swooping down even when you go out there and now you are afraid to go out. It is against the law in most places for us to mess with them. But some of these agencies can and will relocate a bothersome pair or nest.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Mr Rumpled was a BlueJay that visited my feeder all the time...she must've gotten caught by a cat because she had one eye and half her crest was missing...One year she came by with babies. that first really cold winter we had she never came back, but all her babies have...

 

[chicknmania]

Yeah, actually, I read about Sharp Shinned hawks and according to what I read, they have the biggest appetite for birds of any of em! Last Thanksgiving, we had a really small hawk (I'm actually pretty sure it was a peregrine falcon) kill one of our standard sized hens. I surprised him off of her...all he had time to do was eat a couple bites off of her before I surprised him. So, when they're hungry enough, they will go for whatever, I guess. But hopefully, it's springtime, there's lots to eat...maybe yours won't be too hungry.

Hey, maybe you can find a neighborhood kid this summer who would, like, chicken sit?

 

[Gindee77]

I have a (probably really dumb) suggestion. Is there any way you could put mesh bird netting over your chickens' yard? You know the kind you put over cherry trees to keep the birds from eating the cherries? Never mind, the more I think of the repercussions of that, the dumber it sounds!

I feel for you and your dilemma! I love hawks and we have loads of them around here...but I'd be very protective if it came to my chicks!

I agree with OurLittleFarm, I'll bet the conservation people would relocate them for you!

I hope you keep us posted on what you decide to do...this is a very interesting problem that could happen to any of us!

 

[ozark hen]

Gindee-you are not dumb that is absolutely the right thing to do...we have poultry netting over one large pen and have never had a loss from it. We also strung nylon filament across our large run every six ft or so and tied cd's here and there to dangle. Nothing has come into our run from the sky from that either. If you do a search...saying something like nylon filament or cd's...and find the one speckledhen has posted. She has great pics of hers. I first used yarn, bad idea, wind/weather breaks it and chickens get their feet in it. Def. use filament. This is a very inexpensive and efficient way to protect your birds. The cd's reflect and spin no matter if the sun is out or not. I only have a four foot fence around my run and only the guineas fly out of it.

 

[turnerstar31]

I to lose a few to hawks but I know that free ranging them I am going to lose a few. Anywho just a suggestion here could you make seperate pens and keep rotating them so that your birds do not get bored and only let them out when you are with them. Good luck

 

[CrowinKing]

I have a couple red-tailed hawks around the house here and never had a problem with them even trying to take a chicken and they sit in the trees at the edge of my yard right above my chickens!! Now when I had pigeons I watched one grab one of my homers! Never had a prob with them just dogs!!!

 

[chickaboo7]

Quote:
How about a super-soaker