Possible Hawk Attack? Anything we can do?

[happyfrenchman]

I don't let them out at 8AM like I once did on the weekends..... I tend to keep them in til noon or later. I don't know if that matters. I have had attacks at all times of the day over the years. I hate that you let them out and immediately were seeing shadows....those hawks must be hungry down in Texas. There is not much you can do legally about a raptor..... You cannot shoot them. I believe it is even against the law to throw a rock at them. Probably best to avoid them by making your coop larger. You could still let them out, but with the bigger coop, you can let them out less frequently with a clear conscience.... and if they are out less frequently, they will be less of a regular stop for the local predators. Let them out while you are around to watch them. Some people get chicken tractors which are like mobile cages that allow the chickens to get out and about on the grass, while still inside a safe containment. With only four birds, that might be something you could explore.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Had my first big scare today.
Was upstairs working on something, and my dad was downstairs in his office. The girls were free ranging like usual, when all of a sudden we heard screaming and a big commotion. My dad threw open the door, and saw something fly over the fence. Luckily, all the girls were okay, and accounted for. Just lots of feathers everywhere. No wounds that I could tell.
We think it was a hawk and it tried to go after my Wyandotte, Snips. We hear red shouldered hawks in the area, and it’s not unusual for her to be on her own. My other thought, and I know this will sound ridiculous, was that the feathers are near a squirrel nest that a squirrel is currently using. Will a squirrel attack a chicken?
We’re thinking we’re going to build a bigger run, and stop free ranging, unless we’re outside to be there with them, but is there anything we can do to deter them?
View attachment 1263545 View attachment 1263546 View attachment 1263547

At this time of year squirrels are gathering nesting materials, quite often the shredded bark of red cedar trees but feathers will also serve the same purpose.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I don't let them out at 8AM like I once did on the weekends..... I tend to keep them in til noon or later. I don't know if that matters. I have had attacks at all times of the day over the years. I hate that you let them out and immediately were seeing shadows....those hawks must be hungry down in Texas. There is not much you can do legally about a raptor..... You cannot shoot them. I believe it is even against the law to throw a rock at them. Probably best to avoid them by making your coop larger. You could still let them out, but with the bigger coop, you can let them out less frequently with a clear conscience.... and if they are out less frequently, they will be less of a regular stop for the local predators. Let them out while you are around to watch them. Some people get chicken tractors which are like mobile cages that allow the chickens to get out and about on the grass, while still inside a safe containment. With only four birds, that might be something you could explore.

It is even against the law to harass a poor little old chicken killing hawk. So what ever you do if you run in on a hawk killing one of you chickens don't even say BOO to that hawk. Instead ask the hawk politely if it wants you to pass it the salt or pepper.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Well CG... , what I might do and what I might suggest to some young person might be two different things. I would not suggest certain methods to a young person who has only a couple of hens in a suburban back yard. What I might do is irrelevant. I came to my methods over many years, and while I would say, they work like a champ, they are not methods everyone would be comfortable with.

 

[22lyme]

Take a look at https://www.jackite.com/ I ordered one and before it arrived, I lost 2 hens in 3 days to a hawk. After I put it up, I lost no hens for 8 months until a blizzard brought the kite down and into a pond that froze over. By the time I could get the kite out, I had lost another hen but none since it went back up. It's an expensive kite but give its reputation and my experience with it, I'd say it's well worth the money.

I have mine mounted on a 10ft fiberglass pole that's on top of a flag pole and it's mounted to the $4 swivel they offer at the site. I'll go on record saying that swivel is essential because without it, the kite gets tangled up pretty regularly on the pole. I use the "Osprey" kite because it's the closest I could find to a hawk and I'll regularly look out my window and gasp because I think it's a real hawk. It's mounted about 50 feet from the coop but my chickens free range all day on my 3 acre yard.

 

[LindaMarieLaur]

I have no answer because one of mine were taken from a hawk, but was told that if you have crows you won't have hawks. I had crows last year and no problem from the air. Anyone know if this is true?

 

[LindaMarieLaur]

Well CG... , what I might do and what I might suggest to some young person might be two different things. I would not suggest certain methods to a young person who has only a couple of hens in a suburban back yard. What I might do is irrelevant. I came to my methods over many years, and while I would say, they work like a champ, they are not methods everyone would be comfortable with.

Your methods?

 

[Folly's place]

Crows will harass hawks, but don't count on crows to prevent an occasional raptor attack. Just plan to keep your birds in a safe coop and covered run if a hawk is hanging around.
Mary

 

[cavemanrich]

It is even against the law to harass a poor little old chicken killing hawk. So what ever you do if you run in on a hawk killing one of you chickens don't even say BOO to that hawk. Instead ask the hawk politely if it wants you to pass it the salt or pepper.

You forgot to include these for after meal along with the salt and pepper.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You forgot to include these for after meal along with the salt and pepper.
View attachment 1278263

LOL
I prefer to relocate el Hawko to a much safer world using a high tech instrument called a "spade pointed shovel."