Is THIS the ONLY Way to Protect Chickens from Aerial Predators?

[@rrbb36]

Unfortunately we have chicken hawks, bald eagles and owls that like to hunt on and around our homestead. The good news is there are crows, too, which do a great job running them off. I’ve actually learned to imitate the crows’ alarm call. So now whenever I notice aerial predators, I “call” the crows, and to my delight, they respond… chasing the predators away. It’s amazing and fun to watch.

[@emilynelson6129]

Thank you so much for saying that…loss es are a part of owning livestock. While we still look at them as pets it’s so hard because really like you said it is a part of life. They are pets/livestock. I lost so many this year and it has been heart wrenching for me so I have to look at it that way. ❤

[@737smartin]

6:30 I watched the 3-yr old netting video, and was glad to find this follow-up.

[@kummerhomestead]

Yep!

[@TismFishing]

I use pond netting. Kudzu grows over my run in the summer and dies every winter.

[@living4Him90]

We have 15 hens and live near a River. We have an nesting pair of bald eagles that fly over our place all the time go fishing but have yet to go after our hens….we are outside next to our chickens often so I wonder if that keeps them away but also I’ve heard eagles in particular get used to hunting one type of food? So maybe different than hawks. I’m hoping to grow raspberries, rosemary, mint and blueberries bushes in the chicken run to see if they can have better coverage with those. My husband doesn’t want netting. Thank you for the video I now will also try adding some other covers for the hens!

[@orionespy]

Growing some plants like Jerusalem Artichokes might give the chickens a place to hide.

[@jenniferhorton3145]

I watch other farmers who live in the south and have hawk issues, they have guard dogs, they also use predator lights for owls, that keep predator birds away at night. The other thing they do is hang streamers and balloons from diff points in the area the chickens go, and as the streamers fly around in the wind, it keeps predator birds from getting enough courage to attempt an attack. It's not 100% but it has def helped other chicken raisers who raise their birds in the south and not in closed in areas. U can get streamers and balloons from the dollar store! So very cheap way you help save chickens

[@kummerhomestead]

Thanks for the suggestions! We decided against hanging stuff because it looks crappy and causes trash (as mentioned in the video).