supervised free-ranging - can you truly protect from hawks?

[Havi Hoagie]

Okay thanks everyone. My takeaways here are

- reconsider a rooster (and I'll look at the info on BYC)
- stay VERY close to my littles if I do let them out. And maybe try to direct them to parts of the yard w/ more coverage (we do have boatloads of knotweed around the perimeter of our yard, which seems like pretty good cover). and accept that there's still risk even if I'm right there with them
- pre-dusk supervised free range might not be the ideal time


I'd never planned on 100% free range, but I was hoping I could have a somewhat relaxed supervised free range situation. Like me in the garden while they are pecking around elsewhere in the yard. But after the near miss the other day I'm accepting that this probably won't be the case. I do have them in a very predator-proof tractor that I move daily and I'm going to expand the run part of it since I likely won't let them out as much as I'd hoped to (hard to be glued to chickens when you also have little kids to keep out of trouble )

 

[NatJ]

It may improve as your chickens get bigger. (Depends on what size hawks, of course.)

 

[centrarchid]

Okay thanks everyone. My takeaways here are

- reconsider a rooster (and I'll look at the info on BYC)
- stay VERY close to my littles if I do let them out. And maybe try to direct them to parts of the yard w/ more coverage (we do have boatloads of knotweed around the perimeter of our yard, which seems like pretty good cover). and accept that there's still risk even if I'm right there with them
- pre-dusk supervised free range might not be the ideal time


I'd never planned on 100% free range, but I was hoping I could have a somewhat relaxed supervised free range situation. Like me in the garden while they are pecking around elsewhere in the yard. But after the near miss the other day I'm accepting that this probably won't be the case. I do have them in a very predator-proof tractor that I move daily and I'm going to expand the run part of it since I likely won't let them out as much as I'd hoped to (hard to be glued to chickens when you also have little kids to keep out of trouble )

Chicken tractor

 

[Ginger78]

I have had mine free-ranging unsupervised with the help of a herd dog for 5 years. 2 weeks ago we lost our first adult bird. We have three babies in a cage and only let them out supervised. Yesterday I went to open the coop at 6am and heard a hawk and saw it peering in my yard. We left the chickens in all day and went to supervise in the evening and there were 6 hawks. They were all peering in our yard. We put the girls away and made lots of noise until they flew away. Today they are back in the coop and now I am worried that they will come back. After 5 years we have finally been discovered and it is hard for them to adjust. We are trying a scare crow and an owl and the ugly shiny stuff in hopes they find somewhere new to feed so we can let them out again. I agree that the morning and evening seem to be when I see/hear the hawks the most.

 

[Folly's place]

You may need to keep your flock locked in for two weeks or so, that's been my experience here. Once when we had a very bold Cooper's hawk, it took three weeks before she left.
Mary

 

[Matejka]

i think in my case the hawks were short on food, we were gone, and there was nothing protecting my hens..... now i have a rooster!!!View attachment 2155077

He's beautiful

 

[elmo]

I have to say the answer to your question is no: you can't fully protect your flock from hawks if you allow them to free range. We know of someone who was about 20 feet away from one of his chickens in their suburban back yard when it was attacked and killed by a hawk. It was horrible, because he was with his children at the time and they saw it, too.

Getting a rooster isn't any guarantee, either. The rooster himself can be killed by a hawk.

I think if you free range, you've just got to become comfortable with the idea that risk comes with the benefits.

 

[Vicker]

I just posted elsewhere that crow decoys are helpful. Crows are natural enemies of hawks and owls. Having black chickens in your flock also seems to serve the same purpose and would probably work better if the chickens are ranging very far away from the crow decoy. I have crow decoys by the coop and run. I added Black Australorps to my flock. Haven't had another attack yet.

 

[mtinney]

Hi all -

New chicken mom here. We have 4 x 6wk Wyandottes. My plan from the beginning was to do supervised free range, as we've seen red-tailed hawks on our property here and there. We're on 3 acres near the city and I joke that our place is kind of a nature preserve. Our property is also something of a playground for hawks with a ring of trees around a fairly open lawn (we have some lower coverage for chickens but could definitely use more).

On day 3 of supervised free range (we'd been letting them out before dusk), my husband, sons and I were playing about 10 ft from our chicks. My back was to them but luckily I turned just in time to see a hawk heading straight for the girls. Instinct took over and I ran at the hawk screaming. He flew up into a tree while we got the chicks back in the coop. I'm so glad nothing happened but so disappointed that the hawks have already shown up. I was really enjoying watching the girls explore.

They've now been in their tractor for 3 days. I heard the hawk in a spruce near our house the next day but have not seen it since. I know we have crows regularly so hopefully they are helping keep the hawks in check as well.

So, my questions are:

- have others had luck w/ protecting their flock by staying very close? even after a hawk attacked somewhat nearby? now I'm nervous to even do supervised free range, especially if I have my 4yo and 2yo sons with me
- should i wait until the chicks are older and wiser to do supervised free range?
- is there a better time of day to free range? or should we mix it up if possible? I've read conflicting things about letting them out at dusk
- is the smartest option to get a rooster (or goose?) had shied away from roos, mostly because of my kids (and memories of my grandma's rooster jumping on my brother's head )
- I could encourage chicks to explore the perimeter of our yard where there's plenty of coverage?
- here's my craziest thought - does anyone carry something to deter hawks while out with chickens? I'm picturing myself with an umbrella with crazy reflective things on it. something to indicate to my neighbors how normal we are

Also - just to note, I *think* it was a juvenile red-tailed hawk

I know there's no definitive answer here but I like to hear other people's experiences.

Thanks!

My dog and I sit out in the yard for about an hour every day around 11AM. It gives me a chance to read the paper and my phone while at the same time letting my 6 chickens have free range time. I get them back by calling to them cause they know there will be a few crusts of bread when they come back.

 

[Dr Dangerous]

Hi all -

New chicken mom here. We have 4 x 6wk Wyandottes. My plan from the beginning was to do supervised free range, as we've seen red-tailed hawks on our property here and there. We're on 3 acres near the city and I joke that our place is kind of a nature preserve. Our property is also something of a playground for hawks with a ring of trees around a fairly open lawn (we have some lower coverage for chickens but could definitely use more).

On day 3 of supervised free range (we'd been letting them out before dusk), my husband, sons and I were playing about 10 ft from our chicks. My back was to them but luckily I turned just in time to see a hawk heading straight for the girls. Instinct took over and I ran at the hawk screaming. He flew up into a tree while we got the chicks back in the coop. I'm so glad nothing happened but so disappointed that the hawks have already shown up. I was really enjoying watching the girls explore.

They've now been in their tractor for 3 days. I heard the hawk in a spruce near our house the next day but have not seen it since. I know we have crows regularly so hopefully they are helping keep the hawks in check as well.

So, my questions are:

- have others had luck w/ protecting their flock by staying very close? even after a hawk attacked somewhat nearby? now I'm nervous to even do supervised free range, especially if I have my 4yo and 2yo sons with me
- should i wait until the chicks are older and wiser to do supervised free range?
- is there a better time of day to free range? or should we mix it up if possible? I've read conflicting things about letting them out at dusk
- is the smartest option to get a rooster (or goose?) had shied away from roos, mostly because of my kids (and memories of my grandma's rooster jumping on my brother's head )
- I could encourage chicks to explore the perimeter of our yard where there's plenty of coverage?
- here's my craziest thought - does anyone carry something to deter hawks while out with chickens? I'm picturing myself with an umbrella with crazy reflective things on it. something to indicate to my neighbors how normal we are

Also - just to note, I *think* it was a juvenile red-tailed hawk

I know there's no definitive answer here but I like to hear other people's experiences.

Thanks!

The Crows will help. They hate hawks and hawks fear them.