Hawk protection for the flock.

tomplum · Nov 15, 2019

:thumbsup: Once again, another project idea brought to you by TBN!

sixdogs · Nov 15, 2019

In parts of Canada I have seen strong fishing line just pulled from side to side over the fences of the pen. Quick and easy and the birds stayed away. Peregrine Falcons would steal the fish but that cures it.

Jstpssng · Nov 15, 2019

I've seen string attached to old tires on top of rows of round bales out in the fields. Thefarmer said that it keeps crows from landing on them and destroying the plastic.

GeneV · Nov 15, 2019

Alan W. said:
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After losing my rooster to a red tailed hawk I decided to try and come up with a solution. Admittedly the easiest would have been lead. I needed something that would work without me being there. I remembered seeing this from someplace before. I simply drove a short piece of chainlink top rail into the ground then inserted a full length piece into it. I pop riveted a post cap to the top to tie off to. Ran white nylon twine to each post and between. Since doing this I have seen a hawk try to get the chickens twice but flare off when he got close to the twine. Fairly cheap and so far effective.

That's smart. I have ducks. Hawks and falcons don't go after the adults but will after ducklings. In the summer I lost 3 ducklings at once to a falcon, and then had to put a 4th down from injuries I was hoping he'd heal from. That falcon was a jerkface about it too, he came back a couple times after, looking for more ducklings, but I kept them protected.

Gem99ultra · Nov 16, 2019

Shaneard said:
The only time we ever had chickens on the farm was when I was a kid. Last thing I remember about them was an ax to the neck over a stump and mom frying them. Man they were good.

They probably have laws against that now :confused2:

That had to be the humane way of handling the chickens. At age 6 I was taught how to simply wring their heads off. Nasty, bloody job, but someone had to do it - and I was the youngest. Back "in the day" there were a lot of what we'd call cruel things to be done, which aren't socially acceptable in today's world. Thank goodness!

tomplum · Dec 13, 2019

I guess I should have jumped on this already. Came home to find all the chickens hiding on a sunny afternoon. Checked the cameras, a big ole hawk tried to take a hen. I didn't think they would try and take a full grown bird. I wonder how many of the other 3 attacks were a hawk rather than a bobcat... Only one was confirmed as a cat.

Threepoint · Dec 13, 2019

tomplum said:
I guess I should have jumped on this already. Came home to find all the chickens hiding on a sunny afternoon. Checked the cameras, a big ole hawk tried to take a hen. I didn't think they would try and take a full grown bird. I wonder how many of the other 3 attacks were a hawk rather than a bobcat... Only one was confirmed as a cat.

Wow. Wonder how that'll affect egg production. Sounds like it may take some time for your ladies to work through the PTSD.

tomplum · Dec 13, 2019

They seem to roll fairly well with this. Some will be more timid than others for a few days. The hen that had gotten hit was hit before. Yet she is the last one in at the end of the day. She's really docile. I was bringing them into the covered area after 2 or 3 in the afternoon. This was 12:45 noon. The hawk came in like shot, did a loop and the girls flew, ran whatever to get out of harms way.

Threepoint · Dec 14, 2019

tomplum said:
They seem to roll fairly well with this. Some will be more timid than others for a few days. The hen that had gotten hit was hit before. Yet she is the last one in at the end of the day. She's really docile. I was bringing them into the covered area after 2 or 3 in the afternoon. This was 12:45 noon. The hawk came in like shot, did a loop and the girls flew, ran whatever to get out of harms way.

Chickens and roosters can have their own individual personalities, and can get into our hearts like other domestic animals. Keeping them safe is an ongoing challenge. Good advice is not to name them. But it's hard not to!