Red shouldered hawk sitting on my run...

[Kattherat]

I let my 3 1/2 week old chicks out in their fully covered (hardware cloth), predator proof run today for a little sun and fresh air since the weather was in the upper 70's. I went in the house for about 20 minutes, came back out, and their was a huge hawk sitting on top of their run on the wire. The chicks were obviously scared to death. All except one was huddled in a corner and some now have little scrapes on their beak/comb area from trying to burrow under the corner of the run. I gathered them back up and brought them back inside to their safe little brooder. My question is this: Is there anything I can do to deter hawks away from their run? I am not as worried as much about a hawk getting them since their run is fully enclosed as I am them being traumatized every time a hawk decides to visit them and analyze the situation! Would putting a tarp over their run for a little while help not make them so worried? Will the hawk eventually give up after he realizes that he cannot get to them?

These are my first babies, and I am never planning on letting them free range. They have 100 sq. feet of covered run space (I have 7 bantams), and I purchased a little day time tractor for them to "free-range" every now and then.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[gryeyes]

First, the hawk will NOT give up.

A tarp covered section of their run might be a good idea for the chicks, so they have a place to go hide where they feel safer.

My run is covered with bird netting, but I still hang two mylar "fluttery" owl outline thingies in the trees in my back yard, to deter local hawks. Some people tie old CDs on fish line for the same purpose.

 

[St-Hubert]

I am very new at this....don't even have mine out in the coop yet....but I can only imagine the horror your poor little things went through!

We have Red Tailed Hawks in our area, and they are one thing I fear, and they're also the reason we have decided not to free-range. Our coop and run are built under a porch (storage house on the property) and will be fully-enclosed in hardware cloth. Hopefully that will be enough to dissuade the airborne predators.

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
This is not always the case. Last October I lost a BA (5-weeks old) to a hawk. I had always free-ranged and never had a problem prior to this, but following this incident, I put the remaining three 5-weekers in a tractor. Two days later the hawk was back for another meal. He perched on the fence for 15 minutes to survey the scene, then flew away. A week later he returned for the last time. Having realized there were no more free meals, we haven't seen him since. Once the little ones were big enough, they joined the rest of my flock free-ranging. I still occasionally see hawks fly overhead but they have never gone after my full-grown girls.

 

[elmo]

Yes, definitely give them cover...something to hide under. I notice that when mine are out free ranging in the yard under my watchful eye, they naturally head for areas with cover: under bushes, trees, even under camp chairs that we have set up out in the yard. It's instinctive.

 

[Penturner]

Birds are instinctively terrified of anything that moves over their heads. they are also afraid of direct stares and slow smooth movement. Think of a cat sneaking up on a mouse. keep this in mind when you move around your birds. certainly the not so tame ones. anyway the chicks woudl be a lot more secure if they had something to get under, be out of sight sort of feeling. you know the wire is protecting them, but it will never convince them. I woudl actually discourage the Hawk from hanging out. it is not much of an outing if they spend the entire time hiding under a box. but having something like that woudl prevent the attempts to dig under the fence etc.

 

[lakeontariochicks]

I'm terrified of the hawks too!! Yesterday while helping my husband build our coop, we had one flying overhead, the chicks have never even set foot outside yet, but it may have smelled the bedding in my compost pile?
A good friend of my husbands told him if we are ever planning on the chickens free ranging we have to have our two dogs out there too. The dogs will keep the hawks away.....
in my mind I am wondering what then will be biggest problem, a hawk swooping down to steal a chicken, or my female waiting for one to get close enough to her to taste?

 

[kristen2678]

I'd put your dogs outside. My son goes to a school on a farm. The hawks there learned the schedule of the farm hands. They'd wait in the trees until they opened the barn in the morning, then swoop in the second they cracked the door. They'd try for a snack then go out to the chicken/duck/goose yards. The only thing that solved their problem is a German Shepard....

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=312189

To those who say dogs will keep hawks away. Most yes, some no. This attack happened 6-8 feet in front of my dog, none of the chicks were killed as they all scattered in time. After the hawk landed my dog immediatly pounced on it. I could have let my dog kill this pesky red-tail hawk, but for my love of birds I got my dog off the hawk. I was too close to that hawk after getting my dog off it, feeling scared it grabbed attacked my right arm. Plunging 3 of it's talons into my arm. Read the rest if you want details...trust me, not fun. But I'm sure a huge german shepard wouldn't hesitate grabbing a hawk out of the air and tearing it to shreads!

 

[Biochick]

I also leave my dog Sadie out when free ranging.

She watches over the chickens so far so good. knock on wood.