I had a hawk attack and kill one of my chickens recently. I was very upset to say the lest. Since then I have taken steps to secure my run with netting and make it very difficult for the hawks to get to my Silkies. I'm still seeing Hawks in the area and am looking for ways to discourage them. I read that taking down all your bird feeders is one way to cause them to find other hunting areas. What do you guys think? Any other suggestions?
Well the feeders attract birds. The hawk sees it as an all u can eat.buffet and keeps coming back. As long as the run is secure the hawk will eventually give up and move on.
Try hanging old CDs in the trees. The hawks don't like the colors when the sun hits it. It can't hurt to try!!! Good luck!!!
The old CDs in the trees trick doesn't really work all that well. My yard looked like a disco dance floor on a sunny day for a time. I had over 40 CDs hanging in and around my yard. I had no noticeable decrease in hawk activity, in fact I had a duck killed right below a hanging CD. By using the netting you have done the best possible thing you can do. You will find that the hawks will lose interest as soon as they realize there is nothing for them to eat. Hawks are one of my most successful predators, so I know how it goes. Good luck. ETA- sorry for your loss.
Hawks are migrating so you'll see a lot of them now. They are just passing through looking for a meal. I have netting over my run and that seems to work. But I came out early in the morning when it was just getting light out and startled a hawk sitting on the top of the run fence waiting for the chickens to come out of the coop. Even though there is netting on the top, it was stalking the pop door. I had been wondering why the chickens were hanging around inside the coop some mornings. They must have seen it perched out there and were waiting for him to leave. My rooster is pretty good at warning about danger. He's their "eye on the sky" and if he gives a growl, the hens all run for cover. Also I have a huge bush in the backyard near the run that the chickens use when they are free ranging for safety as well as staying cool in the summer. It provides a nice canopy for protection. They hang out there and if they decide to take a walk to another area, they usually make a mad dash across the yard to the next covered area. So if you can provide cover for them, their instincts should tell them to use it. Lisa
If you've got song bird feeders up for the tweeties, then you've got very good hunting for hawks because of all the small birds around. Bird feeders are usually out in the open, so it is easy hunting. So, yes, I'd say that bird feeders, that attract song birds, will also attract hawks (and the neighborhood cats).
