What do I do about catching a predator?

[Eden83_haaretz]

Hawks are federally protected, so the only legal way to deal with them is exclusion - keep your chickens in a covered run. If you choose to free range, make sure your chickens have plenty of cover, and keep in mind that you will eventually suffer a predator loss. (I’m not against free range. I free range my own chickens.)

I did my homework and the species of Hawk that usually lives here in the Sierra is an endangered species. We were going to make a coop and run that was covered anyways, and thought of just trying to scare them off.
Don't even know if here in Mexico there is anyone who will enforce or effectively monitor and safeguard endangered species, which is really really sad.
But anyways I was thinking about sounds one could broadcast or structures that perhaps a person might put to deter these birds from hanging around. That's what I was wondering if anyone had done something like that.

I read once or saw in a documentary (can't remember) that in the US some people broadcasted the howls of male alfa wolves and I think that that's how they managed to keep away the smaller coyotes or foxes from their animals. Sounded quite interesting.

 

[cmom]

It might work in areas where there are wolves. Where I am there are no wolves. The coyotes here are at the top of the food chain.

 

[HenKeepers]

Hawks are federally protected, so the only legal way to deal with them is exclusion - keep your chickens in a covered run. If you choose to free range, make sure your chickens have plenty of cover, and keep in mind that you will eventually suffer a predator loss. (I’m not against free range. I free range my own chickens.)

Raptors (hawks, eagles, buzzards, etc) are protected. We rescued a Great Pyranees who happens to be an aerial specialist. We only lose the occasional chicken (3-4 per year) to eagles due to snatch and fly. Eagles could take a few more, but if we don't see them, there is almost no evidence.
You can use dogs to scare off aerial predators. This is not harassment.

 

[HenKeepers]

We use game hens (gas station or street chickens) to raise chicks. We have a select group of SUPER BROODY hens that we have given up to 60 chicks each at a time to "raise".
Incubator/Tractor Supply/Commercial breeder chicks do not always have the skills necessary to avoid predation. We have found that we have FAR less predation rates with the game hen "raised" chicks. The adult chickens that are raised this way for only 2-4 weeks are very predator wary, better mothers when they go broody, and great foragers.
The other part of our natural defense system are our roosters. We keep 15-30 roosters at any given moment to protect a flock of ~300 hens. The game hen raised roosters are also the best roosters against predators.

 

[Matejka]

I did my homework and the species of Hawk that usually lives here in the Sierra is an endangered species. We were going to make a coop and run that was covered anyways, and thought of just trying to scare them off.
Don't even know if here in Mexico there is anyone who will enforce or effectively monitor and safeguard endangered species, which is really really sad.
But anyways I was thinking about sounds one could broadcast or structures that perhaps a person might put to deter these birds from hanging around. That's what I was wondering if anyone had done something like that.

I read once or saw in a documentary (can't remember) that in the US some people broadcasted the howls of male alfa wolves and I think that that's how they managed to keep away the smaller coyotes or foxes from their animals. Sounded quite interesting.

Do you have cara cara.
I know they are native to Mexico.
We have several here.
1 tried to get into chicken run-he didn't succeed.

 

[cmom]

All birds of prey are federally protected.

 

[cmom]

Have any of you caught hawks or how do you deal with them?

I haven't caught a hawk but did accidentally catch a GHO. It had killed some of my birds. We got it into a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. I have posted this picture before.

 

[McChooky]

Its been a labor intensive experience building predator proof coops and runs for 6 chickens but I live in the city limits (can't shoot a gun near dwellings esp in city limits.)
One attack by a coon or weasel could wipe out my entire flock so I'm not taking any chances .All my pens have hardware cloth and are covered but I'm still considering electric fencing.

 

[cmom]

I have electric wires around my coops and pens. The predators respect the wires but I have a pretty powerful fence charger. Anything that touches my wires will hurt, but that is the idea, I want them to have an experience they won't forget. Now I think the adult predators teach their young that a bird isn't worth getting zapped for.

 

[cmom]

I also have my fence grounded so if anything touches the fence and the hot wires, they will know it. It may not be too pretty but it works.