We're getting our first chicks in April, and plan to keep the half-dozen or so bantams in an A-frame chicken tractor and move it around the yard. We've done all we can to make the tractor itself predator-proof, so I'm not so worried about the chickens when they're inside it, which will be most of the time. I do like the idea of letting them range around the yard once in a while, though, once we've got the fence backed with chicken wire to prevent escapes. Other than the neighborhood cats, the most serious daytime threat on our street are hawks. In fact, we have a pair nesting in a huge oak across the street. Most of our yard is overhung with branches from an old dogwood and Japanese maple (about 20' trees). Am I right that hawks tend to swoop down on prey caught in open fields, or can they navigate under tree branches to grab a bird? And will they attack when people are around? I would only let the chickens out if I'm out there working in the garden with them (and chasing off the local cats, argh). I hate the idea of them never getting a chance to roam outside of the tractor, but I hate more the idea of my kids' pets getting carried off by a hawk.....
Last edited:
