No Free Ranging for my hens! (PIX)

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

My smallest hen is almost 5 lbs. I don't have to worry with red tailed hawks....do I?

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Do they live in your area? Then yes, you do. Hawks can kill by striking the prey in the neck and breaking the neck. If they can't carry their prey off, they eat it in place and leave the rest for other varmits to enjoy. Hawks hate crows, dogs and some large cats. I would imagine an emu or ostrich would slow them down too.

If you free range, you risk loss to predators, including "death from above".

 

[rebbetzin]

When I went to pick up the mail today I was telling the girl behind the counter about the Hawks in my yard. She said just the other day she was on a walk in the neighborhood. There was a pigeon waling around near her. She stopped to watch it. The out of no where came a big hawk, quick as a wink the pigeon was dead. And the Hawk stood there with the dead bird in it's talons, looked at her as if to say "Hey, what are you looking at? You want to be next?"

It is amazing they have no fear of humans here. Very bold. My husband said I better make sure that they aren't around when I move the chickens to the tractor or I may just get one taken right out of my arms!

 

[hippiehen]

Hang CD's from your trees. You'll look like a crazy person but it keeps the birds away! They don't like the flashy movement.

 

[earnhardtlvr]

we have hawks here in western maryland. i don't know what kind tho. we don't have our babies yet. yesterday we were out marking off where we r building their run and i have a small 10 lb shih tzu who is a light brown and don't u know that hawk swooped down to get a closer look? i hate them. We have a welded wire we are putting across the top of the run and are going to put a little roof over a section of it. we r hoping that will take care of the problem.

 

[rebbetzin]

Quote:
I don't think a CD would bother these fellows if there was "prey" nearby. They are pretty fearless. I can get 3 to 4 feet away from one before it will fly off.

I have had them as close as 2 feet away and the just look at me as if to say.. "Yeah? What do you want?"

 

[Cetawin]

That is indeed a cooper's, the barring on the tail is wrong for a young or transitional redtail a the wings are barred. And yes Redtails are the best (ie worst for your chickens) hunters, they rarely miss. They are lethal at striking and breaking the neck. They will carry off a 5lb bird for a short distance...bantams are no trouble whatsoever.


Netting will not necassrily stop a hawk that size...they might get tangled in it which is your only hope...I would use wire of some sort.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
I don't think a CD would bother these fellows if there was "prey" nearby. They are pretty fearless. I can get 3 to 4 feet away from one before it will fly off.

I have had them as close as 2 feet away and the just look at me as if to say.. "Yeah? What do you want?"

I would say try it anyway. Try it for a day, or at least the time you want to spend watching the flock. . . I free range my girls, would never settle for cooping them up in a run, and I've had hawk, eagle, AND owl issues. . . I strung up a few lines of CD's and now I haven't seen a single one get within worrisome distance of our pasture.

To me I'd much rather have a tacky looking, CD-decorated pasture filled with healthy, happy hens than a small run with hens who don't have much to do or eat.

 

[CariLynn]

Last month, I lost one of my favorite hens, Annie, to a hawk here in VA. And many are right, he was IN the smaller enclosre in that has a roof and was under the coop eating my poor hen!! I was so mad, that I stood there a moment crying till I realized my husband had yelled hawk, I turned and this huge red tail was flying around inside. Once we got it out it flew up into a tree right by our enclosure and sat there watching, didn't matter I was throwing rocks and a stick at it. My husband wanted to shoot him and as much as I wanted to say make him a puff of feathers, he was only doing what nature intended so he shot near it.

I have found, throwing peanuts out for the crows, they have been great about keeping many of the hawks away from our farm. I do carry a bb gun with me when I go out to check the chickens in the afternoon and have shot at a few.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
The crow thing is another great idea. We leave chicken guts out for the crows, and they keep the Eagles away. "Harrassment" of hawks and eagles personally though (such as with a BB gun) I think is illegal.