Well, we ruled out owls. That leaves hawks. This time of year the broad-winged hawks are gone to S.America. Coopers hawks aren't big enough to carry off a chicken and even red tails, the biggest hawk around, can't take off with a full grown chicken although they can take some very small ones. When hawks kill chickens they'll usually sit right there and feast.

Taking into consideration that a chicken is a very large meal for a hawk, the chances of even a pair averaging 5 chickens a day just doesn't make sense to me.

While you might have hawks around, I would start thinking about four footed varmints being the problem.

Well another aspect to the story is I have a family of bald eagles that live a half mile away that like to come by. I have pretty much taken care of the predators, they come by a few times a year but I pick them off pretty quick

2cylinder, even eagles can't get airborne with anything but the smallest chickens. Watch the video below.

Fortunately, there is no evidence that the depredation is from raptors. Fox, raccoons, coyotes, domestic dogs, etc. are a far more likely cause and that means you can legally deal with the problem.

To see an eagle is common here also. I have a biologist friend that hunts with me every year that told me he has seen as many as 32 eagles near his management area close to Orlando at one time.

Maybe if you could get permitting you might use traps and release the Hawks to the DNR in a transfer cage.

I was told by a farmer last year an eagle was eating out the eyes of calves as they were being born. I don,t know what you could legally do about that.

Hawks are federally protected . Doesn't matter what the state says. It's hard enough for airports to get permits to take lethal action, I doubt you get anywhere over chickens.

Eagles you have to have a permit just to harass.

I'd be very curious to get a state game and fish biologist and a federal game warden in the same room on that GA "any predatory bird or mammal" statement.

I do appreciate Kirk sharing that law statement always interesting to see what is in the books somewhere even though I'd not be the one wanting to try to use
that on any federally protected bird species.

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There are loopholes for seeing livestock being attacked and lethally removing the predator in the moment even out west with large carnivores, but I'm hard pressed
to believe the feds wouldn't have a fit over someone taking raptors over dead chickens despite it being a real problem for open free range producers.

Interesting discussion though....

What is so important about these darn birds? Why are they protected? I can't think of one good thing a hawk has given me.

Years ago a land owner, I know of, had at least 18 alligators in the large pond he owned by his house. Some were over 10 feet. He asked to get them removed. The state allowed one permit. About a month later one got his dog. He asked for more permits and asked to have them all removed or let him get them removed. The state didn,t want to remove anymore. Shortly thereafter his 2 year old grandson was playing in the back yard. A large gator came out of the water after him. The child was saved by one of the family members in a very close call.

He never asked for another permit, from what I understand. The alligators vanished.

That is what I was told.

Makes you wonder about the ability of a DNR to make the best decision, no matter where they are. Whether they are state or federal.

2cylinder - at one point all manner of birds were down in number through excessive use and "market hunting" and other factors including controlling predators, you name it. Migratory bird treaty act and other conservation tactics were employed along with obviously hunting seasons for waterfowl and upland game birds, etc...

Ultimately putting any species in a "what has it done for me" can skew anyones view positively or negatively. A good example would be when one pasture is filled with sheep and the rancher wants the coyotes dead to protect his lambs, while the neighbor grows alfalfa or other feed and wants the coyotes left alone to eat as many mice and rodents as possible. (not a fake example by the way, in OR it was common for this to be the case when I lived there years ago).

Or the guy who likes to look out and see the deer in his yard while the neighbor wants them dead or gone as they are eating their shrubs and trees and landscaping.

As someone raising chickens you are of the belief the hawks are eating your chickens but following along haven't seen where you've actually affirmed it to even be hawks or raptors taking your chickens. So at the moment you don't have a hawk depredation.

Either way, understanding everyone has their own view is a massive part of life itself right? None of us agree 100% on hardly anything, not wildlife, surely not politics and everything in between, lol!

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Kirk, Your alligator story illustrates a point that all on here probably know well. Laws are meant to provide a structure to enforce when folks are caught breaking them. Laws to not however find everyone who breaks them and we all know that illegal wildlife take including serious poaching and all the way down to lesser offenses are extremely common and when there are only 1 or 2 "fish cops" per county or less in many states, good luck to them finding people who aren't chronic offenders or folks who post to their FB account while posing next to a dead hawk they just shot!

Plenty of illegal actions happen daily, nature of the beast...

No. What it illustrates is how far removed Government can be from the problem to protect us in many situations.

I do very little trapping now compared to years ago, due to age, health, and other reasons. I do however get many a story from customers from all over the United States. All they do is re-enforce what I have learned in the past.

We have very little actual poaching here compared to the past. Most all of the people I know stay within the law whether they agree with it or not. I quit dove and duck hunting years ago because of all the harassment and fear I could be fined for something I was not aware that would cause me to lose my trapping license. I can,t remember a year that I did not kill a nice buck since I was 15. I did not kill a deer this year.

I hope 2cylinder can resolve his problem whether it is really hawks or not.

Funny comment about managing raptors. Yard full of chickens is a target-rich environment; basically, you're putting out a buffet for them.

---sure hope this guy ain't serious.

Every State has laws regarding lethal take of wildlife, but these laws do not relieve anyone from following the Migrating Bird Treaty permitting requirements.

I know a guy that raises pigeons or at least he tries. He told me he lost over 50 of his birds to hawks. 90% of what he had. That was last fall. I haven,t seen him for a while. He witnessed many kills. Some of the birds he had named. He never mentioned he killed any hawks but did say he would like to. He said he had a friend that had the same problem. They both had pens but still were losing birds. The other guy lost many of his testing his birds. I believe they were racing pigeons.

He did say he may quit raising any poultry or birds, because of the problem being so severe.

I don,t think one can truly understand unless you have experienced the problem or walked in the shoes of the person experiencing the same problem no matter what it is.

Wish I knew how to post a picture. I had a hawk in my pigeon shed this morning. No clue how it got in there.

It was in an area where it wasn't going to get a pigeon. It still screws them up. They didn't hop down and eat this morning. Can't blame them.

Makes me wonder what kind of pen has holes big enough for a hawk to get in without being big enough for a pigeon to get out.

They catch them next to the wire and grab them. They do the same on the fly pens.

Thanks. I guess that could happen.

What kind of hawks?
Some raptors preying on anything farm related can be taken legally by a permitted falconer including G eagles. each state is a bit different.

This works for a while, glitter tape- alot of it

Radio playing loud awful stuff- not country western- the hawks like that.

And scarecrow.