Portable electric fence and hawks..

[HeatherEmme]

I know that there are a lot of threads out there about hawks, so I apologize if this post seems redundant, but we're getting ready for a small flock of four chickens. We have about four acres and I'd like to have the chickens move from place to place so that they always have a bit of stuff to forage. We've selected electric poultry netting that is really easy to take down and put up. My concern is sky predators, namely hawks.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to install temporary 'covers' for areas inside electric poultry netting? I'd heard of fishing line crisscrossed over the area, but I'm wondering how easily this is moved etc..I'm having a hard time visualizing the right materials to rig something up

 

[JackE]

I also have the poultry netting. My birds use the coop itself and a big brushy area behind the coop to hide in when hawks come around. I have read about people using old pallets and cinderblocks and creating hiding places to put around the yard. It would be a lot of work to run all the string over the run area I have. I've heard it works well though. I've read about using twine, not fishing line, as you want it to be visible to the hawk. I don't have anything else over my run area, but have had no serious trouble (Knocking on wood right now) with aerial preds. My chickens have learned a lot on their own about aerial threats. They hear a hawk, they head for cover. They have even learned what a crow's hawk warning call sounds like. The crows can just be cawing and going on like they do, and the chickens really pay no mind. But there is a certain call the crows make, and when they make it, you can see the chickens react and immediately head for cover. Even without a rooster, my flock has really learned to look out for themselves.
Jack

 

[HeatherEmme]

Thank you for the reply! We'll have so few chickens I've been really worried about predators. Just one attack could leave me with either no flock or a severely diminished flock. We don't have much tree cover, but we do have a few bradford pears that we could situate the fence around for added shelter. We also have access to a ton of cinder blocks so perhaps we could use those to make portable 'covers' too. Thanks for the help!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Is there a reason you can't just let them free range?

 

[HeatherEmme]

Is there a reason you can't just let them free range?

We see hawks at least once a day where we live and then there are the occasional stray dogs. We'll free range while DH and I are home once the BO's are fully grown, but I so wish they wouldn't have to be confined all day while we're at work which is why we'd considered the electric poultry netting.

We also have fox, raccoon, opossum, etc as well but those are mostly nocturnal. At least I've never seen one before dusk.

 

[ChickenAmi]

To protect my flock from hawks I use a tree netting designed to protect fruit trees from birds. It's easy to put up and take down and it won't affect the electric fence.

 

[Adenium]

About the free ranging - we've caught our local fox on our game cam at 12 noon, shortly after we'd been working in that area of the yard. And my sister just recently found an opossum in her coop when locking up the chickens just before dusk. I don't know how folks manage with free ranging - other than accepting a certain amount of loss. Or with LGDs.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: LGD's are just as likely to kill a chicken as any other dog
People seem to think they automatically protect the birds, when reality is they were never meant to guard birds to begin with.
They do best with sheep and goats and have been bred for a couple of thousand years for that alone

 

[Adenium]

Correction : an LGD trained for poultry Like I said there are a lot of risks. We aren't in a position to get and train a dog anyway so our flock has a big run and we do supervised outings.

 

[HeatherEmme]

About the free ranging - we've caught our local fox on our game cam at 12 noon, shortly after we'd been working in that area of the yard. And my sister just recently found an opossum in her coop when locking up the chickens just before dusk. I don't know how folks manage with free ranging - other than accepting a certain amount of loss. Or with LGDs.

It's funny you mention that about free ranging. I've wondered the same about the neighbors around here...granted when I say neighbors I mean people a mile or two away. When I drive around I see their chickens all the time out foraging in their yards and I can't help but think, how in the world do they manage that? LOL We do have an outdoor chocolate lab. She's pretty great at keeping an eye out for our place. The chickens will be within the confines of her invisible fence so hopefully she will be able to deter most night time predators. And hopefully she will 'chicken friendly'.