Thanks to all that have shared over the past. My 10 chicks just started laying about 3 weeks ago. When they began laying, they became much more more brave about ranging out in the open and have been roaming our 3 acres like never before. Up to the point of laying, they stayed within 25 yards of the coop and always under the trees. I witnessed the first hawk attack yesterday. One of the hens had wandered off down near the wooded creek area and a broad-shouldered hawk hit her twice as she skedaddled for the coop with me hollern' and shouting the whole time. All the others ran for the shrubs around the house. Fortunately, she just lost a good size clump of feathers. I'd seen another hawk doing reconnaissance a couple of months back and had strung two lines with some streamers from our 2nd story deck to near the coop about 10-20ft off the ground. Think I will add a couple of more today to other points at the edge of the woods to increase the coverage and maybe add an owl decoy. I haven't given up on free-ranging yet, but I guess my next step would be to build a penned chicken run.

In my area, I have plentiful Red-tailed hawks and have them nesting in the old woods around my retired farm every year. The parent hawks are year-round residents, often using the same nest over again until they have an unsuccessful nesting, after which they will choose a different nest the following year. They also usually build more than one nest and then choose the one seeming most protected when egg laying time comes around. But their young disperse in late summer after fledging and spending much of the summer hunting with their parents. The juvenile Red-tailed hawks disperse and form communities consisting of other juvenile hawks and make their way north to the Braddock Bay area of Canada. From there, they disperse again, going off to find their own breeding territories. Gail R (WNY)

Please check out the Hawkfest at Lake Erie Metro Park-- We drive 2.5 hours every year to see it-- You will learn more about birds of prey and the wonderful vantage we have here in SE Michigan in a very short time!! Hope to see you there!! Check out the pancake breakfast AND bring your camera!

Pretty sure you can shoot it with a permit in some states, not sure. Either way I think the easiest solution is owning roosters. I live near a lake with a lot of birds of prey and my roosters have killed many hawks trying to get their girls. I have issues with the large owls personally, they have even broke into my coops and kill for fun. I absolutely hate birds of prey and wish my roosters could slay the owls too. I'm not down to go to jail over birds but I have told my neighbors who also hate them I know nothing if some of them go missing around here lol. Plenty of shotguns in our neighborhood going off when we see them flying around, the wild quail population has skyrocketed this year! Also, if ones attacking your pets or livestock you have the right to protect them within reason. I killed a hawk with a golfball sized rock once that was attacking my cat, killer aim to the head! No regrets, heft vet bill and my cat lost its ear.