We have a hawk that keeps coming around trying to catch a chicken. He actually swooped down and had my fantail pigeon pinned to the ground one afternoon but I was close by and threw a water dish at him (bad aim so I missed of course.) The hawk let go and flew up to the telephone pole to look at me a while (I deprived him of a meal.) I use fire crackers to scare the hawks when I see them fly over, but I'm not always outside and want to prevent losing chickens to them. (The pigeon is normally in his pen so don't have to worry about that.) Does anybody have any ideas about keeping hawks away from your chicken yard? I don't want to keep them penned up all the time (they are free range.) Thanks in advance.
Advice on keeping hawks from chickens
We have lots of hawks but they seem to think the chickens are too big to eat, in any event hawks have never tried to attack any of my hens.The chicks are not allowed to free range; I suspect they might be taken.
Sorry, I can't help you on that one. If they are gonna free range, I don't know that there is much you can do... Netting over the area?
Well, I was afraid that was the case. We have had chickens attacked by the hawk but they were able to get away because we have places for them to get under to hide and also because sometimes I am out there when it happens and chase it away.(But one day the hawk might be successful.) The chicken's part of the yard is just way too big to put a net over because we want them to have access to all the grass and bugs they want. Guess we just have to keep an eye out for when the hawk comes around.
Thanks...
We have the same problem and have lost a few to hawks. If they are flying down when you are out there then there isn't much you can do to prevent it. Usually when someone is outside they stay away.
The Hawk is a confusing issue to me. We have tons of Hawks here (redTail's) They circle our pasture and the neighbors on a regular basis. Yes I'm here quite a bit but usually am gone 2-3 hours a day. Several of my seramas and five of my gamehens free range every day all day long and I have never lost a bird to one. Maybe the field mice and rabbits supply is enough for them but I'm totally confused as to why they don't come down for a meal. Is it possible to be that lucky? During the summer we also have lots of eagles and they sit in trees and watch our birds but so far so lucky. I just can't figure out why we haven't been hit...Hay
One came and sat on my cockatiel's cage this summer, when I had them outside in the backyard.
Someone said to hang cd's around. The sparkle of them is supposed to scare them away for some reason. My neighbor puts those children's toys that spin, I forget the name now, but the ones you blow on or put in the wind that spin and shine. I guess she uses them to keep birds away from her vegetables. Maybe they work for hawks too.
Someone should do a google search on this topic.