Hawk Sighting! Any suggestions for adding cover to existing run with big trees inside?

[mopalia]

I used engineers tape to create a visual barrier. Can attach to trees or anything, planning to do more of the yard once we get the pruning done. The tarp covers their favorite dust bathing place. It's actually more festive than it looks, picture was taken on a gray overcast day.

 

[Rick&Chris]

I used engineers tape to create a visual barrier. Can attach to trees or anything, planning to do more of the yard once we get the pruning done. The tarp covers their favorite dust bathing place. It's actually more festive than it looks, picture was taken on a gray overcast day.

I am looking to deter hawks, too, and I assumed it had to be more 'secure' and more of a barrier so I was looking at netting. Does this work for you?

 

[Daisy June]

View attachment 3988872
Just a quick update on our Orpington. She has pretty much fully recovered. Monitored her exploring the garden for an hour this morning with some of our calmer birds before putting her back in the run with everyone.

She’s still a bit jumpy but otherwise seems to have returned to her normal self. And no major bullying issues after the reintroduction

Going to count that as a win and work on continuing to better secure their safety

What lovely ladies! We have several interested hawks flying over lately. Yesterday, I sat in my chair in the middle of the yard while my chickens foraged. Over their run, I have the black, plastic netting. The run is only 10'x10', so it was easily covered.

With all of your trees, it would be a challenge, but you could probably make it safer for your chickens by stretching any type of netting across and around every thing. We used zip ties on the big gaps.

I have considered large fake owls with motion detectors, but one of our members suggested that the hawks just get used to seeing the same old owl, in the same old place, doing the same old thing. lol
Anyway, what about a few extra large windsock type of flags in addition to the netting?

 

[Daisy June]

I used engineers tape to create a visual barrier. Can attach to trees or anything, planning to do more of the yard once we get the pruning done. The tarp covers their favorite dust bathing place. It's actually more festive than it looks, picture was taken on a gray overcast day.

Oh, wow, that's genius!

 

[mopalia]

I am looking to deter hawks, too, and I assumed it had to be more 'secure' and more of a barrier so I was looking at netting. Does this work for you?

Well, I haven't seen the hawk since, so either he moved or he decided that this was not as easy as he had hoped. The chickens don't seem to have been bothered by anything, which they would if he was still trying. It all sagged after a week or two so I added crosspieces, making it more of a weave. I'm planning to extend the run in a month or two and will be making my circus weave through some fruit trees, etc. It's cheap and easy, so I'll keep up with it. It's a visual barrier and it's not possible for a hawk to get a good "swoop!" through it.