When are chicks hawk-safe?

[Chocobo]

This morning while letting my five week old chicks play in the yard they suddenly made a bee line to a bush and hid. When I looked up I saw a hawk glide on by.
This just further cemented in my mind that I had made the right choice with my "fort knox" approach to Tractor Design.

I realize baby chicks are in danger of hawks but I've never seen anyone mention adult chickens being targets which leads me to believe that at some point they are not considered prey.
At what age or at what size do chickens stop being hunted by hawks?

 

[BrattishTaz]

Risk is greater for chicks but even adults can be attacked by hawks. I've had full grown roosters taken by eagles. Red shoulder hawks will not hesitate to kill adult chickens. Even Cooper's hawks will attack if they get the opportunity. There are some interesting videos showing this on Youtube.....search "chicken hawk (s)" there and you should find them.

 

[Nicole01]

Chicken's are never safe from predators. I live in a heavily wooded area, so I keep my girls in a nice and secure run. We have bald eagles, hawks, coyotes, fox, possum, dogs, cats, ect... I've tried supervised free range, but they just hang along side the house on top of the rock. Pretty soon grasshoppers will take over and it would be nice if the chickens feasted upon them. I let my dogs protect my chicks too.

 

[mdbokc]

Every girl I have lost has been to a hawk over the years. None to those that walk on the ground.

 

[JodyJo]

well....maybe never...mine are fine now at 12 weeks, I let them free range at 8...I have a small silkie, that stays with the pack...I live in the country with hawks, coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk etc...they always know when to run for cover...but a coyote will take anything, you just have to be careful and if in doubt, build them an enclosed run, they never leave...

 

[A.T. Hagan]

In my experience for the large fowl breeds once they are close to full sized I don't worry about raptors any more. Bantams and half-grown birds and especially chicks are at risk.

Ground based predators are another matter entirely.

 

[hannakat]

I don't think they're ever safe from hawks. Mine free range (4 12wo and 2 1yo). It is a risk at any age since preditors come in so many sizes, shapes, and direction.

But then I also let my cats go out if they want....some people think that's wrong! I do not want to prevent my critters from the life they were designed to live.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hawks are always a threat.

I lost a fully grown pullet to a hawk. She had been laying about a month when she was killed (a red sex link). The hawk couldn't carry her off, but it killed her.

 

[Lil'ChickFarm]

Someone told me that there is this deer netting you can use over their play area. I want them to be in a six foot fenced in area.
Can hawks fly straight down? Our set up is going to be very close to the house. They would have to come down into the fenced area.

 

[ragerkid2]

Yes they noze dive into the ground. I watched a hawk swoop at a robin at the corn pile and it wrapped its wings around itself, and went STRAIGHT down, diddnt get the bird. but still scary knowing that i was just about to go let the pullets out to free range.