| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Luzy |
Posted - Nov 13 2006 : 1:50:37 PM
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE hawks...but not when they go after my ducks and hens!! I've had my girls in the same area for over 3 years and never had a problem like this. Luckily, I went outside just at the right time and prevented a huge Swainson's hawk from carrying off one of my girls!! The same thing happened last week. We have Horned owls on the property, but as long as we put the girls to bed before dusk, we've never had any problems. This year however, there are a lot of hawks hunting during day. So I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck scaring them away, and how?! Would one of those big fake owls help deter them?? I guess we need to eventually cover their yard with mesh, but can't start on that till this weekend. Today after the incident I went ahead and put everyone to bed at 1:30pm. I hate doing that, but better safe than sorry. Any ideas??
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May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| OregonGal |
Posted - Nov 13 2006 : 6:36:40 PM
My dog is good at chasing off hawks - she learned from watching me do it - she's always looking "skyward" for them and chases the vultures too (tho they aren't a threat). A redtail got about 7 of my young chickens this summer. I had to take to leaving the young ones in the coop until just about an hour before dark, then let them out for a bite of grass and any bugs they could find. The older chickens were smarter at watching for hawks and taking cover. My hope was that the hawks would get hungry and go elsewhere for eats. I also had an owl swooping down into the duck pen at night and I had to set up an obstacle course of 5 gallon buckets with fencing laid flat on top of them in areas of the pen so the the owl couldn't swoop them....if the owl lands on the ground, the ducks can outrun it easily. I also put some of my easily washed plastic picnic type chairs in the pen too for added secure places for them to sleep at night and that has worked very well for foiling the owls - that might work for the hawks too. But for me, the hawks are a little different cause my chickens free range only, there's no pen. I had to resort to putting a wire fencing gate-like covering on the coop door-way cause it would be too hot in there if I kept the hard door closed during the day to keep the young ones in. Make any sense? I did that for a few weeks straight. And also, some of those hawks are just on their migratory journey - especially at this time of year, and need an easy meal for a few days while on their journey south, after a while they should be gone. good luck - hope you figure something out....let us know. |
| berries |
Posted - Nov 13 2006 : 6:35:44 PM
Maybe one of the fake owls would work. Or put a pie pan up or several to blow like a chime or move and keep them scared away. I do love hawks too!
farmgirl hugs, gloria g. Richards, TX
strawberry fields forever and ever! |
| ThymeForEweFarm |
Posted - Nov 13 2006 : 6:10:42 PM
Do you have a dog you can leave out with the birds? I have a farmcollie witha passion for chasing off large birds. He chasing them until they're out of his territory. We haven't lost a bird to predators or duck eggs from raiding ravens in years.
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com
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