No chicken dinner for you, #@%&! Hawk

[Sharwig]

Hope it never came back!


I need to find something else to chuck at it. Don't wanna run out of eggs!

We have lots of hawks in the area, but (knock on wood) that was as close as we've come. I think our dog must deter them. I did come home a few days later and spotted, what appeared to be the same one, perched on the fence on the opposite side of the pasture.

 

[Trimurtisan]

I was thinking a hose might be good. Squirt it out of the tree.

Question for y'all: The fenced area of my yard is only about 1/4 of an acre, maybe a little less. Smack in the middle of it is a giant oak. I love this tree, but it gave that hawk a great vantage point from which to stalk my chickens. I am wondering if it'd be possible to attach bird netting or something similar to the oak (under where the branches extend from the trunk) out to the fence. If not netting, then twine or fishing line as I've seen suggested. Or, since we use our yard for entertaining, strings of lights? Maybe with twine/fishing line between the strung lights to make better cover? Might that at least give the $%#@! Hawk pause? Does any of that make sense? Or would that be a waste of effort?

I am so desperate to let them be happy in the little yard...

From what I've researched, all the above can get a great help. Only problem is the hawks are very smart and recognize patterns. So say if you had a scarecrow. You'd need to move it every couple of days or the hawk with realize its not a real person. In your case of stringing lights, it might notice the "perfect" flight path through the cords still.

I think the best result (and most work) would come from attaching the net from the trunk to the branches. Just totally obscure their flight/swooping paths

The lights could also provide extra "shinny things" during the day time when the sun hits them too though, also deterring them. At least then you could have a dual purpose with them. Plus if you have any night time predators, you'd have an instant light source helping scare them away.

 

[Trimurtisan]

We have lots of hawks in the area, but (knock on wood) that was as close as we've come. I think our dog must deter them. I did come home a few days later and spotted, what appeared to be the same one, perched on the fence on the opposite side of the pasture.

"Did you hear that? Sounded like someone just discharged a 22lr in to the ground."
"Bob must be pissed at his trees again!"

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A bottle rocket would take too long...

 

[Fishkeeper]

Maybe get one of those water guns that can shoot really far and practice with it. You won't make a hawk decide to never come back, most likely, but you CAN make one decide to leave whenever it sees you. I wouldn't use a water gun if it's freezing outside, though- that could potentially be very bad for Mr Hawk.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Maybe get one of those water guns that can shoot really far and practice with it. You won't make a hawk decide to never come back, most likely, but you CAN make one decide to leave whenever it sees you. I wouldn't use a water gun if it's freezing outside, though- that could potentially be very bad for Mr Hawk.

I thought of that. Or just use the hose. I'd have to be out there, though.

Hubby says we just need to lo eave them penned up forever. I will expand my run this weekend.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

There was discussion in another thread about crows being a good deterrent for hawks. And it seems to work for us; I know there are a lot of red-tailed hawks in our area but we are not much troubled by them and crows visit daily. They are usually out there pecking where DH throws the scratch grains out for the chickens twice daily.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I don't see crows often in my immediate area. Lots of scrub jays and magpies.... I will figure out something.

I know that Coopers likely bred recently, and they usually migrate south come autumn. The hawk activity here is exponentially greater than it has been in the past. I'm hoping the activity decreases.

My current plan is to expand the run, raise and keep one of my male chicks, and free range them ONLY when I'm out observing. But for the next few weeks, the girls are on lock down!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sitting outside with myfolk, waiting for that a-hole bird to come back.

Got my garden hose ready...

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Then run out there after it, squirting it as hard as you can and screaming at it for all you are worth like a bloomin' banshee! I would, anyway!