My hens were in a chain link dog kennel with a tin roof. There was about a 4 inch space at the very top between the railing and the roof. A hawk crawled through it and killed a hen, beat up another and was trapped in there. If there’s any entrance available and they want in, they’re getting in. Our new pen roof is 100% enclosed in wire now.
[QUOTE=Incantation;8058537]
We enlist the help of the crows. We feed the crows near the barn - extra eggs, bread, pretty much whatever we have. They do not tolerate hawks in their territory. On many occasions we have witnessed the guineas pinned down by a hawk, only to be saved when the crows intervene, and chase it off.[/QUOTE]
I need to encourage some crows to move in!! I would love to let my hens out to forage in my goat paddock, it’s enclosed with wire mesh, so mostly safe from 4 legged predators. I’ve lost a couple hens to hawks early on, (never roo’s darn it!) since then they’ve been incarcerated, and they’re not pleased.
[QUOTE=2DogsFarm;8058325]
Just this year I seem to have lots of crows & am grateful they will do Hawk Patrol.
Although, I’ve seen some much smaller birds harrying a hawk off “their” territory.[/QUOTE]
Here at the quarry I get quite the show, and it’s led by the red winged blackbirds :eek:
We have Canada Geese, Red Tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, and tiny little raptors of some sort, I have been assuming they’re Kestrels.
The blackbirds absolutely MOB them, they do NOT get to fly over the central area here, which we have dubbed “the swamp” - it’s really a retention pond of sorts that has big tall reeds and much wildlife inside.
The little buggers are relentless!
There’s one male that seems to have picked out a certain semi truck to either love or hate, he’ll land in front of it and dance back and forth while he’s on the scale :lol:
