Small hawk

[LauraSac]

Wow you started off better than the usual newbie.

Wouldn't worry about rats for the hawk as they are primarily nocturnal, hawks don't hunt at night. Sometimes seeing rats during daylight means there are so many rats they're getting a little desperate and starting to compete with each other for food.

We're only allowed three hens in city limits, which is why I just got two. I figure when the egg laying slows down, I'll add a third. Losing just one would be a huge bummer, so I wanted to build a fortress for them. I was going to say I never see the rats during the day, but I was just picking tomatoes and one ran along my fence. It was 8:00, not yet dusk. Yuck. We have three dogs and our German Shepherd mix used to be quite the rat hunter, but she's 12 now and rather be inside on the couch. Rats often live in palm trees, of which there are some on either side of us.

When we were outside, we saw two small hawks, or possibly falcons. They were off to the distance. My neighborhood is old with tons of big old trees, including redwoods. Whether they're nesting right in my yard or not, raptors are always going to be an issue.