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

[Kazzandra]

The thread is not closed....or you wouldn't have been able to post to it

It was closed temporarily, if you look several pages back because people were being disrespectful.

(But thanks for assuming I'm not so savvy with tech, I suppose?)

Edit: proof in case I'm further questioned. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...orizing-my-flock.1339294/page-7#post-21929696

 

[DuckyDonna]

Are you absolutely sure, without doubt, these are hawks? It's not common for hawks to hang out in groups. Could they be turkey buzzards or some other bird of prey? In any case, as you mentioned, hawks are protected and (unless the current admin has also removed protections from hawks as it has from so many other endangered critters) you could get yourself in a world of hurt for hurting them. You seem to know this, but those suggesting shooting them don't. Although I wonder if it would be helpful to shoot off (4th of July) fireworks to scare them as long as you didn't aim the fireworks at the birds? I have mine cooped up till about eleven every day because of hawks and birds of prey hunting early. I hear them go screeching by in the morning, stupidly screeching out that they are hungry hawks. I learned that they eventually pass on through and that it's safe to let the chickens out in late morning. They have all their food and water and room to run/peck inside, so it's not a problem. My husband built the chicken yard fence so that it's shaped oddly like a triangle rather than a rectangle, and it makes it a bit harder to land in there. A mesh netting across the top may help, along with slanted fencing at the very top. Some people use electric fencing (I don't), but I think that's more for 4-legged predators. Good luck, and I feel your pain. It's a heart-wrenching hobby and I may be giving it up soon due to raccoons and opossums myself. --m

Yes, in regards to your comment on "this administration" undoing regulations let me tell you something. As a charter fishing owner in Destin, Florida we were almost put out of business by idiotic federal regulations that were based on no science whatsoever. The "government" would not listen to the many fishermen who came forward at the Gulf council meetings to testify to the fact that there was much more fish in the Gulf than they were saying. They were too busy playing on their cell phones to listen to what the people who actually were out there fishing had to say. That being said, the government is totally out of control in this area. Oh, and there were the international trawlers that were out there in the Gulf from China, Japan etc taking whatever they wanted while we were telling our customers that they couldn't even take 1 fish. It's all about the money and the government wants control over it regardless of what else is going on in the real world!

 

[aart]

It was closed temporarily, if you look several pages back because people were being disrespectful.

(But thanks for assuming I'm not so savvy with tech, I suppose?)

Edit: proof in case I'm further questioned. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...orizing-my-flock.1339294/page-7#post-21929696

Sorry, forgot about that.
CRS.
Yes, that was a good move.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Oh, and there were the international trawlers that were out there in the Gulf from China, Japan etc taking whatever they wanted while we were telling our customers that they couldn't even take 1 fish.

International waters are international.

 

[Miks]

Several years ago I started with Guineas to help reduce our tick population. I was naive and purchased a lovely prefab coop and run. Thinking my babies were safe we moved them to the new coop. Placed the coop on pavers and attached a base of 2x4s. They seemed comfy and would retreat to the coop at dusk each night. We would go and close the coop door, though the pen was attached to the coop.
One night I came home late. My husband told me they were out there making a bunch noise. It was dark but I had my phone with me. One was down inside the pen and puffed up when I walked up. I laughed and asked what was wrong with my sweet bird. Why would he puff up at me? I turned on the light and it was then that I realized the horrific scene before me! It was not one of my sweet guineas that was puffed up at me. It was a cooper hawk that had flown into the side of the pen and the remains of one of the guineas was all over the pen area. The other two were in coop hollering for me when they heard my voice. I quickly closed the door and called a removal crew who identified it as a cooper. They warned me in advance their options would be limited depending on the type of predator my coop had trapped. They were great and even cleaned up the remains of my guinea he had ripped apart. My other two were traumatized and had put up a good fight working together to keep the cooper out of the coop. One had a broken beak and both had wounds on their heads. I nursed them back to health but they hated being in the coop.
I have a friend who has a farm and many places to hide. She adopted them and they have been happily free ranging for several years. She too has hawks around and has suffered some losses. But my two definitely pay attention to the skies and reluctantly go to their coop at night.
I believed the prefab coops were safe. But they had staples in soft wood and the hardware cloth was stapled to the inside of the coop. It allowed that Cooper to fly in, but it could not get back out.
Before this experience I was of the mindset that I could not kill another animal if it threatened the life of one of my birds. Upon seeing the horror in that pen and the wounds my other two sustained I decided immediately that I didn’t care what happened to the cooper. But I still couldn’t take the life of the creature staring back at me that night while standing over the remains of my beloved bird. I write this and share because the experience changed me forever. I no longer have guineas, I have hens. I built a fortress and brand new walk-in pen and coop to prevent this from reoccurring. My hens get to free range but only while I am present and watchful of the skies. They are handled frequently and prefer human interaction to free ranging. They don’t stray far from me. And yes, I do understand that nature is simply trying to survive and to feed their young.
I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind. I do understand both sides. But after experiencing this event, I realized I was responsible for providing a safe place for my handful of hens that give me breakfast everyday. They love to snuggle with their humans and one launches herself onto my arm every chance she gets. I still get to visit my guineas and am so grateful to my friend who adopted them and gave them what they needed.

I was naive and learned some hard lessons. Thank you for allowing a safe place to share.

 

[centrarchid]

Several years ago I started with Guineas to help reduce our tick population. I was naive and purchased a lovely prefab coop and run. Thinking my babies were safe we moved them to the new coop. Placed the coop on pavers and attached a base of 2x4s. They seemed comfy and would retreat to the coop at dusk each night. We would go and close the coop door, though the pen was attached to the coop.
One night I came home late. My husband told me they were out there making a bunch noise. It was dark but I had my phone with me. One was down inside the pen and puffed up when I walked up. I laughed and asked what was wrong with my sweet bird. Why would he puff up at me? I turned on the light and it was then that I realized the horrific scene before me! It was not one of my sweet guineas that was puffed up at me. It was a cooper hawk that had flown into the side of the pen and the remains of one of the guineas was all over the pen area. The other two were in coop hollering for me when they heard my voice. I quickly closed the door and called a removal crew who identified it as a cooper. They warned me in advance their options would be limited depending on the type of predator my coop had trapped. They were great and even cleaned up the remains of my guinea he had ripped apart. My other two were traumatized and had put up a good fight working together to keep the cooper out of the coop. One had a broken beak and both had wounds on their heads. I nursed them back to health but they hated being in the coop.
I have a friend who has a farm and many places to hide. She adopted them and they have been happily free ranging for several years. She too has hawks around and has suffered some losses. But my two definitely pay attention to the skies and reluctantly go to their coop at night.
I believed the prefab coops were safe. But they had staples in soft wood and the hardware cloth was stapled to the inside of the coop. It allowed that Cooper to fly in, but it could not get back out.
Before this experience I was of the mindset that I could not kill another animal if it threatened the life of one of my birds. Upon seeing the horror in that pen and the wounds my other two sustained I decided immediately that I didn’t care what happened to the cooper. But I still couldn’t take the life of the creature staring back at me that night while standing over the remains of my beloved bird. I write this and share because the experience changed me forever. I no longer have guineas, I have hens. I built a fortress and brand new walk-in pen and coop to prevent this from reoccurring. My hens get to free range but only while I am present and watchful of the skies. They are handled frequently and prefer human interaction to free ranging. They don’t stray far from me. And yes, I do understand that nature is simply trying to survive and to feed their young.
I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind. I do understand both sides. But after experiencing this event, I realized I was responsible for providing a safe place for my handful of hens that give me breakfast everyday. They love to snuggle with their humans and one launches herself onto my arm every chance she gets. I still get to visit my guineas and am so grateful to my friend who adopted them and gave them what they needed.

I was naive and learned some hard lessons. Thank you for allowing a safe place to share.

A Cooper's Hawk would neither be able to break staples holding screen in place nor dismember a guinea fowl. More or something different took place.

 

[Miks]

Hi Centrarchid, thank you for your response and an opportunity to clarify. It did not break the staples. They determined it simply flew at the pen and popped the staples out of the soft wood. I am not an expert, so the experts identified the type of bird. Also my guineas were not full grown. I’m sorry if I didn’t provide adequate details in my first post. It was rather long.

 

[Folly's place]

Sadly, many of us have had these difficult 'learning experiences', and finally have built really good housing for our birds. It's an ongoing struggle to keep chickens safe!
Mary

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

@Miks good work adapting.

 

[minaayindra]

Several years ago I started with Guineas to help reduce our tick population. I was naive and purchased a lovely prefab coop and run. Thinking my babies were safe we moved them to the new coop. Placed the coop on pavers and attached a base of 2x4s. They seemed comfy and would retreat to the coop at dusk each night. We would go and close the coop door, though the pen was attached to the coop.
One night I came home late. My husband told me they were out there making a bunch noise. It was dark but I had my phone with me. One was down inside the pen and puffed up when I walked up. I laughed and asked what was wrong with my sweet bird. Why would he puff up at me? I turned on the light and it was then that I realized the horrific scene before me! It was not one of my sweet guineas that was puffed up at me. It was a cooper hawk that had flown into the side of the pen and the remains of one of the guineas was all over the pen area. The other two were in coop hollering for me when they heard my voice. I quickly closed the door and called a removal crew who identified it as a cooper. They warned me in advance their options would be limited depending on the type of predator my coop had trapped. They were great and even cleaned up the remains of my guinea he had ripped apart. My other two were traumatized and had put up a good fight working together to keep the cooper out of the coop. One had a broken beak and both had wounds on their heads. I nursed them back to health but they hated being in the coop.
I have a friend who has a farm and many places to hide. She adopted them and they have been happily free ranging for several years. She too has hawks around and has suffered some losses. But my two definitely pay attention to the skies and reluctantly go to their coop at night.
I believed the prefab coops were safe. But they had staples in soft wood and the hardware cloth was stapled to the inside of the coop. It allowed that Cooper to fly in, but it could not get back out.
Before this experience I was of the mindset that I could not kill another animal if it threatened the life of one of my birds. Upon seeing the horror in that pen and the wounds my other two sustained I decided immediately that I didn’t care what happened to the cooper. But I still couldn’t take the life of the creature staring back at me that night while standing over the remains of my beloved bird. I write this and share because the experience changed me forever. I no longer have guineas, I have hens. I built a fortress and brand new walk-in pen and coop to prevent this from reoccurring. My hens get to free range but only while I am present and watchful of the skies. They are handled frequently and prefer human interaction to free ranging. They don’t stray far from me. And yes, I do understand that nature is simply trying to survive and to feed their young.
I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind. I do understand both sides. But after experiencing this event, I realized I was responsible for providing a safe place for my handful of hens that give me breakfast everyday. They love to snuggle with their humans and one launches herself onto my arm every chance she gets. I still get to visit my guineas and am so grateful to my friend who adopted them and gave them what they needed.

I was naive and learned some hard lessons. Thank you for allowing a safe place to share.

Thanks for your comments and well said! Hopefully we can just stick to the core subject since this does tend to devolve into other issues people care strongly about. Let’s just try to respect other people’s actions and opinions and move on, without commenting if you don’t like it.