Lost my only EE to a hawk, will this work??

[ARchick]

I took my family to the Zoo today after lunch & were only gone for about 4 hrs. When I returned I went to check on the chickens & noticed my 9 week old EE was missing & the other adult chickens & 9 weekers were acting spooked. I found her in the run & most of her was eaten. I'm sure it was a hawk because he flew off from a tree by my run when I walked out there.

I went & bought 500 feet of white nylon twine & ran it over the run in all different directions. Do you think this will discourage a hawk from trying to fly into my run?? It looks pretty good & it seems like a hawk would not be able to fly through it without his wings getting tangled up. I'm hoping it will at least give the chickens time to run back in their coop if he does try to get through it.

 

[speckledhen]

It may do the trick. I have strung mason's nylon line across mine like that, with shiny CD's hanging so they twirl and bounce and throw blinding reflections all around. Never had a hawk attack in the entire time we've had chickens. My time may be coming some day, but where I have the CDs, I have confidence it till deter them, as it always has.

 

[Quillgirl]

I'm so sorry to hear about your chicken. I hope the twine works, because now she'll come back. (I'm sure it will work.)

 

[GlenwoodFarm]

I was looking into this solution too. What I have found is that it seems to work for a lot of people, although most posts do mention that hawks are excellent fliers in every aspect. I would think it would at least give your chickens more time to run for cover, but then again, hawks have amazing eyesight, so when they get ready to dive they can most likely chart a path through the "strings"..... I think fishing line might work better, as they would either not be able to see it, or see a glimmer and get spooked by its hehe "mysteriousness". Not sure how densely your twine is strung, but if it has large gaps in it a hawk will notice this and use it to their advantage... If anything I am sure you will at least slow it down a little, I hope someone can give you a better answer! I will definitely see what ppl respond for this. I have pretty much predator proofed our entire large backyard, but hawks are the only thing I worry about, I have nightmares about coming home to situations like yours, you have my deepest sympathies for your bird! I hope someone can help you more

 

[DragonFeathers]

String may work for you but I do need to tell you that IF the hawk wants to kill your bird it will, I had one killing my pigeons to feed it's own babies, it got to brave and came into the bob in my loft and could not get back out, I lost all my birds in one day!

 

[ARchick]

Thanks for the replies. I hate I lost my only little EE too. I couldn't wait to see what color eggs she was going to lay. I've got 2 extra Milli Fleur d'uccle roos that are 9 weeks old, I may try to trade for 2 EE's soon. I want one really bad.

 

[cw]

Quote:
I was gonna say the same thing, i even hang them in the barn to keep out owls, ans it does work, you dont have to use nylon line the thicker fishing line works well also