I'm sorry for everyone who has lost their chicken babies to Hawks or other predator attacks. I had rehomed my entire flock of rare bantams and green egg layers a few years back because I wasn't able to stop them from being attacked daily by a family of hawks we had nesting on our farm, plus random attacks from the raccoons, possum, foxes and coyotes who all hunted them as well. I regretted the decision to give my chickens away because the hawks and coyotes didn't leave and in fact just go for my small dogs and my neighbors' small dogs and cats now instead. I've put up electric fencing on the top of a wire mesh fence around the yard where I plan to let the chickens roam when I can watch them. I'm considering barbed wire for along the bottom outer side of the fencing to keep the digging predators from finding their way underneath the fence. I am also building an extension to our outdoor chicken run for when I can't have them free range so that on the days I'm not able to babysit them they don't have to be cooped up inside. Lastly, I'm considering running fishing wire from barn to treeline over the fenced in yard where I plan to let my next chickens free range (when I can watch and protect them) to deter the hawks. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with doing this. I'm trying anything and everything I can because I don't want to lose birds like I did last time. It's too heartbreaking. I know there has to be ways to outsmart the predators so my chickens can be happy and healthy running around in their yard and anything that wants to eat them realizes it's futile and moves on to other hunting grounds . If anyone has any other ideas I'm open to trying out whatever will keep my chickens safe.
