So, I know that other predators will remember where the chickens are and return until they are eaten-like a racoon that comes every night. Do hawks have this same memory? Yesterday, we had our first run in with a hawk. It was awful. The girls did exactly what they were supposed to do-they took shelter in the thick brush in the woods after it swooped down and grabbed a few feathers. :/ The hawk was startled when my husband pulled into the driveway and flew up to a tree. Then began the LONG stalking. It perched itself above where my girls were, and the one closest to danger was really balking up a storm. I was out there, but I couldn't get the hawk to go away. IT would fly from one tree to another, just watching and waiting for my girls to expose themselves or for me to go away. So my Q's are... Will this hawk return today, knowing the girls are there? Will it 'remember?' They hid in some super thick brush...if this happens again, and I am not outside...will that be enough? Will the hawk land in the woods to attack, or do they need an open space? The ground cover here is so thick I cannot get in there. I could hear the girls but couldn't see most of them. Is this a good protection or will that hawk find a way onto the woods floor and walk into that brush? Thanks!
Hawks remember and they will also bring others with them. My personal problems with hawks have been in the open so I have no first hand knowledge of them going into brush but I wouldn't dispel them going into brush they are pretty determined raptors
We are deep in the woods with plenty of cover but had a hawk fly in low under the trees and grab a bird. I was on the on the other side of the yard and couldn't get there in time. Now our birds have covers on their runs, and are not free ranged at all anymore. I will let a few out in the yard while I am working outside, but they stay pretty much underfoot.
I've got 2"x4" weded wire on my main run. Then I have a 50x8 foot area that has the 2x4 in fencing. ....I am thinkng about bird netting as a daytime cove r for hawks ans owls. Is it stonv enough?
Yes, the hawk will probably keep coming back until you have no birds left. I just got through dealing with a very determined hawk who killed 4 of my birds before I could keep him away. I had a 50 x 50 fenced run with nothing over it. I mistakenly thought that since we live deep in the woods with plenty of cover, we were ok. Wrong...he killed three before I could get poultry netting over the entire run. The last one he killed, he waited until our favorite hen was next to the fence, swooped down, and pulled her head through the 2x4 mesh fence. I sadly took down my big run and now the girls have a 16 x 18 fully fenced enclosure. We had never had a problem with hawks before this either, but this one's persistence was disheartening. I also tried the cds on a string, pinwheels, scarecrow, etc...none worked. I have a friend who used crow decoys for a while, and that seemed to keep the hawk occupied, but that was only temporary.
I've got a breeding pair of Red Tails that nest near the Shop-about 800 yards from the coop. They are always scoping the coop but can't get to the hens. However, the hawks have put a dent in the rat/mole/snake population. If your hens free range, provide areas they can hide. Sounds like you have natural areas they can hide. If your flock continue to free range you will lose some to winged/legged predators. If you will not accept those kind of losses you'll have to create a predator proof pen for them.
We have had an issue with two hawks, they deffinetly remember where the chickens are. Around here they will perch high in the trees and torment my girls, luckily my roos are very alert and warn everyone when the are around.
Covering the run will help protect your chickens from hawks. Here are a couple of excellent links with info about hawks...how they hunt and kill and how to protect your birds: http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-predators.html https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-hawks
Sorry for your loss...it is a hard lesson learned for sure. I am not an advocate of free-ranging as the losses are just not worth it...I wish you all the best!
