Probability of Hawks?

[MeadowBrookFarm]

For those of you with electric fenced, open-ceiling runs, what problems with predators have you encountered? We'll need a large run for our new batch of 35 chickens, and I'm hoping I can just use electric fencing (http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=93).

Thank you!

 

[Haunted Chicken]

I'm new to chickens so I don't have any personal experience but my neighbor (we live in town) had one of her 3 year old chickens carried away by a hawk earlier this year. They free range in her yard 24/7 and have for years without any problems. It didn't have a chance with an air attack.

 

[galanie]

Sooner or later you'll have a hawk problem. Be it one that is "passing through" (but will stay when it finds it has a good food source) or some that were there all along, they will get visited by a hawk at some point. You could go years or days until that happens, no way to tell w/out knowing if there are indeed any around now. The larger breeds may not ever be bothered by them, my BO's had a run-in once (with a happy ending) and now the hawks just ignore them but any smaller or younger ones need protection.

 

[MeadowBrookFarm]

How about putting something to distract the hawks? I've heard of people hanging CD's on string to ward them off. Anything that's worked for anyone?

 

[galanie]

The only thing I have actually tried, and it worked, was bird netting. But I have heard of:

A rubber snake.
A plastic owl.
Criss crossing fishing line overhead the run.
Whirl-a-gigs.
The CD trick you mentioned.
and of course, using any sort of netting/fencing/what have you to cover it.

The problem with the decoys and CD's and such, so I've been told (mind you this isn't personal experience) is that it only works until they are used to seeing it and have figured out it won't get them.

I've read that plastic netting is too flimsy and it won't work for hawks but it does for me. I even have a picture of a hawk sitting on the fence of my run covered with netting. He never did get in. It will not work, however, for mammal predators like raccoons, opossums, etc. For those you need 1" welded wire or 1/2" hardware cloth.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hawks will get used to swinging things, cd's, bird tape...all that. The best thing you can use is aviary netting. I got mine from Amazon, to fit over my 20' x 30' run area. I used 2 poles in the middle with cookie tin lids fastened on the top to support it, like a circus tent style. Guaranteed to keep all hawks out. I have used this system for 2 years, and while the hawks take out many of my feeder birds, they have NEVER tried to get my chickens.

http://www.amazon.com/Netting-Bird-...1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1310423482&sr=1-1

Good luck!