Red tail hawks are toying with me and terrorizing my flock!

[GodofPecking]

@MichelleKing, the hawks are migrating through and will be gone shortly.

OMG !!!! they're on the move and after me !!!! I knew this wouldn't end well....

curses to my loose tongue...

 

[sorce]

You're probly gonna have to have a few chickens get taken before you get to shoot them Hawks.

So far, you can't prove anything but your own fear.

Sounds more like thermal riding than hunting.

I reckon the time you've spent dealing with government has been wasted and would have been better spent scrapping up materials to build larger safe runs.
......
The need to protect our flock from predators starts before we accept the responsibility, wether we cared to accept it at that time or not.
So you don't just get to start shooting stuff.

Rats are edible and produce way more meat than chickens do, so why not just switch to raising rats?

Vanity.

This is as ridiculous as me turning the water off in my house cause my kids can drown.

Sorce

 

[sourland]

OMG !!!! they're on the move and after me !!!! I knew this wouldn't end well....

curses to my loose tongue...

Rumor is that they have been sighted approaching your home.

Like @centrarchid I have never communicated with anyone who was approved for 'hawk control'.

 

[AsaDotJava]

You will need something stronger than wood pallets and chicken wire for sure. Raccoons rip through chicken wire and my neighbor found out they can pull boards off of pallets too.

I'm familiar with the craftiness of raccoons.
I do find it very hard to believe they could rip boards off a pallet (given that I have had to deconstruct a few pallets myself and it isn't that simple), but maybe pallets aren't made equal everywhere.

But more than that, raccoons aren't dumb. I have yet to see a raccoon on the property. I see them all the time shuffling down the dirt road, but they aren't about to mess with the dogs.

I would love to see your set up then! It sounds awesome.

I'll take photos when I do barn chores here in a bit

 

[SarahGfa]

I'm familiar with the craftiness of raccoons.
I do find it very hard to believe they could rip boards off a pallet (given that I have had to deconstruct a few pallets myself and it isn't that simple), but maybe pallets aren't made equal everywhere.

But more than that, raccoons aren't dumb. I have yet to see a raccoon on the property. I see them all the time shuffling down the dirt road, but they aren't about to mess with the dogs.

It sounds like your guard dogs are doing the "predator proofing" for you. I don't think it is possible to build a real "predator proof" coop and run without spending a lot of money. That is why many BYCers trap and shoot predators. Sometimes that is the most cost-effective and practical solution.

 

[Fintechie]

If I were one of chickens, I am not sure if I'd like to stay in the run for safety or roam free in the big yard. Freedom and joy matter! Every morning my chickens just begged to let out. We seem to have a resident hawk - most time flying over high, last week it perched half way on a tall tree in the backyard, scared away using a broom, yesterday swooped over the yard at door height. The chickens were inevitably frightened. They ran towards a few hiding spots in the yard, such as rose bush, vegetable trellis, all by the fence. However, most of time, one of my family member watches over the chickens while they are out, but doubt if human can beat the hawk in speed... Fingers are crossed!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If I were one of chickens, I am not sure if I'd like to stay in the run for safety or roam free in the big yard. Freedom and joy matter! Every morning my chickens just begged to let out. We seem to have a resident hawk - most time flying over high, last week it perched half way on a tall tree in the backyard, scared away using a broom, yesterday swooped over the yard at door height. The chickens were inevitably frightened. They ran towards a few hiding spots in the yard, such as rose bush, vegetable trellis, all by the fence. However, most of time, one of my family member watches over the chickens while they are out, but doubt if human can beat the hawk in speed... Fingers are crossed!

That reminds me of a quote,(I don't know who to credit for it)
I'm paraphrasing. "I'd rather be a small bird in a hawk filled wood than a caged hen on an egg farm."

 

[Fintechie]

Here is what we saw in Stone barn farm yesterday. They raise chickens (temporarily) in these big caravans with really low fences and open tops. One chicken was outside and another flew over while we were there. We walked around and saw a dead chicken not far. Not sure by what type of predator. Remind you this farm is in the middle of a preserve. We seemed to get some comfort seeing this setup...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Losing a chicken to a predator is devastating for a small backyard flock. If one has hundreds of birds, it is less so.
That's the same idea as an egg farm that may lose a handful of birds to something like urolithiasis. They don't give it a second thought because they have another 400,000 layers in the barn.

 

[centrarchid]

Losing a chicken to a predator is devastating for a small backyard flock. If one has hundreds of birds, it is less so.
That's the same idea as an egg farm that may lose a handful of birds to something like urolithiasis. They don't give it a second thought because they have another 400,000 layers in the barn.

Even a few birds are money, which is why commercial producers are always looking for ways to prevent losses. If a producer lost a similar proportion of small birds that a backyard person often realizes, then the farmer does get upset.