Will a Red-tailed hawk attack my flock if I'm standing outside with them?

[BigBlueHen53]

Our big run has no natural cover, and we lost a hen to a RTH late last summer. So we provided some unnatural cover for them! We screwed a sheet of corrugated roofing metal onto two sawhorses to provide a little roof about 8' x 3' to shelter and shade for the chickens. (This has now become their favorite spot to dust bathe and just hang out, it's like their coffee clatch!). We also put two pallets together into an A-frame formation for quick cover if they need it, and dragged an old table out into the middle of the yard as another shelter. This all makes the yard look a bit junky, but we haven't suffered any additional losses, though i know the hawk is still in the area. When they come out of the yard to free-range they have lots of options for cover.

 

[kcan2]

Our big run has no natural cover, and we lost a hen to a RTH late last summer. So we provided some unnatural cover for them! We screwed a sheet of corrugated roofing metal onto two sawhorses to provide a little roof about 8' x 3' to shelter and shade for the chickens. (This has now become their favorite spot to dust bathe and just hang out, it's like their coffee clatch!). We also put two pallets together into an A-frame formation for quick cover if they need it, and dragged an old table out into the middle of the yard as another shelter. This all makes the yard look a bit junky, but we haven't suffered any additional losses, though i know the hawk is still in the area. When they come out of the yard to free-range they have lots of options for cover.

Come spring I think I will steal some of your ideas! Before owning chickens, I couldn't comprehend junky yards or chickens in the house. Now that I have chickens, bring on the junky yard and the occasional house chicken, too. If it beats the hawks, I guess it wins!

 

[Rooapalooza]

It's crazy that you just posted this, because this happened to me literally today. A large Cooper's hawk tried to attack my chickens less than 15 feet away from me. He didn't get any, fortunately. Actually last week he flew by my face so close that I felt wind on my cheek.

He flew into my neighbor's tree after missing my chickens today. Here he is, you can't tell his size in this picture, but he was pretty intimidating up close.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Well, we have lots of hawks around here, red tailed and red shouldered, and my rooster always alerts the hens when he sees them flying. In fact, they will often sit in the trees nearby; I am not sure if they are actually watching the chickens or not, but they are pretty close. They have never attacked my chickens though. I'm actually surprised (and grateful) that I can free range my chickens without having to watch them, because all the stories on here had me scared for a while. There was only one time when I saw a hawk come rather close, maybe 35 feet from the flock, he was in a tree but he didn't attack. I was watching from the back door and after about half and hour came out and chased him away. The rooster had led all of the hens right up against the house and was consistently making his air-borne danger calls, so I knew something was up.

 

[igorsMistress]

It's possible but it depends on the bird. We've had a juvenile RTH make an attempt on pullets, but they had good cover. We've also had a Great Horned Owl in the yard during the day, but fortunately I went outside at just the right time and the owl flew off.

Lots of cover, both natural and manmade, that has more than one way to enter/exit is key. We covered an old swingset with shade cloth, there's an old picnic table, and another shade structure. We also made sure to leave space between our coops and fence and the coops have more than one entrance. No one can be boxed in and there's not a lot of open space between cover areas.

 

[shae902]

So far- no hawk or eagle attacks. Mainly because we’ve made a small run that most hawks don’t want to fly in.

 

[ValerieJ]

Well, we have lots of hawks around here, red tailed and red shouldered, and my rooster always alerts the hens when he sees them flying. In fact, they will often sit in the trees nearby; I am not sure if they are actually watching the chickens or not, but they are pretty close. They have never attacked my chickens though. I'm actually surprised (and grateful) that I can free range my chickens without having to watch them, because all the stories on here had me scared for a while. There was only one time when I saw a hawk come rather close, maybe 35 feet from the flock, he was in a tree but he didn't attack. I was watching from the back door and after about half and hour came out and chased him away. The rooster had led all of the hens right up against the house and was consistently making his air-borne danger calls, so I knew something was up.

How long have you had your chickens? I had mine for 3 years before an eagle attack.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My question is would this hawk or other bird of prey attack my flock while I'm out there with them?

Hawks where I live are not afraid of me.
In December or January I just let my hens out for their free range time an hour before sunset, within 10 minutes while walking with my hens a Coopers Hawk flew just over my head. I could feel the wind as it past over.
I was surprised because I didn't see it when I let them out and I never see them so late in the day.
I haven't seen it so late in the day since. GC

 

[Mtnboomer]

Yes it will. My sister has a Yorkie. Notice i didn't say dog. I had a 23lb cat once (not fat). So its not a dog unless its bigger than that cat. Sorry small yippie yappie lovers!
Anyways, last August we were outside with it and a hawk was perched in a walnut tree overlooking her yard. Sure enough, it swooped down after her yorkie with 4 of us standing right there. Of course her yorkie only weighs 3.5 lbs. A "dog" that needs to be scared of a bird. SMH Good grief.

 

[Rooapalooza]

Yes it will. My sister has a Yorkie. Notice i didn't say dog. I had a 23lb cat once (not fat). So its not a dog unless its bigger than that cat. Sorry small yippie yappie lovers!
Anyways, last August we were outside with it and a hawk was perched in a walnut tree overlooking her yard. Sure enough, it swooped down after her yorkie with 4 of us standing right there. Of course her yorkie only weighs 3.5 lbs. A "dog" that needs to be scared of a bird. SMH Good grief.

I notice you said has a yorkie so I assume she's okay? Lol I have a morkie who weighs in at a massive 6 lbs and has a bit of a complex. My 50 lbs dog is much more afraid of everything than she is.