What time are hawks active?

[Chocobo]

I live in a suburb with a small yard that I would like to let my chickens free range in. I know that there are some Red Shouldered Hawks in the area, and possibly screech owls, and haven't let them out unless I was outside with them.
Is there a time of day that hawks don't hunt?
Since I live in an area with lots of houses and small yards that are fenced in would the hawks even bother to hunt here?
If so is there anything I can do to deter them?

 

[txajackson]

I am fairly new to chicken keeping. My experience, in my area(Dallas, TX) is the hawks are more active in the winter. My chickens free ranged all day every day from October 2010 till this February when my frizzle was attached by a hawk. (She survived!Yay!) It was right after a bad week long snow storm and the vet told me the hawks were hungry. We continued to see hawks in our area until april or may and began free ranging again in June. I plan to stop free ranging all day and unsupervised as soon as the weather cools down again.
Would love to hear what others experience has beenl!

 

[PDurkin]

My only hawk attacks have taken place during the harshest times in the winter, two attacks in late January of this year. Once summer comes around the hawks seem to not bother trying to take on my ducks and geese. I lose a silkie to something this may but from the feathers and evidence left behind I think its safe to say a fox took her.

 

[sourland]

In my experience hawks are most active early AM to mid morning then again in the late afternoon during the summer. During cooler weather they will hunt all day although most attacks have been in the early AM. They are opportunistic and flexible in their hunting and have the ability to adapt. During the fall migration and winter months my birds are on almost a 100% lockdown.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

I have never lost a chicken to hawks.
we let ours out to free range ALL the time. but I am always around to spot them out. and hurry the chickens in side for a little bit till the hawks go away.

I read somewhere that you can hang up CDs, and if the hawk decides to strike it will throw of its aim.

 

[ceeceeholt]

We had our second hawk attact this summer. He missed the first time and the second time in our run with a top, he somehow got in. There is about a 4 inch opening where it is attached to the shed and I guess that is where he got in. Scared everyone to death, it was a sparrow hawk, but still. Have to put a heavier top on now!

 

[rosegal]

I have a hawk sitting in my trees every day now. The girls run for cover and one actually went up to it and stared it down. It appears about 9:30 and will come back in the late afternoon. It has also nearly flown into me on several occasions. I haven't lost one yet, but there isn't much I can do about this hawk. I would like to get a air pistol, but I think that is illegal.

 

[ChickiKat]

Saw our hawk at about 9am on a very hot day... First saw it flying out with empty hands. Then it came back and sat on one of the fenceposts. DH came out and fired a warning shot at it. Hope I never see it again....

 

[stilldeb]

I never let mine out unless they are supervised, have foxes, hawks, etc. Was out with them last night - Sultan was sitting in my lap and a bunch of chickens were running around in the yard and a hawk made a pass through the yard at about my eye level - saw me and diverted up and out of the yard with me yelling at him. Yeah, can't shoot 'em. They are protected.

Had one fly right up in my face from the side of the road way back when I was pushing a stroller once - scared me to death - and my son just said, "BIRD, Mommy!"

Yeah...BIRD better stay away from my birds.

deb g

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Hawks hunt from morning to dark. In a former residence, I never saw one until I got a chihauhau puppy, every morning I took him out to the frount yard to pee, one week I noticed a hawk sitting on the telephone pole next to the yard, so I'd go out and standd over the puppy. One afternoon that hawk swooped in and took a dove in that same yard, while I was outside, flew right past me and nabbed him.
We have a pair that hunt the hollow where I am now...I have a flock of eleven chicks that free range, there are mostly black and hard to see in tall grass and haven't lost any...yet. I think when it gets cooler and the cover is gone, it may be a big problem. I'm looking for signs that they noticed them, but nothing so far...I'm hoping the big roosters are a deterent,but I know it's just a matter of time