cassandrapettersson
Emu obsessed
I would say we're pretty good at predator proofing, and keeping all predators away. Though, when you compare it; mammals are so much easier to keep away than birds or reptiles. With mammals you just need a dog to do half the work, if not more but other animals couldn't care less about the smell, they only smell food once they find the hens.
It's fall now, they're still newly out of the nests and learning to hunt. I assume this one is a juvenile for how stupid it is- Maybe a bit harsh, I do love BOP's, but this guy is ruining it for me. So, this started on Monday; We noticed all birds were in the chicken coop, not in the chicken run,, very odd for being them, obviously something scared them. We agreed that it was most likely a hawk that scared them.
Tuesday; I felt dread-- I told my mother not to let the chickens outside but she insisted; and so we did. 25 minutes later the goshawk is overpowering one of our hens, tackling her to the ground but swiftly flies away as we hear the ruckus and run to the scene. No one is harmed, but probably a big case of PTSD! Obviously, as soon as that happened we put all the chickens inside (not like they were protesting).
An hour later after the incident, the same goshawk flies to the chicken run net, walks back and fourth watching as one of my paduans is standing there obliviously. Then he starts smashing into the net, pulling it back with his talons etc. I hear this and chase him off. And well.. On Wednesday which is today, he visited again doing the same thing.
The reasonable thing is to not let them out, of course; so we wont. The run is completely predator proof and well built, the net described is mesh wire and after this happened we rechecked everything and put some more nails in.
I don't know what to do to get rid of him,, my mother wants to shoot him but between us I don't think she'll be able to. The entire reason i post this thread is because I need advice on how to keep him away.
We have reflective cutouts with bells attatched so they ring with the wind, we also have a fake owl that we move around but he doesn't seem to care for that either. We also have a big winter bodysuit we stuffed with leaves that's sitting on a chair,, doesn't care about that either; and he never appears at night so the motion sensored lights don't scare him either. We'll be turning on the radio, but I'm running out of hope.. I just need advice, the smallest advice will help.
Honestly, I could be wrong about him being a goshawk; a juvenile, and a male. I just assume he's a goshawk because it's the only hawk that preys on our chickens (red kites and buzzards don't care and sparrow hawks are usually too scared to make a move on our chickens, they live in our trees actually// possibly too small too)
It's fall now, they're still newly out of the nests and learning to hunt. I assume this one is a juvenile for how stupid it is- Maybe a bit harsh, I do love BOP's, but this guy is ruining it for me. So, this started on Monday; We noticed all birds were in the chicken coop, not in the chicken run,, very odd for being them, obviously something scared them. We agreed that it was most likely a hawk that scared them.
Tuesday; I felt dread-- I told my mother not to let the chickens outside but she insisted; and so we did. 25 minutes later the goshawk is overpowering one of our hens, tackling her to the ground but swiftly flies away as we hear the ruckus and run to the scene. No one is harmed, but probably a big case of PTSD! Obviously, as soon as that happened we put all the chickens inside (not like they were protesting).
An hour later after the incident, the same goshawk flies to the chicken run net, walks back and fourth watching as one of my paduans is standing there obliviously. Then he starts smashing into the net, pulling it back with his talons etc. I hear this and chase him off. And well.. On Wednesday which is today, he visited again doing the same thing.
The reasonable thing is to not let them out, of course; so we wont. The run is completely predator proof and well built, the net described is mesh wire and after this happened we rechecked everything and put some more nails in.
I don't know what to do to get rid of him,, my mother wants to shoot him but between us I don't think she'll be able to. The entire reason i post this thread is because I need advice on how to keep him away.
We have reflective cutouts with bells attatched so they ring with the wind, we also have a fake owl that we move around but he doesn't seem to care for that either. We also have a big winter bodysuit we stuffed with leaves that's sitting on a chair,, doesn't care about that either; and he never appears at night so the motion sensored lights don't scare him either. We'll be turning on the radio, but I'm running out of hope.. I just need advice, the smallest advice will help.
Honestly, I could be wrong about him being a goshawk; a juvenile, and a male. I just assume he's a goshawk because it's the only hawk that preys on our chickens (red kites and buzzards don't care and sparrow hawks are usually too scared to make a move on our chickens, they live in our trees actually// possibly too small too)
