Reallly need help with predator prevention.

[willygog]

OK i got a suggestion, most of the predators, (not counting owls) but the hawks are usually early morning or mid day problems, it dont mean they aren't out other times, but they do go to roost like other animals a couple hours before sundown, if you fly your birds an hour or so before sundown, most of the hawks have roosted, i heard this from an old timer, and he swears he hasn't lost a bird since.. apparently if they dont get dinner by then, they go hungry,, so thats my advice,, i have a small hawk /eagle problem here, but i dont have the big issues yet, and yes they hang out some days just over the loft, in a big pine tree, waiting for me to make a mistake,
I let them out once when mr eagle was sitting there,, (didnt see it ) but when i did ,, i yelled at it,, pointed and it slinked away in to the deeper forest..

I do fly them late in the day, only issue i have is the mosquitoes.. but so far this year i have only lost two confirmed hawk attacks.. both in the noon hour time frame. now i fly late in the day and its been working.. For me this is working, try it see how it works for you.. Hope this helps ...


Good luck

 

[laughingdog]

First: DON'T FLY SHOW, UTILITY, MEAT, AND ANY FANCY TYPE PIGEONS!!! your just encouraging BOPs as bad as putting out a bird feeder for songbirds. these birds have had any and all abilities bred out of. i used to fly and keep fancy pigeons and also kept/keep flying flight pigeons as decoys and deterred to BOPs, as they hate hawks and chase etc as very territorial (they also attack my face when nesting). Any good flier though sure would work to toss out hour before you toss your fancies (i kept jacobins, Chinese owls, and. capuchin), after fly good fliers only for as long as BOPs close. id let any old BOP nests that are not being used on your property, burn or fall down with trees in. I'm not advocating harming BOPs at all as keep certain breeds bred to fly, some specifically originaliy to evade BOPs (mostly middle eastern breeds such as Flying Oriental Rollers, etc..), that the BOPs keep strong and annihilate competing weak n sick/diseased birds (i was an apprentice falconer). FYI birm rollers ultimate hawk bait, as even when not rolling, BOPs sense weakness to them and cull from flocks, as sense epilepsy in the one type (theorized that two possible reasons tumblers tumble as all rollers are bred from tumblers).

that said you can shoot the tail and wing feathers of BOPs with a paintball gun. or get a collie and train to guard your birds, as thet can snatch a BOP out of air as can jump pretty high straight up
your not killing the BOPs then n nature just taking its course.

 

[paramount]

You'll find that most of the tactics that are suggested to you (changing the flying schedule of your birds, feeding the crows, breeding "extras" to feed the hawks, assorted gadgets/decoys etc) do not work in the LONG TERM. I've bred Birmingham Rollers seriously for 35 years, which is kind of like serving a buffet to every hawk and falcon in a 25 mile radius. The more birds you breed to try to compensate for your losses, the greater your losses.

You actually have very few LEGAL options beyond securing your birds better.

The first option is to call your State Fish & Wildlife office and start complaining and do it OFTEN. If you don't get anywhere, go up the food chain in the office to their boss If that doesn't work, go to THEIR boss. Keep a record/notes of who/when you call and the outcome. Considering the fact that you have had relatively close contact with the BOPs, it can't hurt to say that feel PERSONALLY THREATENED by them and are afraid of being injured. Even though BOPs are protected, you still have certain rights and if the BOPs are especially troublesome, you can pretty much can demand that the state come do something about it and trap and remove THEIR nuisance. At the very least, if you reach the point where you one day try to deal with your BOP problem using "questionable means" and you get caught, you can point to all those phone calls/letters/e-mails and say "I tried the system and all I got was a bunch of run around". I know guys who've been busted for shooting and poisoning BOPs because they felt it was the only option. Those who had tried to work with Fish & Wildlife and kept a record of it, got off VERY LIGHT compared to those who did the opposite and had the book thrown at that.

That being said, while some of LaughingDogs suggestions (paintball guns, attack collies, etc) might be permissible where he lives, in a lot of states, it is practically illegal to look at a BOP wrong, let alone throw rocks, sticks, etc. even with the intention of scaring them off. You definitely don't want to discharge a firearm in their direction, even if your intent is only to scare them away. In many states, even that is unlawful and means time in state prison.

The second option is to befriend a local falconer (it can't hurt to offer to supply him with your culls every so often). In most states, falconers are licensed to trap BOPs and most of these guys understand these birds pretty well. I worked with one guy for YEARS and he trapped and relocated quite a few. He used to make a habit of handling the captives for a few days before relocation. His theory was that this type of close contact compelled them to avoid humans in the future. It seemed to work, as they did not return.

The trouble is, for every BOP you get rid of, it seems like there are five more ready to move into that one's former territory.

Putting it another way, unless you really must fly your birds, your best bet is to simply secure them.

Good luck.

 

[loftkeeper]

if you don't want to lose birds to any kind of predator don't raise birds