Pair of nesting Hawks in my yard.....We have babies....

[Big Red's Mom]

I kept hearing Hawks very close to my house in the mornings.....The other day I walked out to look around and found them...I have a pair of young Red Tail Hawks building a nest beside the little pond in my yard. We only have 5 ac. and the pond is on the back of our place on one side and the barn/chicken coop are on the other side in the back.....So far they have not even bothered the chickens....Mice, frogs and fish have been on the diet so far...
Here are some pictures........They are beautiful and I love to watch them just not so close to my chickens....

This is a picture of the nest they are working on.....

And this is one of the Hawks.....Under a year old because they have not molted yet and gotten that great red tail....

This is a picture of the tree they are building in....See the barn in the back ground....The White wrap is the side of the chicken coop....

Looks like we are going to have a long summer.....Me and the chickens.....

 

[only one lay]

hopefully long for everyone

 

[Biddieacres]

Do your chickens ever free range? Because I have the same red tail hawks in my yard and I was reading about how much of a threat they are to chickens. I am afraid to let my chickens free range when I am not in the back yard with them.

 

[mkelle11]

Very nice. Although as long as you give your hens lots of cover (If they are free-range) or cover their run (If they are confined) you should be fine. Especially if you have a good population of rabbits- We have a nesting pair of Redtail hawks in the woods behind our house (They come back every year, sometimes their kids hang about too) , but we have only lost one chicken (Ours are free-range) to them in over 7 years. We have lost almost 50, all told, to dogs, raccoons, and mink though- so I don't worry about the hawks. We do, however, have an amazingly large rabbit population, due to the fact we have haybales lying about all year, which the bunnies feed on. And fat rabbits are more desirable than feathery, bony old bantam chickens, or bony, crabby layers.

I wouldn't get too worried. Besides, there's still the chance they will relocate. Although that would be a shame, for the bird-watching part of you.

 

[Big Red's Mom]

They do free range ...The Hawks go off to hunt in the evenings and that is when I usually let them out....I stay close...My rooster is very active in sky watching......He lets out a warning if a buzzard flies over or if he hears the hawks calling.....

As far as food source for the Hawks.....We are in the corner of a pasture of 98 ac. They have about 6 cows on it....Plenty of mice, rabbits moles etc for them to eat....and ponds...I hope they stay full on all of that and leave my babies alone.....

 

[dave_Cash69]

hopefully they wont bother the chickens, but sadly id assume it is only a matter of time, i hope im wrong

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Nice pictures. Last summer we had a trio of coopers hawks living in our creek bottom. It made me nervous everytime I heard them talking to one another. I wouldn't do any free ranging unless you are out with your chickens, especially when the youngsters hatch. Mom will be looking for an easy meal. You are right, it will be a long summer. Good luck

 

[theOEGBman]

Oh man, that is so cool! I swear, nothing cool like that ever happens here! We have plenty of red-tails, but none nesting here!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Great pics! I can understand being a bit nervous.

Honestly, I love red tailed hawks... so much that I'd seriously give up a few girls (don't tell them) in exchange for a hawk nest within picture distance... heck, I'd even setup a webcam.

 

[Big Red's Mom]

Quote:
I have been very lucky when it come to animals. We have had baby rabbits every year....Mocking birds nest all around my house..a blue bird even build a nest on my patio in a little bird house and raised her babies...I think she would have come back except a mocking bird has built in a running rose beside the patio.....We feed everything and we live in a open area. Trees around the pond, across the front of our place and on both side down the fence lines.....We have a good time watching the animals....