Hawk query-- will they enter a run/ under a net?

[CAjerseychick]

Hello all- another Hawk question-- I have a completely enclosed/ covered run 8 x5 ft with the feeder and waterer inside but I like to leave the run door open so my chickens (15 month olds and 3 8 week olds) can free range about in my 25x 25 ft back yard fenced area -- noticed a Hawk the other day flying away from the tree in that area....
Does anyone have experience with a Hawk actually landing to walk into the run to attack? Or, I was think of putting up a bird netting (it would be still open at the sides...) would a hawk still land and try to attack from the side does anyone know, thanks in advance....

 

[ManuelsChickens]

Hello all- another Hawk question-- I have a completely enclosed/ covered run 8 x5 ft with the feeder and waterer inside but I like to leave the run door open so my chickens (15 month olds and 3 8 week olds) can free range about in my 25x 25 ft back yard fenced area -- noticed a Hawk the other day flying away from the tree in that area....
Does anyone have experience with a Hawk actually landing to walk into the run to attack? Or, I was think of putting up a bird netting (it would be still open at the sides...) would a hawk still land and try to attack from the side does anyone know, thanks in advance....

Most Of The Predators I Worry About Is Hawks, They Got Two Of My Chicks From My Whole Experience Of Raising Chickens Which I'm A Beginner I've Only Had Chickens For 4 Years.



But Hawks Were Most Of My Problems. I Actually Don't Do None Of That I Just Go Outside When Ever They Do The Warning Call. I Just Go Outside And They Calm Down. My Two Chicks Died Because Of Me. The First One Died Because I Left Them Outside And I Forgot To Put Them In There Cages. So Something Got Them I'm Pretty Sure It Wasn't A Hawk Though Cause There Were Feathers Everywhere. I Think It Was A Fox Or A Skunk.



Last Time They Did The Warning Call Except I Fell Asleep And My Mom Was To Sleepy To Wake Me Up. When I Went Outside They Were All Hiding Then The Coast Was Clear And I Realized One Of My Chicks Were Missing. I Blamed The Hawk Cause I Never Found It Or It's Body. I Was So Mad At My Mom But I Should Have Blamed Myself To. But I Don't Think I Should Blame The Hawk Cause What If It Wasn't The Hawk? What If It Just Got Lost?

 

[centrarchid]

Coopers and sometimes even a red-tailed will walk to get at chickens, espcially when flock is all juvenile (or small like bantams) or female. If hawk can walk in, then other predators can get in as well.

 

[chickortreat]

Some friends of ours lost quite few chickens to hawks. THey would hear a commotion, go outside, and see the hawk fly up from the kill. During that time, they identified 5 different species of hawks stalking their chickens. That taught me that hawks will definitely kill chickens, regardless of what some folks say. We were sitting on the porch one day, and had a hawk come swooping down right over the chicken tractor. The very next day, a hawk lit in a tree directly over my chicken pen. The chickens were going wild.

 

[centrarchid]

Some friends of ours lost quite few chickens to hawks. THey would hear a commotion, go outside, and see the hawk fly up from the kill. During that time, they identified 5 different species of hawks stalking their chickens. That taught me that hawks will definitely kill chickens, regardless of what some folks say. We were sitting on the porch one day, and had a hawk come swooping down right over the chicken tractor. The very next day, a hawk lit in a tree directly over my chicken pen. The chickens were going wild.

I doubt five hawk species actually killing chickens. I have only two, rarely three that do it and my hawk diversity is high. Many folks are not correctly identifying hawks to species resulting in vilification of entire lot.

 

[lilchick]

I have call ducks in a dog kennel pen with netting over the top. The hawks will sit on a nearby hay feeder and watch them. When the ducks get close to fence the hawks will fly right into side of it! I have not seen them land on or walk across the netting.

As far as walking or swooping under netting.. Yes! I have a pen that is netted except for 3 feet of it along the fencing. I had not let out the turkey poults into this pen yet and when I looked into pen a hawk was in there and struggling to fly up thru the netting..

And as far as netting goes be sure to use nylon, not the cheap deer netting.. A hawk can fly into and tear thru the cheap stuff...

 

[rparrny]

I have a similar set up...an eglu with the enclosed run and a fenced in grass paddock for them to free range. Not by design...but the paddock is bordered by Rhodies that have grown through the fencing on one side of the paddock. I find this area is a great shelter for them to run from the hawks if they can't get back to the coop...it also offers great shade in the warm weather and they don't eat the leaves. The down side is they will often look to nest and lay eggs there...but it's easy to access if they do.

 

[CAjerseychick]

I have call ducks in a dog kennel pen with netting over the top. The hawks will sit on a nearby hay feeder and watch them. When the ducks get close to fence the hawks will fly right into side of it! I have not seen them land on or walk across the netting.

As far as walking or swooping under netting.. Yes! I have a pen that is netted except for 3 feet of it along the fencing. I had not let out the turkey poults into this pen yet and when I looked into pen a hawk was in there and struggling to fly up thru the netting..

And as far as netting goes be sure to use nylon, not the cheap deer netting.. A hawk can fly into and tear thru the cheap stuff...

Oh no I had hoped they would stay away from the netting, if it helps I have my dogs roaming outside the fencing to keep other predators down so am hoping they will be additional protection (although with temps into the 100s this week they are most often napping in the cool garage)....

 

[chickortreat]

I doubt five hawk species actually killing chickens. I have only two, rarely three that do it and my hawk diversity is high. Many folks are not correctly identifying hawks to species resulting in vilification of entire lot.

As I said when you so knowledgeably said "No arrows will be used".....Speak for yourself. Just because you doubt it does not mean they do not have several species of hawks killing their chickens. I admit all of what they saw might not have actually been hawks, but different birds of prey nonetheless.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hello all- another Hawk question-- I have a completely enclosed/ covered run 8 x5 ft with the feeder and waterer inside but I like to leave the run door open so my chickens (15 month olds and 3 8 week olds) can free range about in my 25x 25 ft back yard fenced area -- noticed a Hawk the other day flying away from the tree in that area....
Does anyone have experience with a Hawk actually landing to walk into the run to attack? Or, I was think of putting up a bird netting (it would be still open at the sides...) would a hawk still land and try to attack from the side does anyone know, thanks in advance....

Coopers and sometimes even a red-tailed will walk to get at chickens, espcially when flock is all juvenile (or small like bantams) or female. If hawk can walk in, then other predators can get in as well.

Yep, I have Cooper's Hawks that will occasionally walk in through the door of the run after doves that wander inside.