Owl or Crow decoys to deter hawks?

[Higgs2001]

I am absolutely heart broken. We just recently began our advebure in chicken-raising. My 3-year-old is amazing with our 5 hens and is completely attached! Sadly, while we were playing with our chickens in the yard the other day, a hawk swooped down and dragged a hen away...right in front of my daughter. It was so traumatizing! Now I'm wondering, what decoys have people had the best luck with? Owls or crows? And no, I am not able to get a goose, turkey, or peacock at this time. Just simple decoys for now. Thank you for any and all help.

 

[centrarchid]

Can you get a rooster? Options most readily realized either involve more cost or confinement for a few days.

 

[Muttpuppy]

We just went through the same thing,but luckily I heard the commotion and went outside to see a hawk sitting on top of one of our silkies. It tried to drag the hen off as I was going towards it but dropped her. Not a scratch on her just scared. You will probably have to keep the chickens secure for a week or so. The hawks will come back now that they know there's a food source. The hawks around here seem to stay on a schedule. They come around the same time everyday. I don't know how much it has helped but we now use an owl decoy. Just make sure you move it around the yard every day or so. If it stays in the same spot animals seem to get used to it. Then it will no longer be useful. Also make sure your chickens have several safe places to hide in the yard be it a bush,chicken tepee, or the like. I've also seen things on line about scarecrows but idk. Wishing your flock well.

 

[aart]

I am absolutely heart broken. We just recently began our advebure in chicken-raising. My 3-year-old is amazing with our 5 hens and is completely attached! Sadly, while we were playing with our chickens in the yard the other day, a hawk swooped down and dragged a hen away...right in front of my daughter. It was so traumatizing! Now I'm wondering, what decoys have people had the best luck with? Owls or crows? And no, I am not able to get a goose, turkey, or peacock at this time. Just simple decoys for now. Thank you for any and all help.

Decoys don't really work well,
they might work initially but birds of prey are smart,
they know phony when they see one.
There's great pic on here somewhere of a hawk sitting on top of an owl decoy.

Take the money you might spend on decoys and build a sturdy hawk proof run.
You can still free range on occasion, but during times of high activity
(like now, migrations have started)
they will be outside of coop but safe from flying predators.

 

[Joecool1994]

We actually have an owl decoy that sits on one of the posts and swivels it's head around. We were hoping it would keep the little birds out of the cage but they still come around and find a way to get into their pin, which has very few areas that they can squeeze through. Here recently we too have had a hawk that sits on top of the pin and it doesn't even acknowledge the decoy owl unfortunately. However, we have a wired up roof so that no predators can go through or over their pin.

Do you free range your chickens or are they in a pinned area? If it's in a pinned area, a simple roof may help you out a lot!

 

[Higgs2001]

thank you everyone for the replies. I truly appreciate your input and feedback. I wish I could get a rooster, but zoning permits in my city don't allow it.I am going to try everything possible. Still crushed, though. Thank you again.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Decoys don't really work well,
they might work initially but birds of prey are smart,
they know phony when they see one.
There's great pic on here somewhere of a hawk sitting on top of an owl decoy.

Take the money you might spend on decoys and build a sturdy hawk proof run.
You can still free range on occasion, but during times of high activity
(like now, migrations have started)
they will be outside of coop but safe from flying predators.

You mean this picture?

bytw. this is a smallish hawk.

Save yourself $40.00

 

[Kornbred]

I was just reading this post. Someone brought up getting a rooster,how does this help?

 

[centrarchid]

If you can make so hawk has to work from ground, then rooster has the upper hand even when hawk is a Red-tailed Hawk. I routinely use roosters to repel chick-thieving Coopers Hawks as my roosters and sometime even hens will deliver a whooping on those bad boys and girls. Rooster needs to be full adult and standard sized; bantams, silkies, Polish and the like are not effective breeds for such use. I use games preferentially and have been trying American Domininques in the same capacity. Former is much more into it but the gameness can be a problem when more than one rooster needed to cover a large area.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You mean this picture?

bytw. this is a smallish hawk.

Save yourself $40.00

While I was searching for this pic, I ran across a photo of a fox eating a hawk in someone's back yard. I won't, I doubt that you will, and I don't recommend that you introduce a hungry fox to your chickens just to protect them from hawks, oh well such is the nature of nature.