The neighborhood hawk is back~

[txsanchez]

I just picked up 4 new chicks (2 americauna and 2 blue andalusian). They are 4 weeks old and I started letting them out with my older girls and roo this week during the day. Yesterday I was missing one blue when I went to put them up, and this evening my son was walking outside to gather them and watched the hawk carry off an americauna chick.
Looks like they'll go back in the pen until further notice. I know the risks of free ranging but I hate that I can't let them out safely to explore. We have a horse and the older chickens like to hang out under him. The roo was all puffed up tonight when the hawk came swooping down. I just hope the booger doesn't come back for my silkie tomorrow now that the easier chicks are no longer on the buffet. Any idea if the threat is more seasonal? My older chickens have been fine since March.
I read couple of threads about deterrents and I like the turkey! except I live in Texas and I may have some neighbors lined up for dinner along my fence with shotguns

 

[puglady]

Not so sure about Texas. Hawks are migratory, theres actually a site that follows this, http://www.hmana.org . Our hawk family finally seems to have gone south, thank goodness! We must have lost at least 12 this year to them. Tonights dinner was the roo who used to dive into the coop 1st instead of alerting the others to danger.

 

[Mattemma]

Be a chicken herder for a while by guarding them while they are outside.Provide plenty of places for them to run/hide. I have hawks 24/7. Beautiful; birds,but I do hope they pass on soon.

I had loose bird netting muck up a hawk attack once.They get tangled up in the loose stuff just like me!