What size hardware cloth to prevent hawks from clawing through?

[Jessica1203]

What size hardware cloth will prevent a hawk from being able to reach through and claw a chick/chicken standing along the edge?
I lost a (very small, had been failure to thrive for awhile) six week old Salmon Faverolles today to a hawk. It swooped down and maimed her through the wire with it's talons and she passed in the few minutes after.
I had fenced the run in 1/2" hardware cloth but ran out before I did the door. My plan was to pick more up this evening and finish but then this happened. I was honestly more worried about raccoons than hawks in regard to the fencing. They've only been in there for a day and a half(had been in my closed porch previously in a pen) so I'm really kicking myself and feeling horrible about not having protected her properly. I should've just waited to put them out. We love this little chicks and are very sad that this happened.
This hawk will be back and looking at how thin the talons are, I'm worried I might need to put 1/4" hardware cloth along at least the bottom foot and a half.
They are back on the porch until I am sure they will be safe in the run.
Has anyone else experienced something similar?

 

[nuthatched]

Half inch should be fine, talons aren't long. Unless your chickens are pressed up against the wire, they'll be fine.

 

[cmom]

I am lucky I never experienced that. I have had hawks kill birds but not through the wire. I do have electric wires around my coops and pens so maybe that's why. Good luck...

 

[Jessica1203]

Half inch should be fine, talons aren't long. Unless your chickens are pressed up against the wire, they'll be fine.

Ok, yes, apparently that is what happened today which is why I'm so freaked out about it. It's not like the hawk could get in. It had to be within grasp along the fence line. I would like to think it was a freak thing but I'm so worried about the others now.

I am lucky I never experienced that. I have had hawks kill birds but not through the wire. I do have electric wires around my coops and pens so maybe that's why. Good luck...

Thank you. I did not expect it, she just have been right against the fence. Maybe it caught her by surprise or maybe the others bumped her out of the way. She had progressed much more slowly with her growth than the others so they could have easily shoved her in their panic.

 

[McChooky]

You can get a 15 mile fence charger that for around $50 bucks on eBay. I've also found 250 ft of 17 gauge wire for only $5 on Amazon . Run at least one strand along the bottom of your run if not more .It'll help tremendously! You can't do but so much so fast. Just keep a watchful eye on them until you get the hardware cloth up. We've all gone thru this ourselves and sometime we learn from others mistakes. Most predators will watch and learn our routines and use the element of surprise to their advantage but a Hawk is bold .They'll attack one right in front of you killing it in a blink of an eye.

 

[Jessica1203]

You can get a 15 mile fence charger that for around $50 bucks on eBay. I've also found 250 ft of 17 gauge wire for only $5 on Amazon . Run at least one strand along the bottom of your run if not more .It'll help tremendously! You can't do but so much so fast. Just keep a watchful eye on them until you get the hardware cloth up. We've all gone thru this ourselves and sometime we learn from others mistakes. Most predators will watch and learn our routines and use the element of surprise to their advantage but a Hawk is bold .They'll attack one right in front of you killing it in a blink of an eye.

Thank you for the suggestions!
I brought them in on the closed porch in their large toddler pen that they have been growing out in until I can get that area all set with the hardwear cloth. I didn't want to take any chances.
I'm also thinking about tenting some bird netting over the top and stretching it out to the sides a bit and securing it with tent stakes so any hawks can't land right on the side of the run. It may be overkill but if it keeps them safe and adds some peace of mind it will be worth it.
I have a two year old so I have to be careful running electric wire but that might be a good idea to string it around where they would be swooping down to land and just putting in on when I know she doesn't have any access to the yard. It would be outside of my small fenced area behind the house so she wouldn't be able to just run right over to it anyways.
I'm going to try to search the forum for battery or solar powered fences that are reliable, as I don't have access to power out there.

 

[McChooky]

What size hardware cloth will prevent a hawk from being able to reach through and claw a chick/chicken standing along the edge?
I lost a (very small, had been failure to thrive for awhile) six week old Salmon Faverolles today to a hawk. It swooped down and maimed her through the wire with it's talons and she passed in the few minutes after.
I had fenced the run in 1/2" hardware cloth but ran out before I did the door. My plan was to pick more up this evening and finish but then this happened. I was honestly more worried about raccoons than hawks in regard to the fencing. They've only been in there for a day and a half(had been in my closed porch previously in a pen) so I'm really kicking myself and feeling horrible about not having protected her properly. I should've just waited to put them out. We love this little chicks and are very sad that this happened.
This hawk will be back and looking at how thin the talons are, I'm worried I might need to put 1/4" hardware cloth along at least the bottom foot and a half.
They are back on the porch until I am sure they will be safe in the run.
Has anyone else experienced something similar?

Did you use Chicken wire on the door? I saw an owl swoop down and kill a chicken thru chicken wire on a chicken tractor instantly .It reached its talons thru the mesh which has larger openings.I don't think its possible for their talons to reach thru 1/2" hardware cloth.The 1/4 " is not as strong as 1/2" .Only use 1/4" on the upper part .