Hawk coming to attack!!!

[cherrynberry]

We hear a hawk in our backyard and immediate ran outside. It was perched on one of our pines. I flushed it with water and sent it flying, but it tried to come back again. I was unable to keep all thirteen chickens together so I locked them up and now I don't know what to do. We are going to be gone for three days and we are not sure how to protect them. We can't keep them in their coop and we don't have A run. They typically free range please help identify the hawk and any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[cherrynberry]

Also I live in Ca

 

[tsperry88]

Unfortunately you can't shoot it. I have read that some have had success stringing fishing line all over the place. Apparently if you can keep the gaps under 2 foot it deters them. "Deters" is the key though. I don't think you can prevent a hawk attack completely without a fully cover run.

 

[ValerieJ]

Until I could get bird netting over my 4,000 SF run, I ran reflective tape, criss-crossing , all over the run. Having already had an eagle attack, I found this worked. But, of course it was hard for me to get around the space too. But, eagles swoop down on their prey, and I have watched a small hawk just drop nearly straight down on a dove, so that may make a difference. Still, I think it is a deterrent. The reflective tape can be found in any farm store. I think it's also called deer tape. Folks put it along the top of a fence line to deter deer.

Hope this helps. We don't have large hawks in my immediate area because we have a pair of bald eagles, and they chase away any competition. But, I will tell you, the bald eagle attack was so devastating that I lost one of my favorite girls to shock a couple days later. She wasn't personally attacked, just traumatized. It was heart breaking. So, do whatever you can to keep them safe.

And when you get back, it might be time to start planning a sufficient secure run for them in the future. In addition to the netting, we have also done that now.

 

[cherrynberry]

Thank you I will try the string method, but we have tried a run but it did not seem to work. We have a lot of neighbors and the chickens get mad when they cannot roam.

 

[tsperry88]

They get over it. I lost way to many free ranging and built them a nice big run covered in aviary netting. I'm not against free ranging, it just dint work for me.

 

[Fillymj]

Thank you I will try the string method, but we have tried a run but it did not seem to work. We have a lot of neighbors and the chickens get mad when they cannot roam.

Better mad then dead.

Get something up even if small while you are gone.

 

[CSolis]

We've got eagles and hawks galore down here in South Alabama, so no free ranging my kids. They have a nice big area to play in and can roost in the hen house at will. I've covered my area with deer netting, available at Walmart for less than bird netting and the same thing. Next is running chicken wire around the chain linked fence area (used to be a big dog kennel) to keep rat snakes from visiting.

 

[cherrynberry]

Well seems like it will have to be a run...

 

[cherrynberry]

Probably a good idea because our chicks are now jumping on the neighbors fences for fun