What took my chicken? Is it going to take my ducks too?

[Learningstill]

Did the hawk come before or after the tape/streamers? That is a cool idea. It seems like it would work for the flight predators. Have you seen the hawk since?

My brother said that if you shot toward a hawk without hitting it, the hawk would scare off and probably not return. So, if that is true I could see the streamers working.

How did you attach them? I tried to zoom in, but it just gets blurry.

Thanks so much for the link. I am going to research this some more. Thanks a great deal!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did the hawk come before or after the tape/streamers? That is a cool idea. It seems like it would work for the flight predators. Have you seen the hawk since?

My brother said that if you shot toward a hawk without hitting it, the hawk would scare off and probably not return. So, if that is true I could see the streamers working.

How did you attach them? I tried to zoom in, but it just gets blurry.

Thanks so much for the link. I am going to research this some more. Thanks a great deal!

The hawk came before the streamers. We had 3 hawks flying around above the house last week, none came down close, big red tails. They rec you use tape to attach them to make it sturdier where you attach.I used 3 streamers in the small area and used gorilla tape to attach them to each other then used a wood screw through the tape and streams to attach it to the house.any kind of tape like duct tape would work I only had the gorilla tape. One came down during the heavy snow we had last week and another had a branch fall and tear it down but we got them both back up. Now when snowing I go out with the room and tap the streamers to knock off the snow.

 

[Learningstill]

Oh I am glad they are working for you. I think we will try this method eventually too.

For now, we are thinking to build some sort of fenced enclosure built off their main hut, but I was wondering if we should use wood or PVC for the frame? Which would be cheaper?

Anyone?

It is going to rest on the ground and not be fixed to anything, but the huts sides and roof.

We have to figure out something hawk proof soon. I am hoping before the weekend is up. My husband is working this weekend and we have a soccer game, and two 4-H meetings, meanwhile I have to get something going. I feel lost, overwhelmed, and like a failure. I hope I am able to accomplish a large indent into whatever I am doing tomorrow. Wish me luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh I am glad they are working for you.

I think we will try this method eventually too.

For now, we are thinking to build some sort of fenced enclosure built off their main hut, but I was wondering if we should use wood or PVC for the frame? Which would be cheaper?

Anyone?

It is going to rest on the ground and not be fixed to anything, but the huts sides and roof.

We have to figure out something hawk proof soon. I am hoping before the weekend is up. My husband is working this weekend and we have a soccer game, and two 4-H meetings, meanwhile I have to get something going. I feel lost, overwhelmed, and like a failure.

I hope I am able to accomplish a large indent into whatever I am doing tomorrow. Wish me luck!

I know exactly how you feel, that lil bantam I lost [Gracie] was the sweetest lil hen, I never in a million years would have thought a big red tail would come down that close to the house and I would have never known unless my one big rooster was making noise inside his coop, all the rest of the chickens were hiding in various places the ducks/geese were all piled up inside that small area where you see the streamers hanging when I saw the hawk fly up over that goose house just a few feet above i thought she was getting ready to land inside that area where everyone was at but she was taking off. She's already killed my hen and I guess when I came outside I scared her off. I say her because it was huge and have since learned the female red tails are the big ones. Your not a failure no matter what we do something will always want to eat our precious flock either by over head or under the fence on over the fence or thru the fence. If I had to pen my flock up to where they didn't have the freedom to forage and have fun I'd have to give them up, Once the leaves come out in the spring it will be much better for them plenty of places to hide and the hawks will have a harder time. For now I just keep putting up more streamers[just ordered more tape] and watch. I hope you can get something going this weekend sounds like you have a full plate. Keep us updated.

 

[MightyDucksVT]

Sorry about what happened to you duck, it is very unfortunate.

When I was a little girl I brought home chicks for school (yay for science class!) and once they were grown they lived in a fenced in area just like you described under the trees and whatnot. One day my parents saw a big barred owl swoop down and attack one of the hens. It tried carrying her off but my parents scared it away, however she was hurt too bad and didn't make it...

I definitely think you should have some place where your ducks can be undercover and safe from sky predators. Maybe you could angle a tarp across an area between a branch or fence to your hut to provide some temporary protection until you have time to build the enclosure? If you can slavage some wood that may be a cheaper but a sturdier option than PVC. In my experience PVC can be more flexible and wobbly. I would like to build a covered area for my coop, but we get a lot of snow in the winter so it would need to have a roof so that the snow wouldn't build up where it can't be shovelled. Anywho, good luck with whatever you decide!

This actually made me wonder for my own ducks safety...they like to sleep outside when it is above 30 degrees and they are pretty vulnerable out there...should we consider locking them up at night? Food for thought...maybe some more experienced duck owners can help with that question?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sorry about what happened to you duck, it is very unfortunate.

When I was a little girl I brought home chicks for school (yay for science class!) and once they were grown they lived in a fenced in area just like you described under the trees and whatnot. One day my parents saw a big barred owl swoop down and attack one of the hens. It tried carrying her off but my parents scared it away, however she was hurt too bad and didn't make it...

I definitely think you should have some place where your ducks can be undercover and safe from sky predators. Maybe you could angle a tarp across an area between a branch or fence to your hut to provide some temporary protection until you have time to build the enclosure? If you can slavage some wood that may be a cheaper but a sturdier option than PVC. In my experience PVC can be more flexible and wobbly. I would like to build a covered area for my coop, but we get a lot of snow in the winter so it would need to have a roof so that the snow wouldn't build up where it can't be shovelled. Anywho, good luck with whatever you decide!

This actually made me wonder for my own ducks safety...they like to sleep outside when it is above 30 degrees and they are pretty vulnerable out there...should we consider locking them up at night? Food for thought...maybe some more experienced duck owners can help with that question?

They should defiantly be locked up at night, I have a trail camera and at night we have seen owls, raccoons, possoum, bears etc. not safe to leave them outside once it's dark.

 

[Learningstill]

Okay, so we went to the store and decided since we are unable to provide cover in the duck pen until spring, we are going to create a hefty web using fishing line, reflective tape and ribbon, and plastic neon orange tape over the goats pen. Their pen higher, 6ft, and it is on both sides, so there in not be a gap for the hawk to come from the side. We will see how it pans out.

We are going to do this Sunday and see if the hawk will leave them alone. There was no sign of the hawk Saturday. We also noticed the wild birds were not here either. So now we are rethinking a bunch, but because the ducks are inside eating, no food for the wild birds and no hawk, mmmmm.......

Will update soon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay, so we went to the store and decided since we are unable to provide cover in the duck pen until spring, we are going to create a hefty web using fishing line, reflective tape and ribbon, and plastic neon orange tape over the goats pen. Their pen higher, 6ft, and it is on both sides, so there in not be a gap for the hawk to come from the side. We will see how it pans out.

We are going to do this Sunday and see if the hawk will leave them alone. There was no sign of the hawk Saturday. We also noticed the wild birds were not here either. So now we are rethinking a bunch, but because the ducks are inside eating, no food for the wild birds and no hawk, mmmmm.......

Will update soon.

Sounds like a plan and hope it works, and your right take away the food source and no hawks, they are attracted to the wild birds and your flock. I feed the wild birds to keep them out of my flocks food always have. Plus i enjoy having them around.

Let us know how it all goes.

 

[Learningstill]

Update...we ended up keeping the ducks inside for the week and yesterday put them back outside. I apologize for the quality of the photos.

This photo shows the line zing-zagging across the pen (look closely)

This shows the orange tape woven in different directions through the line.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Update...we ended up keeping the ducks inside for the week and yesterday put them back outside. I apologize for the quality of the photos.

This photo shows the line zing-zagging across the pen (look closely)




This shows the orange tape woven in different directions through the line.

Looks good, I hope it works for you. cute goat. and lots of snow. not so cute. eh?