Red tailed hawk killed my chicken

[Kevomxracer]

My hens were free ranging yesterday and I went outside and said "where are all my girls" so I walk behind the shed and there's a hawk on my black feather footed chicken so I grabbed a log and threw it at it, and it didn't even move so I hit it with a stick and it took off. Now what can I do to help control this. Because just a few months ago my neighbors cat killed my other feather-footed hen. And I don't really want to keep my girls locked up in there coop all day everyday. Any ideas?

 

[jdywntr]

I lost one of my BO hens today.

I went out to give them a treat and NOBODY was out. Then saw the hawk hop from the ground into a tree. The hawks here always fly off when I approach even from a distance. I found 8 of my 19 in the duck coop. Grabbed the gun and the dog and started looking. Found my BO headless in a VERY wooded area. I finally found the rest hunkered down in a brush filled area.

The hawk flew off but came back pretty quickly. I fired 1 round into the ground to scare it off. Again it left then came back again, with a friend. So great I think I have a pair so there'll be babies soon. They started circling low over the run and I fired another round off, that hawk turned on it's tail.

I tried to get the one's that were hiding to come in and finally got 2 in. The rest took 2.5 hours to come running into the run.

I've lost some when they were ranging in the pasture, no shelter out there so no more ranging in the pasture. I was really surprised at where I found the body. It looks like the hawk must have jumped down on her then drug her INTO the brush to eat. I had a hard time getting in there to retrieve her. Can't wait til my LGD grows up.

This hen did tend to wander off on her own alot. I'd see her 2/3 of the way down the drive (which runs through 2 acres so it's not short) and have to go get her and herd/carry her back.

 

[Pathfinders]

Our Anatolian Shepherd Dog is very good at deterring the many hawks we have in our area. He is penned with the goats who are near the chickens who day-range, and so keeps them very safe.

But please be aware that it is a federal offense to kill any raptor or accipiter hawks, as a violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If you are caught shooting them the fines can be quite severe. Far better to spend your money on netting and or a livestock guardian dog, IMO.

Rewards are even offered for those who are shooting the birds, as shown in this article:

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120830/CITYANDREGION/120839910

There is some good info here on how to deter birds of prey:

http://icwdm.org/handbook/birds/HawksOwls.asp

In it it says: "Contact your local USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services office first if you are interested in obtaining a shooting permit. The USFWS and state wildlife agencies may issue shooting permits for problem hawks and owls if nonlethal methods of controlling damage have failed or are impractical and if it is determined that killing the offending birds will alleviate the problem."

So note that you must take steps to deter the birds before shooting them, even if you have a permit.

 

[BeulahBreezes]

I am so sorry for your loss.......I know how terrible this is because this just happened to me and my favorite 9 month old hen, Klara, on Monday. It was a cooper hawk.....it too, would not leave 'the scene'. My husband was throwing lumber at it and it just sat there and then moved up one branch! It finally flew off after about 5 minutes. My favorite girl was dead......awful! I am raising my chickens as free-range...this was the 1st attack from a hawk since we started in March '12. So I guess that is good. I am very careful now to only let the remaining 3 chickens out of their pen when I can 'watch'. I don't mean I just sit there and stare...lol, but I can watch them from the windows or when I am outside doing chores. I have decided to not let them out if I am not home or too busy to 'watch'...... I only let them out for about an hour before sunset or so...that way they don't wander too far from the coop. How this is helpful.........~Beulah

 

[Chikyn]

I know how you feel, a hawk swooped down and ripped poor Bravey's head off...
You could try netting, but you have to keep that chicken confined in a netted place...

 

[MeghanShane]

Same thing just happen to me as well. We lost two just yesterday to a hawk. (not to mention we think a coyote got two a week prior.... a friend left the coop open... so I was already mourning. We set up a night vision camera and got picts of the coyote the following evening as well. Thankfully he didn’t mess with the coop and just sniffed around.) I went to the post office to grab stamps at 4pm and was back within 20 mins while the chickens were out free ranging. I went to put them back in the coop and find them all scared senseless and trying to hide in any corner possible. I counted my girls and realized 2 were missing. I yelled for my boyfriend and immediately were began searching. He found my babies not too far down the hill. One was on ground and the other was half way up a tree. I was devastated.
I think now we are fencing in a HUGE area with an open "lid" so to speak so they can still roam around but will not be in harm’s way. We also will have a door that will allow me to let them out and range since we have 2.5 acres and I enjoy just hanging out with them.
We will be working on their new addition this weekend so I will post picts.

 

[MommaK6]

I lost my favorite hen yesterday as well to a hawk...I will be adding a guinea hen to our flock this spring to help "alert" the roosters and will be putting up owl statues. Today I played the radio in the garage in hopes that voices would keep it at bay. We didn't have a return visit but we will see.

 

[benisarooster]

I also had the same thing happen to me, and mine was just a baby. Not even full grown yet. It was really sad.

 

[benisarooster]

Do you have any roosters? They will try to scare the hawks away and alert the hens to hide.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

How times have changed.

As a kid I remember an old German lady who lived up the road killing or shooting at every hawk that flew over her garden and chicken pen. Every farmer kept a loaded shot gun in his truck and remained on the look out for hawks sitting on power lines. No hawk sitting on a power line was bold or maybe it was foolish enough to let an automobile or truck drive up on it at any speed.

Now they thumb their beaks at you while sitting at arms' length on your dead chickens.