Will a scarecrow man keep away the hawks?

[redhen]

A hawk got another one of my girls the other day..
I CANT put netting over their run... it simply wont work with the shape and size of their run,..
Soo.. i need to figure out another way to keep them away...
I havent been able to let them out for the last 2 days cause Mr. Hawk WONT go away..
He just hangs out in the tree by their coop..waiting... waiting...
He is hungry and determind to have a chicken dinner...
We were thinking of trying a stuffed scarecrow man... type of thing..
Think it will work?

Also..its a good sized red-tail... will it go after my geese or pigs?

 

[gritsar]

I'm sorry for your loss Red.

Unfortunately hawks are pretty smart. They'd most likely get used to the scarecrow in no time and just ignore it.

What about criss-crossing fishing line across the top of your run. Is it set up in a way that you could do that?

 

[Pastor Mike]

Have you considered using 10 lb fishing line strung back and forth across top of large areas to create a trip style trap. Quite shocking to see a hawk bounce off the invisible fence.

 

[redhen]

Thanks guys! We did have some line/string crisscrossed across the top.. but he still was able to get in..
They ARE smart little suckers... they watch and find a way in. I even hung C.D.'s on the string... didnt faze them.
Hubby got mad and ripped the string out cause they were still able to get in.

We need to re-do it maybe..and do it tighter... or something...
They are just getting hungry now with all this snow and cold.. i kinda feel bad for them too.

But not bad enough to keep feeding them my girls! He got one of our older girls, from my first batch of chicks. My white rock, Pearl..
I'll be devastated of he gets my roo.

 

[Mahonri]

I walked out this morning and scared away a hawk waiting for one of my month old chicks to emerge from their brooder box.

Wish I'd have known he was there and I would have walked out with the pellet gun.

 

[sourland]

We put up scarecrows at a beagle club that I belong to. A week later I saw a redtail perched on the head of one of the scarecrows.

I think that your pigs are safe, but if desperate enough they might have a go at your geese. If you have one or more ganders they will probably thwart the attack. GHO are more dangerous to geese as they attack when it's dark for the most part. This snow is making it hard on the predators, and they are becoming desperate. Good luck in resolving this.

 

[Cranman]

I have lost 2 hens to hawks, one recently. If I saw a hawk close by in a tree waiting for a snack, I would shoot it. Yep, I know it's illegal. My dogs would eat the evidence though. Sorry if that's wrong to say, but I'm just being real. Maybe you could shoot your hawk with a BB gun a time or two to help it move on.

 

[lurky]

We have a hawk hunting here too but i have not lost one yet. I keep stuff around for them to take cover, and also so its just not wide open.
If you see him in the area, go bug him so he leaves. I just go out bugging mine with my Nikon and he goes away. AND.... the other thing to do is set up a wild bird feeder somewhere away from the chickens, that keeps our hawk's interest and he rarely goes near my chickens. We seem to have a sharp shinned hawk, i think a red tail might be more aggressive. red tail, red heads....all feisty

I bet feisty enough to land on your scarecrow. Sorry for your loss........ i have been so nervous about the same.


ETA:

 

[AuroraSprings]

OFF TOPIC: Wow, those are awesome pictures! I've worked with a Red-Tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, and a Barred Owl while living at an Environmental Center. Wish we would've had a Sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk, they are beautiful!

Back ON Topic:

We have a HUGE female Red-Tailed Hawk that has, for some reason, NEVER bothered our fowl. She keeps all the other birds of prey away because her nest is in our back pasture and has been for years. We'd be in trouble if we lost her. Even the owls don't come too close. Vultures will come in, but she tends to leave them alone unless they come near the pond (too close to HER nest, I guess). I wonder why her mates never bother us either. Foxes, yeah, but never any birds of prey, hummmm....

 

[Davaroo]

Build duck shelters in the chicken yard. These aren't for waterfowl, but provide a place for chickens to "duck into" when the hawk comes around.
My sister used tepees made of brush, but anything similar should work.

Once the hawk can no longer get an easy meal, it will go elsewhere.