Owls, hawks, foxes… oh my

[McDana]

I recently moved and restarted my flock, the coop is a metal shed and run is chain link kennel with chicken wire around it, wire 2.5 feet out (buried) and thick, permeable cloth/netting on top. The run is for bad weather days, I like to let them freerange.
I’ve had a hawk squeeze in a small (maybe 1.5 inch) gap between the net and the top. Then a fox, so I added electric netting/fence. Yesterday around 3 am an owl tried to take off with my security camera. They’ve cleared land nearby so competition is fierce.

The hawks being my biggest issue I foresee. CD’s and fake owls haven’t done much to deter less determined hawks in the past, turkeys plot my demise and I have a Pyrenees- bless his heart, that’s not gonna work… what else is there to try?

 

[cherrynberry]

I recently moved and restarted my flock, the coop is a metal shed and run is chain link kennel with chicken wire around it, wire 2.5 feet out (buried) and thick, permeable cloth/netting on top. The run is for bad weather days, I like to let them freerange.
I’ve had a hawk squeeze in a small (maybe 1.5 inch) gap between the net and the top. Then a fox, so I added electric netting/fence. Yesterday around 3 am an owl tried to take off with my security camera. They’ve cleared land nearby so competition is fierce.

The hawks being my biggest issue I foresee. CD’s and fake owls haven’t done much to deter less determined hawks in the past, turkeys plot my demise and I have a Pyrenees- bless his heart, that’s not gonna work… what else is there to try?

Cover the run with hardware cloth. No larger than 1/2 in. by 1/2 in. gaps.

Roof as well, since netting is flimsy and weak. Or if you want, cover the roof with a tarp make sure to hook it on.

 

[cmom]

I don't free range anymore due to losses in the past. It's a risk you take. My birds are happy in their pens and there are ways to entertain them. I have good heavy duty netting covering all of my nice large pens, electric wires around the coops and pens. I grounded my fence so if anything tries to climb it and touches the hot wires they will know it. I did have a breach in my netting and a hawk got in and went on a killing spree. I originally uses cable ties but they deteriorated and came off. Since I have replaced them with hog rings. I had originally ran short on the good netting and put up some crappy netting thinking it would probably still deter aerial predators. An owl went through the crappy netting and killed some birds a few times. I moved the birds to another coop. I did replace the crappy netting with some good netting and the owl tried again but got caught in the new netting. We were able to get it free and a local wildlife rescue and they came and got it. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

I'm from the Ocala Florida area. We have a farm swap twice a month. If your ever down our way on a swap day, stop in and say hi. We love to talk chicken. I'm the old lady in the TSC hat. We have a swap this next Saturday. Again, good luck...

 

[Boomerwaffen]

I recently moved and restarted my flock, the coop is a metal shed and run is chain link kennel with chicken wire around it, wire 2.5 feet out (buried) and thick, permeable cloth/netting on top. The run is for bad weather days, I like to let them freerange.
I’ve had a hawk squeeze in a small (maybe 1.5 inch) gap between the net and the top. Then a fox, so I added electric netting/fence. Yesterday around 3 am an owl tried to take off with my security camera. They’ve cleared land nearby so competition is fierce.

The hawks being my biggest issue I foresee. CD’s and fake owls haven’t done much to deter less determined hawks in the past, turkeys plot my demise and I have a Pyrenees- bless his heart, that’s not gonna work… what else is there to try?

Unfortunately chicken wire is useless as predator defense. It’s just to keep chickens in. You need hardware cloth. We’ve got every predator imaginable except bears. We have corrugated steel on the coops. We have clear plastic on the run roof. We buried hardware cloth all around two feet out. Plus we put hardware cloth over the screens too.

 

[McDana]

Cover the run with hardware cloth. No larger than 1/2 in. by 1/2 in. gaps.

Roof as well, since netting is flimsy and weak. Or if you want, cover the roof with a tarp make sure to hook it on.

The netting is some weird hard plastic material, it’s like a tarp that’s permeable, if that makes sense. It’s a placeholder until I have help to run a better top on it.
I have the run and coop anchored but didn’t want to do a tarp or solid like aluminum with it being hurricane season.
I was going to put some leftover no-climb field fence over it so I could wrap it down the sides but if you’re saying hardware cloth I may be better off with a solid top…

 

[Sueby]

I use the same netting as @cmom. Mine is attached with hog rings & staples (on the wood fence). The hawk tried, but hasn't found a way in yet! He's in the middle of the pic on the support post. He flew from post to post trying to find a way in & my not so smart birds followed him around with lots of interest instead of hiding.

So, so far the netting has worked well. *knockonwood*

 

[McChooky]

Unfortunately chicken wire is useless as predator defense. It’s just to keep chickens in. You need hardware cloth. We’ve got every predator imaginable except bears. We have corrugated steel on the coops. We have clear plastic on the run roof. We buried hardware cloth all around two feet out. Plus we put hardware cloth over the screens too.

You have a beautiful coop and run.

 

[McChooky]

I recently moved and restarted my flock, the coop is a metal shed and run is chain link kennel with chicken wire around it, wire 2.5 feet out (buried) and thick, permeable cloth/netting on top. The run is for bad weather days, I like to let them freerange.
I’ve had a hawk squeeze in a small (maybe 1.5 inch) gap between the net and the top. Then a fox, so I added electric netting/fence. Yesterday around 3 am an owl tried to take off with my security camera. They’ve cleared land nearby so competition is fierce.

The hawks being my biggest issue I foresee. CD’s and fake owls haven’t done much to deter less determined hawks in the past, turkeys plot my demise and I have a Pyrenees- bless his heart, that’s not gonna work… what else is there to try?

It may take up to 2 yrs to train your dog meanwhile put up an electric perimeter fence and put netting up since aerial predators are your biggest threat.Chickens need a lot of places to hide.

 

[McDana]

It may take up to 2 yrs to train your dog meanwhile put up an electric perimeter fence and put netting up since aerial predators are your biggest threat.Chickens need a lot of places to hide.

Yikes, 2 years? Good to know for future reference, I’d love to have another good boy just like him. Does it take that long because they mature slow or training in general? He definitely became more protective around 2/3 years old.
He’s 4 and been inside most of his life and sighs dramatically every time I take his bed to wash the cover… but mostly because I live in Florida and he’s used to AC.
I didn’t think of the netting where they’re out of the run area… I have the electric fence. I guess my concern is if the hawk was willing to find and squeeze into one little hole (it couldn’t get back out), how to place the net… I’ll have to play around with it. My last property had all kinds of hiding spots, this one doesn’t unfortunately. It’s definitely worth a shot!
Any recommendations on netting?