Unwanted Hawks!!!

[Kimberly333]

We have about a few hawks out in our backyard that visit daily to get a good scare out of our flock. We have 3-5 baby/teen chicks out with our hens and roosters, and the sad part is the hawks keep coming everyday but they have had no luck in actually grabbing any of our chicks. Everytime they come by, I usually am outside feeding them and when I leave, I hear the noises the entire flock makes, which sounds like panic, and when I go outside, the hawks are flying over them trying to claw them and grab them, but i scare them off each time. I have no idea what to do! Please help me, I tried a scarecrow, but these things are smarter than I thought, it took a day to realize that the scarecrows were not human and the hawks didn't care. Any ideas? So far we stand outside for an hour at the time they usually show up with a gun just in case, but i don't think we can do this for much longer as it's very rainy weather. Thanks in advance!

 

[iwiw60]

Well, the simple answer to your question is don't free-range. Me personally? I am not an advocate of free-ranging...my girls are in a large run and are quite happy....and alive.

Do you have a run attached to your coop? Not knowing the logistics of your setup it is near impossible to advise you. This IS the migration time for predator-type birds, so you will not be "getting rid of them" ... they know you have chickens running loose and they will keep trying to get them. Sorry I couldn't give you any better news but it is what it is.

For me it's just not worth the heavy price of losing one of my precious girls to a scumbag predator...I would be heartbroken.

 

[Folly's place]

I free range my flock, and have a safe coop and covered run for them.. When a hawk visits, my birds are locked in their coop and run for a week or two, or three, until the hawk moves on. If your birds are always available, that hawk will keep visiting, and picking off chicks, and upsetting your flock. Just keep them in for a time and the hawk will hunt elsewhere. Mary

 

[jtn42248]

We have about a few hawks out in our backyard that visit daily to get a good scare out of our flock. We have 3-5 baby/teen chicks out with our hens and roosters, and the sad part is the hawks keep coming everyday but they have had no luck in actually grabbing any of our chicks. Everytime they come by, I usually am outside feeding them and when I leave, I hear the noises the entire flock makes, which sounds like panic, and when I go outside, the hawks are flying over them trying to claw them and grab them, but i scare them off each time. I have no idea what to do! Please help me, I tried a scarecrow, but these things are smarter than I thought, it took a day to realize that the scarecrows were not human and the hawks didn't care. Any ideas? So far we stand outside for an hour at the time they usually show up with a gun just in case, but i don't think we can do this for much longer as it's very rainy weather. Thanks in advance!

First you need to put the gun away. Hawks are raptors and as such they are protected by international treaty. It is illegal to kill them. That said, there is the philosophy of shoot and shut-up. To not tell if you do and to dispose of the evidence. One thing that I have done is to string some string across my 1/2 acre range for the chickens and ducks. I put it above my head level so that I can walk around but if a hawk comes around they can not figure out what it is or how to get through it.

 

[thomasboyle]

I would keep them locked safe in the coop / run if you can. Eventually the hawks will move on to better hunting grounds. Hawks are migrating now, so you may see more of them before they move on.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Hawks are migrating right now - coop the birds for a couple days and they'll go away.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

Here's a website that gives you some info on the hawks migration patterns. It appears we are in the middle of the fall migration.

http://hawkcount.org/

 

[MeepBeep]

One thing that I have done is to string some string across my 1/2 acre range for the chickens and ducks. I put it above my head level so that I can walk around but if a hawk comes around they can not figure out what it is or how to get through it.

You can even make this more effective by hanging objects that catch and reflect the light or flutter in the wind, as both disorientate the hawks vision and make them hesitant to dive or land... It might look ghetto or conspiracy theory like but used CDs (or even new CDRs) are pretty cheap, surveyor's tape is dirt cheap as is aluminum foil and/or you can sometimes get cut glass gemstones from the craft store on clearance cheap...

IMO though if you choose to free range you have to accept loses, it's part of the deal and although I have zero hesitation at disposing of nuisance animals like coyotes, raccoon, skunks and what not but I won't endorse the taking of birds of prey, just not worth the risk to me when you could realistically be living in a birdcage for years and paying big fines all over a chicken...