This Is How You Get Hawk Deterrents For Chickens

This Is How You Get Hawk Deterrents For Chickens

Jan 03, 2024

Hawks…


The predators of the skies.


If you see a hawk circling over your backyard.


Be alert and go out to see how your backyard chickens are.


Because the chicken hawk does not take prisoners.


Are you ready for them?


Do you have hawk deterrents for chickens ready in your backyard?


What Are Hawk Deterrents For Chickens Really All About?

The hawk is a predator of the chicken, and they hunt from the sky.


If you do not have hawk deterrents for chickens in and around your chicken coop then you could be heading for disaster.


I can not say that I have had any chickens of mine ever fall victim to a hawk before, they most probably are not common in the areas I live.


Not that there are not enough predators out there who would love to get to my chickens, but I do try to make it hard for them.


So when it comes to a sky born predator you need to handle this differently than a predator from the ground where they mainly are.


What Time Of Day Do Hawks Hunt?

You are in luck in one way…


You do not have to worry about pr editorial hawks coming at nighttime to terrify your chickens, but I can not say that of the owl of course.


As they are a night predator.


So whether it is, day or night, your chickens are in danger of aerial borne attackers.

So I can tell you now, that hawks do not hunt at nighttime…


They do not have the eyesight good enough for night hunting like the owl who has big eyes just to cope with seeing much better in the dark of night.


I am not saying that the hawk does not have good eyesight, they have very good eyesight, just not for seeing in the dark.


And when it comes to attacking from the air it is a matter of timing and skill.
A hawk’s eyesight measures distance, and this in turn will decide at what speed the hawk will swoop down.



So it is a bit of a dangerous undertaking if you do not have your speed and distance right.


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A hawk will never get the element of surprise of its land prey, namely the chicken.


Hawks are in fact diurnal birds, what this means is they are active during the daytime and not during the night.


They do however also hunt in the subdued evening light as well.


Will A Hawk Attack A Rooster?

I know that roosters are mainly big barley chickens, but when it comes to the hawk, they have their sharp claws and beak in which the rooster does not.


The rooster does have spurs on the back of his feet.


Though, compared to the hawk he would have to be really sharpening up his spurs to compete.


And that is not going to happen.


Roosters will do their best to protect the hens in their chicken coop from predators, and that means hawks as well.


Because of this, the rooster does put himself in harm’s way first and could be the chicken taken by the hawk first.


So if you think that a rooster will deter a hawk…


The hawk will take a rooster just as it would a hen.


Can A Chicken Survive A Hawk Attack?

There have been instances where chickens survive attacks from any predators if the odds are in their favour.


The chicken has its beak, their smart, they have their claws and feathers to protect their bodies.


And if the predator does not have the right grip on them, they can get away.
And they can survive with wounds and as well.


Hawks have always been a major predator of the chickens, I guess that’s why you sometimes hear them called chicken hawks…


Hawks attack especially in the winter, especially when the pickings are scarce.


Scaring Away The Hawks

Hawk deterrents for chickens…


There are many hawk deterrents for chickens that you can use.


You can buy them from stores, online, and even make your own…


Why not.


What will scare hawks away?


Use netting as a good way of covering your chicken run if the walls of your chicken run is high enough.


This will also keep other birds away from the scattered chicken food on the ground.


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Unless you want a bird party of course…


Wind chimes can also keep the hawks away, but you do need to remember as with many things…


If the sound just keeps ongoing day after day, the hawk will see it not as a threat and get used to it.


So don’t just put it up and leave it.


Keep it up for a little while then take it down and put it up again to keep the hawk on its protective toes.


You can go outside banging a kitchen pot to scare them away if you like.


And if the neighbour looks over the fence at you as though you have finally gone around the twist.


You can say…


‘HAWK!’


You could look at radios outside and a manner of other things, but you do have to consider your neighbours when it comes to sound and your own sanity.


There are other alternatives…


What Is A Hawk Afraid Of?

And they are afraid of some things…


Hawks are afraid of crows, owls and eagles.


Now I am not saying that you start up your own bird park in your backyard, as you would not be allowed to keep them as pets.


Or the council will be after you because it’s really illegal, well with owls it is, unless you have a license.


So…


Hawks are scared of eagles as they prey on them for food, and there is also the number one predator of the hawk.


Whereas raccoons and snakes do snatch eggs out of hawk nests if they get the chance.


And…


Hawks will also fight each other over territory.


Shiny things…


Yes, shiny things are very effective as hawk deterrents for chickens, you see they move around in the breeze and are reflective to the light and sun so never static.


Think of finding if you do not have any to throw away…


Dvd disks or old disks from your computer.


You can even jazz them up a little to make them even scarier.


Just not scary enough to scare off the neighbours.