Raptor migration season - watch out!

[deerman]

Quote:
Redtail will sometime take chicken, but mostly small mammal. I have a pr that nest in my wood, they don't take any of my birds, I do have a lot of rabbits and etc

 

[AlbionWood]

Just bumping this thread, as it is once again timely. The bottom line is, raptors are moving through some regions of the country - especially along and near the coasts - so you can expect increased "pressure" from above for the next couple of months. You will need to take defensive measures to deter hawk attacks. Offensive measures won't be effective, because another bird will soon come along to replace the one you dealt with.

The overhead netting of fishing line has been working for me so far. We had one raptor loss earlier in the year - a Red-tailed Hawk got in and grabbed a chick. Sharp-shinned Hawks have been in the chicken yard, but they were chasing sparrows, not chickens. Cooper's Hawks - the archetypal "chicken hawk" - have been flying around, even perching on the posts holding up the fence, but so far have not taken a chicken. Fingers crossed... it's nerve-wracking this time of year!

So if you haven't already, go buy a few hundred yards of 15- or 20-lb-test monofilament fishing line (should only cost a few dollars) and run it back and forth over your chicken yard. The closer together you can make the strands, the better. I might add some colored ribbons, as some here have reported that increases the effectiveness of the "spider-web" strategy.

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Jeremy you're in the area. You'll be seeing an increase, so watch your babies.

 

[wolftracks]

LOL oops I just saw the original dates hahaha

 

[southerndesert]

It is that time of year and many are coming here to winter in Arizona....

 

[OwlLover]

Darn. No free-ranging for a while.

 

[Gulfstream]

I am so glad you bumped this up. I have been battling hawks ever since my broody duck hatched out 12 ducklings. I have thrown my flip-flops at them....plastic pitchforks...sticks....rocks....even hit one with my wee pellet gun. They are smallish white and tan speckled guys. They are much smaller than my Swedish Blue ducks and Silver-laced Wyandotte chickens. They start calling and coming as son as I let everyone out. The ducklings are quite large now and I really doubt these raptors could carry them off. But, I always put them back in when I hear their calls.


Just about 15 minutes ago I heard the "calls". Went out to the pasture to find one in a Cypress just above them....turned around to watch my super aggressively mean and nasty Silver laced Wyandotte jumping up on the fence attacking this hawk! It was amazing to watch! He was dead serious and not fooling around. The hawk took off after my manly-man got in a couple of serious pecks. The one in the tree left as well. This Roo and I have been in some serious discussions regarding his behavior and the possibility of a pot...but now he may have won clemency.


Both of my runs are covered and I have a ton of safe places for everyone to hide. What more can I do other than leaving them locked up or baby-sitting them while out. At what point will they be big enough? They are 3/4s the size of their parents. Apparently the hawks are not interested in the chooks.

 

[AlbionWood]

Gulfstream, I can't quite figure out from your description what kind of hawks those might be. Any chance of a pic? You say they "call," can you describe that? Cooper's Hawks rarely make noise away from the nest. Red-tails scream while soaring, Red-shouldered Hawks make a repeated high, clear, very loud call... Also, where exactly are you?

Wish my roo would defend like that - when hawks come around, he runs and hides under the bushes with the girls.

 

[leadwolf1]

Quote:
Redtail will sometime take chicken, but mostly small mammal. I have a pr that nest in my wood, they don't take any of my birds, I do have a lot of rabbits and etc

A redtail 'took' my 19 week old polish roo...I got home just in time to chase the hawk off but not in time to save my roo

 

[Gulfstream]

I am in West Palm Beach, Florida. We have it all....Hawk, Eagle, Yotes, snakes, Bobcat (just lost 3 adult Swedes last week), coon, possum, you name it I've seen it. I will try to get a pic because it seems whenever I let the ducks out they show up. I am fairly certain that these are either juvenile short-tails or juvenile red-tail. However, they are way smaller than say an adult hen. I would say three times the size of a dove. I know they feed on doves as I have seen many piles of dove feathers this summer. These birds are not what I would call aggressive thus far, I would describe them as very curious and very uneducated. The one on the fence that Mr. Big got after was sitting merely 3 feet from my also very dumb 5 dogs who just watched as Roo was being so brave.

I have had many experiences over the last 8 weeks with these birds. I had never really noticed them before the ducklings. They will actually fly to a tree when I am out mowing the pasture...usually the closest one to me. I have also had one stalking the babies fly four feet over the ground straight at me and then hook left away to a tree. I have also had one fly down from above me and land 5 feet away from me on the ground and sit and look at me. I really have no idea what this behavior is all about and I have no desire to become a falconer, thankyouverymuch. That is the reason I am assuming they are youngsters. They call ALOT. The typical hawk call....mostly when sitting in a tree. I KNOW when they have shown up as I hear them....and they call over and over. I have those fabulous grackles and some sort of mocking-bird type that do try to head them off.

Its been rather fascinating, all in all, that is until they actually go for one of my birds....then GAME Freaking ON!