Foxes.....Racoons......Rats......now a hawk........ What in the world?? Are these animals meeting up weekly to tell where they are hunting??? I'm guessing the word is out within the animal kingdom. "Just go on over there to Scotland Neck....there's plenty of chickens for you. Big ones and little ones.....spread the word....." Guess I'm going to have to take a week off of work and sit in the yard with my shotgun. This is getting ridiculous. I've lost close to one hundred chickens. I'm losing my patience. Finally get rid of one predator, only for another one to show up. Today, I didn't even let the chickens out. They are miserable.....and so am I. I hate to keep them cooped up. They live for digging for bugs, dusting, perching on this bush or that tree. Anybody have any ideas on how to get rid of a hawk, short of killing it? And, yes, I am aware hawks are protected. Do I care? NO. I do not. Absolutly do not care. If I see him, I'm going to attempt to shoot him. It won't bring back my chickens, but it will solve the problem....until the next predator comes around. Sorry.....had to rant somewhere.....
Sounds like you are in desperate need of a good livestock guardian dog. While it won't necessarily help with the hawk, those birds are not stupid either, it might make the bird move on to easier prey.
So sorry to hear about such tremendous losses! Unfortunately when you kill a predator you just open up a territory for a new one to move in and set up shop so it's a never-ending cycle. I'm not sure about your setup of coop/run, etc. Do you have an area fenced off for your birds? Rats are usually attracted to food, so keep it in metal containers and don't leave any feed or feeders out at night. Raccoons *should* only be a problem at night, so securing my chickens at dusk has always worked for me. Foxes...that one I'm working on right now, since I have a daytime red fox checking out my girls. Never had a fox problem before this one lost his alarm clock and started showing up in the morning and afternoon around my run. As for hawks, I have a love/hate relationship with them ever since I got chickens. For me, it's Coopers Hawks and a more occasional red-tail. I have noticed a pattern in my neck of the woods...we don't have hawk trouble during late spring and summer, only fall and winter. We had a chicken killed inside the enclosed run and my DH strung fishing line across the top (thank you for the advice, BYC!) and haven't had another loss inside their enclosure. If your problem is a Coopers hawk...well, those things are bold and relentless death for chickens. Even had one try to take a bird out that was standing between my legs! Personally I couldn't kill one even if it was legal to do so but THAT one I almost caught in my hands...if I had, I think I would have strangled the sucker, lol. If you can run fishing line or netting over your birds' enclosure it should deter hawks. If you're free-ranging all day, that's another story. We used to do that, too, until we were made painfully aware that all we were doing was baiting our yard. Was great for the first six months, no problem...then the hawks showed up...the neighbor's dogs...etc.
That's what happens when you spread out a large chicken buffet with a big sign that says "free easy food", It's your job to house your birds in a manner that the predators can't kill them. If you do not, then you will lose birds. Once the free buffet is discovered, they will all be eaten. Sitting outside for a few hours and shooting a couple of assorted predators is not going to stop the predation. You do not live in an area where free range is safe for your birds. You deal with that by providing safe housing.
Sounds like its time to build a fort! Ive had chickens for over 2 yrs....lived in 2 different places with same chickens. One place not one loss. 2nd and current place with same set up. Im having the same problem as you. Coons, possum, overhead predators. I didnt want to have to spend a boatload to fix flying predators, but for $15 got a 7' by 100' roll of plastic bird netting. Its a little time consuming to weave together, but worth it. Once you secure them and close the buffet .... they move on. I have several neighbors with the same set up as mine....Im sure thats the predators target now! I dont run a free buffet!
You can try putting some chicken liver in a havahart trap and put it in a really high tree and wire it on good. Good luck and sorry about your loss
I know it's very frusterating!! I feel the same way. I keep mine in a large run and make sure i sit in the yard for at least an hour a day to watch them free range. I would like to kill all of the predators too, but unfortunatly there is just going to be another one. My chickens seem happy with their limited time. It's better than them all getting killed.
