Need info re: hawks

[Kikiriki]

The fact is the hawks are protected, the question is do they still need protection? They are not struggling as far as I can see: I watch five fly over my yard daily, they are thriving in cities, they are so widespread they are a nuisance to anyone who does not raise chickens commercially with extensive infrastucture.

On the other hand, they control rodent populations, which are also a nuisance.

Plus, if you kill one hawk, there will be another to claim the first ones territory, so is killing one really going to solve the problem?

What is their natural predator to hold their population in check? If they dont have one other than humans, then maybe people should begin to request a controlled hunting season as exists for other wildlife. A limit on the take per hunter, a specific season, which could easily coincide with the normal fall hunting seasons....trapping as an alternative to shooting in populated areas.

If enough people demand it, eventually that great mass of flesh in DC will be persuaded to make a movement...

 

[Fox]

Thank you everyone! We did have dreams of letting our chickens free range supervised, but apparently we will have to restrict them to fenced areas only. We not only love them as pets, but liked the idea of natural insect control since in FL, we have fleas, ticks, ants, roaches etc., in abundance. I don't think I'd have the heart to risk their lives just for insect control, though! I guess we'll consider putting over head fencing in the adjoining fenced area for a larger daytime pen. Hawks are only one problem we have. We also have foxes, raccoons, owls, snakes, and possums. I accept this as the price we pay for living in in the beautiful wooded wonderland we call home.......

Guineas like to roam free and are great for insect control. I have not seen a hawk get any of my guineas, but they killed two of my chickens and I stopped the third... it flew straight into the coop!!!!!!!!! We ended up throwing a big pool net cover over the coop and most of the run. It's done the trick so far. If you can raise guineas confined and then let them out to roam, they will be happy to eat up all your ticks for you, plus they are a larger bird, and at least for me, have not become hawk prey.

 

[Fox]

Those hawks you advocate killing to protect your little flock of pets are my hawks, and property of every one else that pays taxes. The government is charged with protecting the tax payers and their descendants property. The goverment is not out with its own agenda, it s agenda is dictated by the masses and the masses interest in the common good. Protect you birds without decimating natural resources that have already been knocked down by 90% of it original abundance so that you can eat, have a place to live and infrastructure to drive yourself about. Immoral by some people's measures has already been realized a lot more than what you think is done in not killing to protect your creton birds.

That may be true, but I am part of the masses and masses and no one asked my opinion on hawks. I never got to vote on if we should spend tax-payer money to protect hawks, or if I thought it was fair to send someone to jail and fine them $10,000-$15,000 because they defended their flock. I see SO many hawks here that I don't have a clue why they are so protected over other birds. The hawks can come and eat my chickens and I am not even supposed to scare it away because that is harassment. While I find hawks and eagles and other birds of prey beautiful, I am not for their protection over everything else. If they were truly endangered, it would be one thing to protect them, but if they are endangered here, then I'm amazed because we have so many. Instead, it's as if the government cares more about wild birds than they do about loved pets. I mean some of these hawks have carried away small breed dogs and my sis can't even let hers out of the house without being right next to them. It's sad.

 

[philbfarm]

I am a new chicken owner. Before I brought chickens home, a great deal of thought went into their coop and pen. I have seen many fox, raccoons, hawks, etc. in my area. So it was important that I put a roof on the pen. (A few days after my chicks went outside, a hawk circled for day. It has since left) Also the poultry netting was buried a foot into the ground. I am outside with them when they free range. I have a deep respect for wild life, but also love my chickens. Secure their run -

 

[CariLynn]

Very timely post as I am dealing with a hawk family currently and have lost 3 of my little feathered companions to the danged thing. Then I had it disrupt the family of Canadian Geese behind our farm who use our small creek as a by way and it got one of her goslings too! I am so disgusted with it and saddened I wish it would leave.

Called the raptor conservatory in our state and spoke to them, their idea is to put up a roof over my whole yard, which is a 100ft by 100ft with the coop inside in a contained area. I said that sure would be nice if they wanted to come construct it and pay for it. I then got a lecture on how hawk's are protected and it is a heft fine and/or jail time if I dare touch or harm one, but when I asked why something who is so prevalent here is protected, no one could tell me.

Then called a wildlife nuisance control person...after getting the speech about them being protected, he said off the record, because he too has chickens and knows they are loved by his family, he suggested the 3 S's. Heard him loud and clear...nothing a silencer and a .22 won't cure. Before you all jump me about them being majestic creatures, I lost one of my Ameraucana pullets, have had them since they were 3 days old, cared for them, loved on them, and to find just a dusting of feathers was a horrid feeling while the other 8 refused for days to go into their giant carrier we are using to house them till our coop comes in because they are scared to death.

 

[rikithemonk]

Those hawks you advocate killing to protect your little flock of pets are my hawks, and property of every one else that pays taxes. The government is charged with protecting the tax payers and their descendants property. The goverment is not out with its own agenda, it s agenda is dictated by the masses and the masses interest in the common good. Protect you birds without decimating natural resources that have already been knocked down by 90% of it original abundance so that you can eat, have a place to live and infrastructure to drive yourself about. Immoral by some people's measures has already been realized a lot more than what you think is done in not killing to protect your creton birds.

I'm a reasonable person. I'm not in my truck with a pair of binoculars hunting innocent hawks. A hawk wants to drink at the stream, I'm perfectly fine with that. If a hawk wants to swoop down and grab a raccoon or a rat, or a lawyer, I'm OK with that too. More power to him. If he steps over the line and attacks my chickens, I am going to do my best to defend it. When you buy an animal, you become responsible for it. Seeing an animal viciously attacked and standing there impotently wringing you hands may be acceptable to you. But its far from acceptable for me.

Oh, and my girls are Rhode Island Reds. They are a breed formed here in the US. I don't have any chicken breeds from Crete or any of the other Greek islands.


Riki

 

[centrarchid]

I'm a reasonable person. I'm not in my truck with a pair of binoculars hunting innocent hawks. A hawk wants to drink at the stream, I'm perfectly fine with that. If a hawk wants to swoop down and grab a raccoon or a rat, or a lawyer, I'm OK with that too. More power to him. If he steps over the line and attacks my chickens, I am going to do my best to defend it. When you buy an animal, you become responsible for it. Seeing an animal viciously attacked and standing there impotently wringing you hands may be acceptable to you. But its far from acceptable for me.

Oh, and my girls are Rhode Island Reds. They are a breed formed here in the US. I don't have any chicken breeds from Crete or any of the other Greek islands.


Riki

I keep poultry as well for a variety of reasons. Same line of poultry has been maintained by my family for a very long time so by that it should be obvious that we value the birds. None the less many of our birds over the decades have been lost to hawks and other predators. Critters like racoons and foxes take a few each year but losses to such are a great deal less than lost to others causes such as disease. We used to hunt the mammalian prediators because their pelt justified the effort. Hawks even take a few but losses to such are easy to control with some modest management changes without harming hawks. At one time my forefathers did shoot hawks going after chickens and even went to trouble of destroying trees with nests. These days I have as many if not more hawks but loose fewer birds because I invest in measures that make the hawks job of taking chickens more difficult. Some losses still incurred but they are tolerable.


All chicken breeds are cretons. They are highly modified through a combination of mutation, cross breeding and selection into a range of critters / breeds that lack their ancestors mindset and physical abilities that are needed to at least give them a chance against most predators.

 

[dumluckcluck]

Thank you for the guinea idea........may be worth a try!

 

[chicknmania]

Here's what we do that works well. It is not especially cosmetically appealing, but it does work. Get old cd's, and suspend
them in the areas where your flock ranges. As an additional deterrent, you can tie shiny or curly or glittery ribbon
or the like, to the bottoms of the cd's. We made a mobile about of several cd's using an old wind spinner, and it hangs
in our barn door. The blowing, flashing, spinning cd's and ribbon confuse and disorient the hawks and it is believed they think it is
fire. We also have a "bird bomb" we got at a gun show. It shoots missiles similar to bottle rockets into the air.
You can shoot them (not at the birds, but in the vicinity of) to frighten them away. This also works well.
Lastly, absolutely you must have a roof on your pen. Nothing will keep the hawks from coming in there, and once they do they
will corner your chickens and kill them off one by one. That is the most important thing you have to do. A roof, made out of
poultry netting or chicken wire. Oh, and yes, roosters are a huge help. They will watch for predators and alert the flock,
and sometimes, yes, challenge a predator. Or make themselves a target so the hens can get away. Unfortunately, the roos
are usually the losers in those types of situations. Not always, tho. Our little Doodle roo challenged a hawk once. The hawk
was totally confused and just stared at him. Til I came along and scared it away.

 

[chicknmania]

I don't want to read everyone's post b/c i see someone, as always, has mentioned killing them. PLEASE don't kill them!
It is against Federal law, and the hawks are only doing what comes naturally. It's true, they are everyone's property who
pays taxes, and they are beautiful to see in the wild.