Keeping Hawks out of my run

[Stephen1152]

When I built my mother her pond, I was told that if I ran fishing line over the water in a few spots, it would keep the hawks out. They would come down and get a look at the line and get scared they would get tangled in it. Did anyone ever try this for over their chicken run?

 

[Flock Master64]

No but I think it would work

 

[aart]

Have seen several do this with varying results.
How big is your run?
Might need to crisscross it with lines that only leaves gaps of a foot or less.

 

[N F C]

I just read of someone else doing something similar with their run only I believe they used colored cord or wire (?) so the aerial predators would see it before even getting close to the run.

Never tried it myself but if it's not too pricey or troublesome, it would be worth a try.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Or, they could get tangled in it an fall into the run with the chickens. Why not just cover the run with welded wire or something?

 

[blackdog043]

I've never tried it, but I would use 100 lb test if you do. What about using deer or bird netting? You may have to support it, depending how big your run is.

 

[Farming Feathers]

It would seem to work in my opinion and any hawk large enough to go after chickens would not require a small criss cross pattern...that said it would also seem if they were to tangle and fall into the run they won't be able to fly out as they must spread the wings to fly and no room to do so...they would likely be injured hopefully with no broken bones as they don't heel well since they are hollow (wing bones), and even if they did heal in the wings the added calcium will affect flight hence ability to hunt with skill.
I have for a short time kept a Kestrel (small falcon) taken from her eerie...feathered but had not flown...I researched birds of prey, raptors and over couple years observed the kestrel...her (female) eyesight was acute example one time the bird was sitting on a perch we kept in the kitchen (several around the house) and from the living room where I sat on the couch about 25 feet away...I noticed the bird seem to see something in my area as she kept cocking her head around (never did that in the past) and she then flew on the floor next to the couch and was looking down at the floor...I went to see, and to my surprise there was a grease ant on the floor (this was in California at the time and no fire ants) these ants are very very small.
When these birds molt they don't just loose feathers in a random way...the wing and tail feathers fall off in pairs (one on each wing and pair on tail feathers). The tail feathers fall in pairs it has been many years ago but believe the feel from center out like from a fan pattern center out two at a time; this keeps the the bird in balance for hunting without loss of flight control.
Their feet when they grab a prey is powerful and like a tie wrap the grip locks so they can relax the muscles and use the energy for flight... when they want to release the prey they tighten the foot muscles to release the locking lever...like a tie wrap if the lever is free the tie wrap opens.
I won't go into feeding habits but it is meat. and they must be gleamed from time to time. I found the birds of prey interesting and did a proper release back into the wild...I knew she returned into the wild with no ill affects as I saw her a few times...and seen remains that I knew were Kestrel and her style of feeding...I would not seek to take a bird from the wild as they are very balanced and we humans cannot give them the care they need.
For me it was a learning experience and hope for the bird it was a gift as I tried to help her flight and hunting skills on lance training...that was fun...though she only hoovered once...the day I released her to the wild she hooved above me...guess to show me she could do that...and one last time she flew over the house into the back yard area where we the family was gathered and she hovered over us landed on the fence then flew off...that was the last time we saw her. Still miss that falcon.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Or, they could get tangled in it an fall into the run with the chickens. Why not just cover the run with welded wire or something?

Not always an option if it is a big run.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Not always an option if it is a big run.

How big are we talking? Mine is 10x20 and i plan to do part of mine with metal roofing and the rest with 5' welded wire.

 

[chaidarling]

Glad I saw this. Hawks were one of my only worries when my husband and I started talking about chickens. Our plan is to totally cover most of the run with a roof and any unroofed area will have hardware cloth. That way we're covered for and little critters climbing over the fence or through the sides