What to do about Hawks?

[andreanar]

Red tail come right down and grabbed and started eating one of my hens, with my sister right there. So don't think they are safe just because youre out with them. Only safety is to pen up the chickens. It sounds like you want an answer to make the hawks go away. I wish there was an answer, we ALL wish there was an answer to that.

 

[HelloChickies]

Why don't you put chicken wire around the perimeter of the trampoline and make a small "run" for them? At least they could get out of the house for a while each day, and stay safe.

 

[Athena2344]

I mean that if the coast is clear, and I'm out there, they are then allowed out. We are on 17 heavily wooded acres, so they aren't prioritizing with my two coops.

 

[Athena2344]

My uncovered run for my teen layers is exactly a big trampoline pen with fencing wrapped around it

 

[Embuck]

I beg folks' pardon; I am contradicting a lot of suggestions. While they are indeed excellent suggestions, based on experience and insight, many of them are simply not feasible given my resources. One of my resources being a house that is not really big enough for long periods o confinement.

Why don't you put chicken wire around the perimeter of the trampoline and make a small "run" for them? At least they could get out of the house for a while each day, and stay safe.

That's something I'll look into, thanks for the idea!

 

[Athena2344]

Depending on what's near you you can find some good deals on fencing, I found a small feed store and they had a 50ft by 6ft for like 45 and tax, Wich is a little bit of a deal to me cause at home Depot I've seen 2ft by 25ft for over 30

 

[Wezdin]

I believe that the lesson we have learned is that everybody has a hawk deterrent method. The best one for you is the one that works for you.

 

[centrarchid]

I believe that the lesson we have learned is that everybody has a hawk deterrent method. The best one for you is the one that works for you.

Or does not and you still keep recommending others use it.

 

[Embuck]

Or does not and you still keep recommending others use it.

I don't want this to mushroom into a big argument, but sometimes methods that don't work for one person will work for another. If it's cheap enough, I'd recommend trying it. For instance, I'd be willing to bet simple CDs would have worked for me, if the hawk hadn't gotten two chicks before I put them up.
Wild animals aren't always predictable. Some are smart, some are dumb as rocks.

 

[Arielle2]

We have problems in the fall/early winter with the young hawks. We yell at them. All chicks are kept inside. Or they have a mother and a rooster to help guard them. I usually lose a hen, as they can kill her but not take her away as she is too heavy.When the rooster is with her, that problem is decreased. (We remove the dead hen as we dont not want to reward the young hawk. He needs to learn to hunt in the woods.) Roosters watch the skies.

Make low lying platforms for the chicks to dive under. THey really need an adult to watch the skies and scream "hawk" and the babies will have time to dive for cover. ( In one such event, my hen was walking with me when the alarm was sounded. Every bird disappeared. I looked around for my hen. SHe was under the car!!! ROFL)

I advocate for keeping a rooster. My groups have several roosters, they watch the sky while the girls eat and mind the chicks. Something to think about as you go forward with chickens.

We are losing acres and acres of woods to houses here; less habitat for the hawks.