Relentless Hawk...Help!!

[DianaMallory]

SSS the darn Hawk! Don't free range! Problem solved!

 

[Gardeningmama]

Yes, I could do that, obviously, but I fear the side effects of having them caged all of the time. Boredom, feather plucking, protein deficiencies, diseases, etc. With all of that, I might as well let the hawk have them. Just my opinion.

 

[centrarchid]

Yes, I could do that, obviously, but I fear the side effects of having them caged all of the time. Boredom, feather plucking, protein deficiencies, diseases, etc. With all of that, I might as well let the hawk have them. Just my opinion.

gardeningmama,

I keep chickens free-range in some numbers year round. During about 8 months of year most are juvenile so they are more vulnerable than average chickens to hawk predation. I have as many hawks as anyone yet losses to them very minimal owing to management efforts used to control predation in general.

Some of what is suggested previously in thread reguarding the harming of hawks is blatantly illegal and a waste of time in general as such efforts require more time and realize less benefits than methods I employ.


I try to follow a few lines of logic to suppress hawk losses.

1. Provide your birds with cover in multiple locations. Cover is important for three reasons. It makes it more difficult for hawk to detect chickens and makes so chickens can break line of sight. Coopers will not attack what it cannot see. Cover slows hawks by making so it must appoach on ground. Heavy cover can deny option of flight and chickens can run faster than hawk even though hawks pretty fast on their feet.

2. Mixed age groups including at least a few full adults. For some reason hawks strongly prefer to target small members of flock and adult chickens, especially roosters will often attack hawk once it is on ground. Hawk may go after smaller chicken on ground but find itself being attacked from behind by rooster. Hawks do not like being blindsided.

3. Breed selection. Some breeds less capable than others against hawks and predators in general. Consider amoung at least your adult roosters the inclusion of either a gamerooster of a rooster of six lbs or greater.

4. Compress free-ranging time to periods when you are present. Hawk may still attack while you are present but you can chase it off.

5. Dog. Must be active and get to hawk when it visits. Most effective method and works great with all others.




Your concerns about nutrition can be addressed by proper food management so not a real worry.

 

[snowflake]

do you have a run that you can cover? keep the birds in for about a week so hawk gets tired and goes some place else to hunt,,, a dog in the yard does seem to help, if you have a rooster and lots of cover the rooster will warn of a hawk, most of my birds are full size and I have only lost 1 in 5yrs. to a hawk, when the rooster gives the warning they all run for cover
cover can be brush, A frames made of wood close the the ground so hens gan easily get get in but hawk is not likely to try flying in.

 

[DianaMallory]

gardeningmama,

I keep chickens free-range in some numbers year round. During about 8 months of year most are juvenile so they are more vulnerable than average chickens to hawk predation. I have as many hawks as anyone yet losses to them very minimal owing to management efforts used to control predation in general.

Some of what is suggested previously in thread reguarding the harming of hawks is blatantly illegal and a waste of time in general as such efforts require more time and realize less benefits than methods I employ.


I try to follow a few lines of logic to suppress hawk losses.

1. Provide your birds with cover in multiple locations. Cover is important for three reasons. It makes it more difficult for hawk to detect chickens and makes so chickens can break line of sight. Coopers will not attack what it cannot see. Cover slows hawks by making so it must appoach on ground. Heavy cover can deny option of flight and chickens can run faster than hawk even though hawks pretty fast on their feet.

2. Mixed age groups including at least a few full adults. For some reason hawks strongly prefer to target small members of flock and adult chickens, especially roosters will often attack hawk once it is on ground. Hawk may go after smaller chicken on ground but find itself being attacked from behind by rooster. Hawks do not like being blindsided.

3. Breed selection. Some breeds less capable than others against hawks and predators in general. Consider amoung at least your adult roosters the inclusion of either a gamerooster of a rooster of six lbs or greater.

4. Compress free-ranging time to periods when you are present. Hawk may still attack while you are present but you can chase it off.

5. Dog. Must be active and get to hawk when it visits. Most effective method and works great with all others.




Your concerns about nutrition can be addressed by proper food management so not a real worry.I

I guess you need to decide weather or not the loss of your flock is as important as feeding the hawk! Just my oppion since I have lost 2 flocks to predators and will never free range again!!! But go ahead and free range if your flock means that little to you!

 

[daisy06]

I too have also lost many chickens to hawks. I free range my hens (and roos) but usually wait until later in the day. This has helped solve my problem.

I guess you need to decide weather or not the loss of your flock is as important as feeding the hawk! Just my oppion since I have lost 2 flocks to predators and will never free range again!!! But go ahead and free range if your flock means that little to you!

DiannaMallory, just because you let your chickens free range, doesn't mean you don't care for them. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Some may not have the luxury of having wonderful spacious and roomy cages or runs. Plus, chickens are much happier when they have the chance to go out and find tasty bugs in the green grass.
So, you could try letting them free range later in the day (I usually let mine out at 4:00 - 5:00).
If you haven't already tried, do keep them up for a few days to bore the hawk.

 

[Vinegaroon]

Ya i dunno about the late in the day theory i havent seen a hawk until the evening this fall but maybe thats because the chickens get active before they roost

 

[daisy06]

Hmmm.... it seems to me that they go away in the evening.

 

[Gardeningmama]

I guess you need to decide weather or not the loss of your flock is as important as feeding the hawk! Just my oppion since I have lost 2 flocks to predators and will never free range again!!! But go ahead and free range if your flock means that little to you!

I was asking for actual advice, which I've gotten plenty of , thanks to the wonderful people on here looking to help out. Next time I'm looking for an insult I'll contact you. Thanks!!!!

 

[chickortreat]

I guess you need to decide weather or not the loss of your flock is as important as feeding the hawk! Just my oppion since I have lost 2 flocks to predators and will never free range again!!! But go ahead and free range if your flock means that little to you!

And if your flock means so little to you that you'd let a hawk kill them, well that's your business. I will not allow anything to harm my chickens. They mean that much to me. And I free-range mine almost daily. But I keep a rifle handy, and I'm not shy about using it.