Starting to see a Hawk

[JakeCpuNut]

My 4 Barred Rocks are 18 weeks old. I have a TSC coop with an additional 10x15 run coming off the little front door.

Up until last week I only let them run around in the bigger run in the afternoons when I came home for a few hours and sometimes free range around the back of the property while I sit out there.

Last week while sitting out there and them free ranging, a hawk swooped down in my backyard and continued on through the woods. I put them up immediately.

The additional run has pvc across it with deer netting tied to it with no openings. For the last week I've been leaving the small door open so in the mornings when the auto door opens they can go on out to the bigger run area.

Today when I came home the kids yelled and pointed and when I looked back at the coop, the hawk was sitting on the fence staring at the Barred Rocks.

I don't think the hawk can get through the netting?? But it sure is nerve racking and definitely won't let them free range outside the run area unless I'm out there from now on.

Any suggestions?

 

[Kaesi2020]

My 4 Barred Rocks are 18 weeks old. I have a TSC coop with an additional 10x15 run coming off the little front door.

Up until last week I only let them run around in the bigger run in the afternoons when I came home for a few hours and sometimes free range around the back of the property while I sit out there.

Last week while sitting out there and them free ranging, a hawk swooped down in my backyard and continued on through the woods. I put them up immediately.

The additional run has pvc across it with deer netting tied to it with no openings. For the last week I've been leaving the small door open so in the mornings when the auto door opens they can go on out to the bigger run area.

Today when I came home the kids yelled and pointed and when I looked back at the coop, the hawk was sitting on the fence staring at the Barred Rocks.

I don't think the hawk can get through the netting?? But it sure is nerve racking and definitely won't let them free range outside the run area unless I'm out there from now on.

Any suggestions?

I know how you feel with the worry! Definitely keep the chickens in the enclosed coop and run without free ranging for 2 to 3 weeks. Hopefully the hawk will have moved on by then.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I had a hawk some how get into a chain link dog kennel that even had wire fencing over the top and kill a chicken. It was hanging upside down like a bat with it wings spread out...talk about some unexpected freaky looking thing to have in with your chickens! So I don't underestimate any raptor if it's determined. I still have no clue how it got in.

I'm not sure how to go about preventing a aerial attack but ever since a murder of crows have decided to take up residence in my area hawks have not been a issue. The crows make a racket and run them off and have aerial wars. It's pretty cool to see because these are 5 big crows going at a hawk harassing it out of their territory. So Maybe you can get some decoy crows / ravens and mount them around. It might make the hawks think twice about stopping in on your chickens.I'm pretty sure shooting hawks is illegal most everywhere so that option is out... Hawks are a tough one.