Red-tail hawk problems

[queenbeezz]

I read somewhere that this time of year the hawks are on the move. Nestlings from this year are now leaving the nests and establishing new territory. What ever is going on, we have been having problems with them also.

My roosters are the biggest defence we seem to have. The bantam game birds seem to be the most vigilant. I can tell by the noise they make that a hawk is about. I don't worry about the hawks I hear but the silent ones. the minute the roos start up their warning call every one scrambles for cover. So far the hawks have been unsuccessful.

I have tried the CD thing, streamers and a fake owl. Nothing works better than the roosters. Short of locking up my girls I don't think anything really works. It's just Mother Nature.

 

[cathnmike]

I'm very new to all this but am just getting my first chicken run sorted. We live in a valley in Italy which has a family of buzzards and the occasional eagle hovering. I had been wondering how to prevent attacks and the CD idea sounds great.

The only question now is, which CDs to choose? My husband's choice would be anything in my collection by Abba ... mine would be his collection of Nick Cave CDs.

 

[Beekissed]

Providing hides in the space in which you free range is always a good idea. Some people have pallets on concrete blocks in strategic areas of their free range...these provide good duck and cover and also shade and dusting spots in the summer.

If you can't have a roo, it helps to have a very vigilant and bored dog who simply loves to ward off danger from above. Get or train an existing dog and its mere presence in the range area may deter hawks.

If you have small breeds you are asking for hawks....it's like packing a lunch for them and handing it to them as they walk out the door to work.

Try to keep your birds light on their feet....no continuous feeders. Feed once a day and only what they can clean up in a meal. If they free range they have ample opportunity to supplement their feed. A fat bird is a sitting duck for hawks if she is too fat to run/fly to safety.

Try to keep your birds a little flighty to danger....over-handling makes them complacent about things coming down from above. Humans stooping to scoop up a chicken over and over until the bird doesn't even run when this happens, is like ringing a dinner bell for that other shadow from above. I only handle my birds after they've gone to roost and are easy to handle and replace to the roost. I try to not get them used to being picked up casually from the coop floor or in the yard....any chicken that is that tame is not sensitive enough to danger to free range effectively.

Free range takes preparation and work...it's not merely a kiss for luck and turning out your chickens. It takes the right chickens, in the right area with the right training and the right guardian animal to insure a safer free range.

 

[ccw2005]

Quote:
I hear that buzzards flock to Abba. Sorry

 

[ChickenDavid123]

CD’s working well, had some hawk activity after placing a few CD’s in yard. Found by watching attempted attacks where the hawks fly through yard, hung CD’s in flight path and some more about 20 feet high in trees. Seems to be working, hawks fly over yard and chickens take cover, but will not fly low in yard. I have 20 CD’s hanging in yard, makes for quite a light show when back yard lights are on at night. My dog barks at them, but worth it. Even though I have placed all my music on iTunes, I treasure my old CD’s, so using cheep internet CDR’s for hawk abatement. Probably have all of $6.00 invested in CD’s.

 

[kari_dawn]

...I just bought a big cheap stack of blank ones to use (I had 3/4 of an acre to cover).

 

[chickenpredatorkiller]

Quote:
I would be skeptical about a "scare hawk"...they have excellent vision, and are extremely smart. As for attracting crows, probably a bad idea if you plan on having babies...crows will kill babies too.

LOL! do you mean baby humans or chicks?

 

[kari_dawn]

lmao baby chickens...I didn't even read that before I posted it!