Trying to Foil a Red-Tailed Hawk

[ValerieJ]

I think you mean abhorred...ie "ticks are abhorred" "I abhor ticks (something like that)

Have you looked into the migratory pattern of red tailed hawks in your area? That might give you an idea if they will continue to hang around or if they are just passing through. I wish you much luck with your new found predator and was sorry to read about your BO

ETA: Maybe you meant abomination? I don't know why I'm stuck on this...don't mind me!

Definition of aberration


1a: the fact or an instance of deviating or being aberrant especially from a moral standard or normal state

Sounds like a good description of a tick to me!!!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Definition of aberration


1a: the fact or an instance of deviating or being aberrant especially from a moral standard or normal state

Sounds like a good description of a tick to me!!!

I looked that up, as well! Didn't sound too far off to me, either! I'd classify ticks as immoral

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You guys are killin' me! Yes, ticks are abhorrent to me, I do absolutely abhor them! I would not know if they are immoral, I don't watch them that closely! But thank you for looking t up aberrant, @ValerieJ , you saved me the effort; that was precisely what I meant!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Red-tailed hawks are partial migrants. A RT hawk that has just shown up now, in their migratory season, is most likely a migrant going South for the winter. Some hawks won’t migrate, but I think it’s worth locking up chickens for awhile and giving the migrants a chance to move on. We lost a duck to a R.T. last fall when the duck was foraging on shore. Hawk hung around for a day afterwards then moved on. We now attract crows and blue jays to our property in fall and spring during peak migration times with whole corn, as they will drive hawks away. We have red shouldered hawks that nest on our property, but they leave the poultry alone. They also help keep other hawks away. We also have Cooper’s hawks migrate through - those are so fast and deadly, like trying to track an arrow shot from a bow...

https://www.hawkmountain.org/raptorpedia/migration-path/page.aspx?id=352

https://www.hawkmountain.org/raptor...awk-mountain/red-tailed-hawk/page.aspx?id=460

 

[ValerieJ]

Red-tailed hawks are partial migrants. A RT hawk that has just shown up now, in their migratory season, is most likely a migrant going South for the winter. Some hawks won’t migrate, but I think it’s worth locking up chickens for awhile and giving the migrants a chance to move on. We lost a duck to a R.T. last fall when the duck was foraging on shore. Hawk hung around for a day afterwards then moved on. We now attract crows and blue jays to our property in fall and spring during peak migration times with whole corn, as they will drive hawks away. We have red shouldered hawks that nest on our property, but they leave the poultry alone. They also help keep other hawks away. We also have Cooper’s hawks migrate through - those are so fast and deadly, like trying to track an arrow shot from a bow...

https://www.hawkmountain.org/raptorpedia/migration-path/page.aspx?id=352

https://www.hawkmountain.org/raptor...awk-mountain/red-tailed-hawk/page.aspx?id=460

Thanks for that information. Our eagles and hawks are not migratory. Perhaps because our weather is mild enough. The ducks, geese and osprey migrate. And those pesky pigeons who eat all my wild bird and squirrel food. LOL

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks for that information. Our eagles and hawks are not migratory. Perhaps because our weather is mild enough. The ducks, geese and osprey migrate. And those pesky pigeons who eat all my wild bird and squirrel food. LOL

Were you the poster with bald eagles attacking chickens in an orchard? Yes, bald eagles are classified by the Cornell Ornithology lab as year round residents in WA state. I went on a boat tour around Portland once and saw several bald eagles; one of the few times I’ve seen them in their natural habitat! I’m in Oklahoma, which has a lot of raptors, but not the concentration of bald eagles that you have.

 

[ValerieJ]

Were you the poster with bald eagles attacking chickens in an orchard? Yes, bald eagles are classified by the Cornell Ornithology lab as year round residents in WA state. I went on a boat tour around Portland once and saw several bald eagles; one of the few times I’ve seen them in their natural habitat! I’m in Oklahoma, which has a lot of raptors, but not the concentration of bald eagles that you have.

That was me. We have a BE nest just around the bend on the river. We watch them fishing for salmon all the time. Awesome birds...as long as there is salmon or trout in the river. they are pretty amazing to watch.

 

[zdb]

Right. So what are the 3 S's?

 

[Double Yolked]

This last summer a local chicken keeper was arrested and fined for shooting an eagle who was after his chickens. I love seeing them but I do know how bad they can be for chooks. I have quite a few shady spots under low trees and shrubs to protect my hens. Hawks occasionally fly over but so far, by keeping arbors and shrubs up in abundance they usually move on after more easy prey. Hawks, the larger ones, hate risking tangling their wings in things. I have one large 16 ft long x 10 ft wide head high overhead grape arbor that the hens will congregate under plus several untrimmed climbing fairy roses that also cover quite a bit of ground. So far, my only raptor loss has been to an early morning kill by a great horned owl.

 

[ValerieJ]

This last summer a local chicken keeper was arrested and fined for shooting an eagle who was after his chickens. I love seeing them but I do know how bad they can be for chooks. I have quite a few shady spots under low trees and shrubs to protect my hens. Hawks occasionally fly over but so far, by keeping arbors and shrubs up in abundance they usually move on after more easy prey. Hawks, the larger ones, hate risking tangling their wings in things. I have one large 16 ft long x 10 ft wide head high overhead grape arbor that the hens will congregate under plus several untrimmed climbing fairy roses that also cover quite a bit of ground. So far, my only raptor loss has been to an early morning kill by a great horned owl.

that's right. Don't shoot them.