Trying to Foil a Red-Tailed Hawk

[pinkytuscadaro]

"Well, it's finally, happened, Zachary..." After years of letting my chickens free-range with hardly an incident of aerial predation, a red-tailed hawk has discovered the bounty.

Yesterday there was a lot of cackling going which I thought was just a hen and one of the roosters bragging about an egg. No big deal. About an hour later they were at it again and this time I noticed their fenced yards were deserted. Not a chicken in sight! They were all in the hen house. Thought I better check it out. Something not right.

As I stepped off the back porch steps, a huge RTH flew up off the ground from their run and off into the trees. I checked but there was no evidence it had gotten one of my birds. However, when I counted beaks last night, one of my BO was missing.

So today they are confined to the smallest, inner run. It doesn't give them much room, but I'm pretty sure the hawk can't get them there. My plan is to keep them confined for several days, maybe a week, in hopes the hawk will move on.

What do you guys think? Is there a snowball's chance there will work? Will post a pic shortly.

 

[pinkytuscadaro]

Take shiney things, pie tins, CD's, pin wheels,..... etc. tie them on fence, trees, around your property. Hawks may hang close, but won't enter.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Take shiney things, pie tins, CD's, pin wheels,..... etc. tie them on fence, trees, around your property. Hawks may hang close, but won't enter.

Thanks, will have to try it. The problem is there isn't much to hang things from in the big, open, daytime run I like to keep them in until early afternoon when I am sure they are done laying. This keeps them close to the nests so they don't hide eggs all over the property. If I let them out too early, Gracie finds eggs and delivers them to me intact, but she can't tell me where the secret nests are!

So far, the little shelters we built seem to be working. Perhaps the RTH hawk has moved on or, erm ... it may have met with some misfortune. In any case, we have had no further losses.

 

[jspeese]

Security, security and security is probably the best option. I personally don't have any problem with the true meaning of the 3 S's but you do have to be there and armed to catch the culprit in the act, which seldom happens. I hardly ever free range my birds because of hawks.

 

[jugchoke]

Shoot, shovel and shut up!

 

[JoCoKS]

I had my first run in with a hawk, and it's not going away. I also have a large run that can not be covered 100%. Just hope I have smart enough chickens, but they have proved to me they aren't already lol.

I had 3 of my chickens just disappear and I know we have a hawk in the area. My girls just disappeared with no feathers or anything and I was wondering if that is what would happen if it was a hawk attacked? I had my girls for 3.5 years with never a problem not even a sick hen and now they are gone. I think a human stole them. What is your opinion on that because they were my "comfort chickens" since a drunk with a suspended license tried to kill me in a rear end collusion and my life turned turned into living hell. Please advise what you think happened to my Rhode Island Reds that were rather big hens that I spoiled because of the joy they brought into my life.
IF anyone has an idea please let my know because it would help me from getting even more depressed.
Thank you.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I had 3 of my chickens just disappear and I know we have a hawk in the area. My girls just disappeared with no feathers or anything and I was wondering if that is what would happen if it was a hawk attacked? I had my girls for 3.5 years with never a problem not even a sick hen and now they are gone. I think a human stole them. What is your opinion on that because they were my "comfort chickens" since a drunk with a suspended license tried to kill me in a rear end collusion and my life turned turned into living hell. Please advise what you think happened to my Rhode Island Reds that were rather big hens that I spoiled because of the joy they brought into my life.
IF anyone has an idea please let my know because it would help me from getting even more depressed.
Thank you.

Full sized chickens will be tough for a hawk to carry off, so you should find a carcass. If they disappeared all on one day, it’s more likely a larger predator that caches its food, like coyotes or a bobcat. Sorry for your losses!

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I had 3 of my chickens just disappear and I know we have a hawk in the area. My girls just disappeared with no feathers or anything and I was wondering if that is what would happen if it was a hawk attacked? I had my girls for 3.5 years with never a problem not even a sick hen and now they are gone. I think a human stole them. What is your opinion on that because they were my "comfort chickens" since a drunk with a suspended license tried to kill me in a rear end collusion and my life turned turned into living hell. Please advise what you think happened to my Rhode Island Reds that were rather big hens that I spoiled because of the joy they brought into my life.
IF anyone has an idea please let my know because it would help me from getting even more depressed.
Thank you.

Hi. I am so sorry for the loss of your babies and your unfortunate accident! I was road rages years back and can relate. As for your girls, if the hawk was big enough it most likely would carry them away. As for someone stealing them, I had fresh foot prints in front of my new chicken coop one morning. No missing chickens, but no understanding of what they were looking for.

 

[ellend]

That’s personal preference, I suppose.

Killing hawks is illegal & immoral. Do your job as a chicken owner and protect them, or resign yourself to losses.

Birdfeeders attract small birds and small birds make bird noises. Hawks are attracted to bird noises.

Yes, the redtail will move on after a week or so of no available chickens. However, it will remember the site. Spring and fall are high loss periods, as the migratory birds are gone, so hunting gets leaner.

 

[JoCoKS]

Full sized chickens will be tough for a hawk to carry off, so you should find a carcass. If they disappeared all on one day, it’s more likely a larger predator that caches its food, like coyotes or a bobcat. Sorry for your losses!

My 3 girls disappeared over about 6 days without a trace and there are no footprints since their coop was sitting on a large section of concrete because of the steps rising up to a landing. They had a large fenced in area to run around and destroy the grass and take dust baths. I think they were stolen one by one no matter what I did and was not prepared for with all those years without a problem. It really bothers me not stopping the problem along with not having Henrietta (the alpha hen) pecking at my sweats when she wanted meal worms, standing at the Atrium door raising hell when they wanted their lunch, the girls getting in my way when I tried to clean the coop everyday, chasing after me getting my wife to name me Elvis because of my groupie loved me, etc. I had planned to keep them till they died a natural death because of all the happiness they brought into my life day after day for 3.5 years. I knew nothing about raising baby chicks when I bought them at a hardware store so I bought 3 hoping at least one would live. They sold me a heat lamp and food and nothing else but they all survived. I needed those girls more then they needed me because of all the pain and suffering I did after the car accident since they kept me from getting more depressed from having my life destroyed when their was nothing wrong with me. I am still hurting after 7 surgeries and at times I wished the drunk killed me so I would not have to live everyday in hell. If I did not have a loving wife I would have ended my life after the accident but I knew she would not like being alone after 38 years. Now that we have gotten old the thing that stresses us out the most is our spouse dying and trying to live along.
My mother died the day before me senior year in college and I because Mr. Mom to my 80 year old father who for the first time in his life lost because mom was gone. I had to move home and commute my last year to get my degree and stayed with him for 5 years running the house while he cared for the large yard we had. I paid him a minimum of $200/month why I had drapery cleaned at my expense, etc. My wife and I bought this house 42 years ago because it was close to his home so I could take him dinner everyday, set out his pills, etc. for another 6 years till he died. I kept begging him to move in with us but my loving father wanted to stay in his home to keep my loving mother's memory alive.