Should I worry about hawks?

[hysop]

It does say hawks can’t carry more than their own weight but some hawks are pretty big themselves.

 

[centrarchid]

They were here first

The native Americans?

 

[Mark Park]

The hawks and owls and eagles and coyotes and foxes and raccoons and bears and etc.

If they manage to take one or two once in a while it's okay.

 

[centrarchid]

The hawks and owls and eagles and coyotes and foxes and raccoons and bears and etc.

If they manage to take one or two once in a while it's okay.

Are you talking from experience loosing birds you invested a lot of time and money in raising?

 

[Mark Park]

I have lost my share of birds. Have you been losing birds or you are worried that perhaps ypu might lose some? If you aren't losing any, or are.losing one or two every now and again, don't worry about it.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

A sort of hawk tax or fox tax. They can have one or two once in a while.

Some breeds of chicken are more clever at staying under tree cover (if available) and roosting up in the trees. A combination of breed selection and the environment you keep your birds in might be enough to keep losses minimal -- otherwise you will have to protect them.

We have always had to protect them to the extreme. By the time you loose 1 or 2 each to raccoon, coyote, fox, mink, weasel, hawks, owls, and if talking about ducks add turtles to the list, you soon won’t have any poultry left. Been there, that’s why we don’t have ducks on the ponds now, and why we keep our chickens confined to a coop and covered run. It’s a judgement call that everybody has to make with no real right or wrong unless the losses are continually perpetuated then it may be not good. I personally would rather protect my livestock and pets and feel a responsibility to do so, on the other hand some feel that letting them have more freedom is better for their animals and that’s ok too as long as they are prepared to take action when significant issues arise.

 

[centrarchid]

I have lost my share of birds. Have you been losing birds or you are worried that perhaps ypu might lose some? If you aren't losing any, or are.losing one or two every now and again, don't worry about it.

I loose birds every year, mostly to Great-horned Owl. None to Red-tailed Hawk over last several years because of vegetation management and dogs. Coopers have taken young chickens, mostly later in the year. Currently Red Fox is biggest problem that has taken two birds. I have been watching the fox very closely for last several nights and may trap him it I cannot keep him out of orchard once juvenile chickens put out there.

I cull many more birds and loose a few to coccidia. Once in a while one is lost to drowning in trough used to culture duckweed.

 

[centrarchid]

Snapping turtles are easy to harvest. We used to eat them, but too much trouble now.

 

[hysop]

The owl going through the netting.
View attachment 2158898View attachment 2158899

Did he go through the netting and get stuck or how did you capture him? Do you release him somewhere else or nearby?

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

The native Americans?

?