Potential big problem from above

[truegrit44]

I believe I am going to have a big problem with hawks killing chickens...........
We just moved here a few months ago and brought with us our 7 laying hens (which we discovered too late that they are getting too old to lay) I still have them but am planning on getting rid of them. I just purchased 15 chicks which are now l week old as replacements.

Now, on the other side CLOSE to my fenced backyard and also almost right above my chicken house/fenced outside run is a large oak tree. I noticed some big nests in this tree and assumed they were squirrel nests as the previous owner had squirrel feeders on the trunk of this tree and have seen quite a few squirrels around this tree.
Yesterday we saw a large hawk land in one of these nests! It stayed there for awhile and then flew off, today it was back and did the same thing. Pretty obvious to me that she is laying a clutch of eggs.

She literally has a KFC in her front yard!!!!!!!!!! We let our older hens out to range in our really large fenced yard and they have not been bothered, my German Shepherd is out there a lot of the time and these hens are too large to carry off and the hawk would be vulnerable to kill and eat them on the ground in my yard. Stupid chickens aren't even running for cover when she flies out of tree!

My problem is going to be when my new babies are large enough to go to the coop/run. We will cover it the best we can and I guess will never be able to let them in the large yard. I mean there will be parents and babies living right above them!

Does anyone have any ideas on how to DISCOURAGE a hawk and her nest about 70' in the air?

 

[azelgin]

I have red tailed hawks circling all summer long. The chickens ignore them and they ignore the chickens. All I can figure, is if you're a hawk living where I am, you get your meals to go. If not, something makes you it's dinner. Snakes, squirrels (YAY!) and very small cottontails are take out food. Jackrabbits and chickens are not. There's a nest about 50 yards from our property. Hawks, owls and ravens have all used the nest over the years.
Can you get rid of the nest, after the hawks have raised their brood? I suppose cutting down the tree wouldn't be the best removal tactic. If you're outside the city limits, shotguns work great for removing tree limbs (not the hawk). I used to trim some Douglas Fir trees, that blocked my waterfront view at my old place. 12 gauge with #4 works pretty good.

 

[truegrit44]

This is a big oak tree and sure want it taken down provides shade for my yard and chicken run. I do like the idea of taking down the branch after the nest is empty