Preparing Against Hawks?

[3KillerBs]

As we get moved to our new country property and prepare to have chickens again, I know that I'm going to need to take precautions against various predators. We're already preparing a predator-proof coop and hardened run area and planning to get the electric poultry netting to make daytime pasture areas for the layers and to put around the meat bird tractor. I'd like to have my anti-hawk plans evaluated and, hopefully, improved.

First, we know there are hawks. We can hear that edge-of-hearing-range, shattering-glass cry every time we are on the property and my SIL, who already lives there, hears them almost daily so I know in advance that locking up the chickens for a time until the hawks move on is a non-starter.

Second, we're prepared to trade a modest level of loss for the benefits of bug and weed control when the birds are in their mobile, electric-net pastures.

So, my pre-chicken acquisition plans thus far:

1. Choose primarily large-bodied breeds. Delawares, Brahmas, Australorps, and a few others in hope that big, heavy birds will be less vulnerable.

2. Keep a rooster (or two, depending on number of hens and if they get along). I wanted to be able to raise my own chicks anyway and I like the sound of the crowing.

3. Make field shelters to go inside the pastures -- dual purpose hawk-shelter and shade. There is a pile of scrapped metal roof on the property so I figured that chunks of that up on legs would be easy to make and easy to move.

Am I overlooking something obvious?

 

[AmesAcres]

I'm fairly new to raising chickens, but one of the best things I've done for my flock is to cover their run. I may suggest having an attached run with covering of some sort and leaving the door open to allow them to free range, but have cover if danger is present. From the little I know, having a roo or two will definitely help alert the hens to get into the cover of the run or the coop. The problem with leaving the door open is if something is smart enough to fly down through the door as well, but from my experience, hawks will only attack downward which, leaving the flock safe to run into the run.

Again, I'm very new to all of this, but we have hawks and osprey, leave our flock of ten in their attached run all day (with one of our dogs tied up between the wood-line and their run for added ground protection) and have had no issues **knock on wood.**

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes. I am having a hardened run area attached to the coop.

But also need to use proposed electric net pastures to move them around a couple acres for weed and bug control. That's where I'm concerned about hawk protection.

 

[Chicklady707]

Another bird of prey to look out for would be the bald eagle . I have seen one flying over my property numerous times lately.

 

[ChickenMamaLissa]

I don’t have experience with hawks, but I learned the hard way that a falcon, though smaller than a full-grown chicken, can still kill them. They can’t carry your bird away, but they’ll eat it on the spot if allowed. I live in the city so we’ve covered the run as a solution, but while looking for solutions, I read that geese can provide an early warning system for predatory birds. They can’t defend the hens in the same way they would against a dog or fox, but they are supposed to make a lot of noise if there’s a bird of prey circling.

 

[Ella2710]

What I've found to be the best method predator proofing yet is to get either a llama or emu, both extremely good flock protectors, haven't had a single predator problem or loss yet