North Carolina

[SPARKLESILKIE]

Nice to have a day like that after 3 days of rain in Florida!!

 

[SPARKLESILKIE]

Thatsbexactly how it is today

 

[CoopersCoopNC]

Clayton, Johnston County here!

 

[SPARKLESILKIE]

Sorry I meant to say that's exactly how it is today

 

[chris4kdz]

Dutch anything that harms your flock you have the right. Sorry you live in the city. I have high power pellet gun with a silencer for shooting. It costed but it don't make a lot of noise with the right pellets. I'm in the country but I still use it. Good luck.Hawks are bad and I hate to say it he probably be back. They are a pain!! GL

 

[SPARKLESILKIE]

A hawk coming is my fear whenever I let the chickens out

 

[ramirezframing]

You can't shoot a hawk, it's protected. You can't even trap them. Most birds of prey are protected.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

You can't shoot a hawk, it's protected. You can't even trap them. Most birds of prey are protected. 

Exactly. And local laws on protecting your livestock NEVER include federally or internationally protected species. Hawks fall under the International Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Not only is it against the law, but removing top level predators is rarely a good idea. Coyotes are now an exception, but normally it causes more problems than it fixes. Remember the rattlesnake roundups they used to do before rattlesnakes became protected? After they had those, they had a huge explosion of rodents, causing a lot of economic damage. Hawks are the same. They eat far more rodents than chickens. Besides, we're supposed to be the smart ones. If we congregate prey animals in one place, then it's our duty to shelter them properly. Killing off the predators isn't protecting our stock. It's just going to increase the rodents in our feed and carrying disease.

Not intending to lecture, but as a biologist, this is a hot topic for me. The damage done to ecosystems by removing predators is astounding.

 

[dutchbunny83]

I wouldn't be able to shoot it anyway, I'd be too afraid I'd hit the wrong bird or it'd go stray and there are kids everywhere. But I won't lie, I do wish harm on him. There are all other kinds of wild birds all over my property, go after them! He was nasty!
I am really worried about it coming back now that it knows it has a buffet! I re-enforced the bird netting, but if he's smart enough I think he can rip his way in. What does everyone else use?

For the past year my chickens free ranged and I've never had a hawk in my backyard. I guess this one had a hankering for turkey!
I'm worried about my bunnies and guinea pigs who love to run around the backyard and eat grass.
We have one of those hawk statues we move around our yard every couple days, apparently that thing is worthless!

I have to go back to the vet again today, on top of the diarrhea the cat is now vomiting and still won't eat or drink. Keep the good kitty vibes coming my way, he's only 6 1/2 I'm not ready to lose him!

Hope everyone's enjoying the sunshine!

 

[SPARKLESILKIE]

In our yard hawks aren't the only problem. Sray cats run around in our neighborhood and snakes have plenty of homes in our yard. But with the two roosters around they make plenty enough screaming when a frog hops by.