American Kestral

[5chickenkid]

We have a American Kestral that stops by acasonly usealy when my chickens are out

!

 

[sourland]

If it really is a Kestrel, you have no problem. They are great at rodent control. If it is a Sharp shin or Cooper's hawk, that's another story.

 

[TBJumper0514]

Yep, if it a Kestrel, they are pretty small, so no threat to chickens (unless small chicks). Beautiful birds too!

 

[Kev]

yeah before the current neighbors moved in, the acreage next door was basically a meadow. kestrels would sit between the telephone poles right next to my yard to hunt rodents. they never went after my chickens, except once a kestrel did get tempted and started to swoop after a week old chick however the mother hen discouraged it from doing it again.

 

[whitehart]

We lost our first chicken, an EE just 5 months of age to a chicken hawk last week. He got her in our enclosed garden area which is too large to cover. Everyone is on lockdown in their covered yard now unless we are with them. Needless to say they are not happy! I looked online for deterrents to free range chickens and came up with the American Kestrel which is the smallest hawk. Kestrels are the size of bluejays or morning doves. They are great on vermin and small snakes but too small to take on an adult chicken. I also read they are very territorial and will make life miserable for larger hawks . Anyway we just built three Kestrel nestboxes and will put them up this week so they would be ready before any Kestrel nesting pairs. Does anyone have any experience with Kestrels used in this way?

 

[whitehart]

We lost our first chicken, an EE just 5 months of age to a chicken hawk last week. He got her in our enclosed garden area which is too large to cover. Everyone is on lockdown in their covered yard now unless we are with them. Needless to say they are not happy! I looked online for deterrents to free range chickens and came up with the American Kestrel which is the smallest hawk. Kestrels are the size of bluejays or morning doves. They are great on vermin and small snakes but too small to take on an adult chicken. I also read they are very territorial and will make life miserable for larger hawks . Anyway we just built three Kestrel nestboxes and will put them up this week so they would be ready before any Kestrel nesting pairs. Does anyone have any experience with Kestrels used in this way?

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you are lucky, the kestrel will swing by on his route and keep your sparrow and mouse population reduced. They are good efficient hunters of very small game.

I wouldn't let fresh hatched chicks out when the kestrel is around, but anything bigger than a sparrow is going to be out of the kestrels size range for prey.