UGH!!HUGE..HUGE HAWK!

[emilyweck]

Thank goodness I was out there. I've been free ranging my girls for just 4 days and they're here! I live in the city and I was hoping there wouldn't be as many. This guy was HUGE. Undoubtedly he could have carried of my biggest girl.

What can I do to deter them? Anything? I want my girls to live a good, free life.

They were smart, though, because a crow started crowing really loud and was sortof flying along side the hawk and they ran for cover under a bush. I've always had a ton of crows and was hoping they would help keep the hawks out.

Help.....any advice?

 

[ChickenCat]

I hope the crows stay close by. They will work on a hawk and move it away. It is amazing the knowledge the little bitties come to naturally. My chicks know my "bock,bock,bock" is come eat our of my hand. Watching them today, when my dogs barked, the chicks ran to the corner of the coop with heads up, listening. Amazing little critters.

 

[DDRanch]

I have found the best thing to do for hawks, if you allow your birds to free range unsupervised, is to provide them lots of things for cover. I got that advice on this site years ago, and it was proved invaluable for me. I have several redwood dog houses strategically (and decoratively) placed around the coop as well as letting some bushes overgrow along my fence line so the girls can duck for cover when one swoops down. I am in the process of planting a climbing rose in a 1/2 redwood tub and letting it grow in an umbrella shape in part of the free range pasture.

I don't have a rooster, but many on this site will tell you that their roos will protect the hens to their own death, from hawks. I keep the large breeds specifically because I think many of the hawks around here are too small to attack a full grown large breed hen. I could be wrong about that, but it seems to make some sense to me.

Recently, a pair of crows has built a nest close to my free range pasture and has defended the sky relentlessly by chasing off hawks that are too close to their nests. I love the crows and wish I had more around.

Most hawks are protected by law so you don't want to do any harm to them. I recently learned that some of the hawks in my area are migratory so I keep a closer eye on my little flock when they are passing through my area. Any good birding book will tell you resident hawk types in your area year round and migratory hawks routes.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Anne

 

[MoodyChicken]

Lock your birds up for a week. He knows you have chickens now, you can try to make him forget by keeping them hidden.

 

[chicklady63]

Crows and ravens are really good for keeping hawks away when they come too close, but they themselves will take biddies, so be careful when chickens are young.

 

[emilyweck]

Thank you for all your help. I did lock them up today and I'm going to study up on what the heck I saw. My husband is convinced it was a Golden Eagle.

 

[sephiroth]

I've seen a few bald eagles arond here. Odd I think, for central Virginia.

 

[Rolsjo]

We're going to start free ranging our birds later this week and wouldn't you know I just saw a hawk nab something from the field across the road. Grrrr. Then the crows chased it away. Score 1 point for the crows!

Well, the area we have set aside for the birds is shaded by several huge trees, so hopefully they will be safe. My husband just finished securing the coop (a converted horse stall in the barn) last night and we moved them in. They were all there safe and sound this morning. So far, so good. No points for our barn cat!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Build a tractor you can put them in and move it every couple of days for fresh grass, worms, bugs.

I'm gathering supplies to build a 6' x 12' cattle panel tractor for my ten 16 wk olds to safely free range within the tractor. They won't care as long as they get fresh grass.

I have 4 acres that is pasture and HUGE front and backyards with wooded acres surrounding me. I have hawks that will circle over head and occastionally get chased off by crows.

Three bald eagles that will circle way up with no crows in sight.

I only free range if I'm sitting there watching them.

Good luck with yours.

 

[cmjust0]

We're not free ranging yet, but we will be very soon.. I saw a hawk just the other day with a snake in its claws, being severely harassed by what looked to be a mockingbird and a couple of crows. It finally landed in a neighbor's pasture and the other birds were flitting around, either trying to steal its lunch or run it off.

We have lots of hawks around here. Luckily, our LGD has thus far shown some inclination to bark and run around when big birdgs circle too closely overhead.

Hopefully that'll be enough to keep our chickens safe...but we'll see.