Will bird netting keep the hawks from killing?

[Shireshome]

I know an old-timer around where I live who uses the heavy duty orange construction fencing. They can't fly threw that stuff! Just make sure you secure it really well, the old-timer uses zip ties.

 

[hannahransom]

Thanks for all the replies. I am definitely exploring my options. They are so bored in the coop most of the time I'd love to have them out foraging all of the time. I really want a livestock guard dog but I don't know if that is quite an affordable way to go about things

 

[harveyhorses]

They can and will dive fast enough to go through the netting. The only predator loss I have had, big red tailed dove into it, went through and brought some down with it, and got little Varly hen. There is an aviary netting that someone had a link to that was much much stronger. I'll try to find it.

 

[AllenWMiller]

I like Billy's advice about using galvanized wire over the top of the runs. My smaller bantam runs are covered in the manner. But I also have large flight pens for pheasant , tragopans, peafowl and other flight birds and I use flight netting from J.A. Cissel and I also get good netting from a bloke on eBay now too.

So it depends on the area you are attempting to cover. But fruit tree netting will not offer alot of protection from hawks or vulture or and large prey birds as they can rip it to shreds. The flight netting is designed to withstand even ground predators attacking. I have used it for 30 plus years with great success.

Below are two links if you are interested:

http://www.jacissel.net/

http://stores.ebay.com/Pinnon-Hatch-Farms?_trksid=p4340.l2563

There are a lot of manufacturers of gamebird and aviary netting so do some research to find one in your area and usually they will let you pick up locally to save shipping.(I have no preference to the two I listed they are just my local manufacturers.)


Cheers

Allen

 

[hannahransom]

I would love to put chicken wire over it but I plan for this to be a larg MOBILE area, so weight is restrictive. I will look into game bird netting!

The dog is sounding better and better lol.

 

[darin367]

for me it was about cost....... i've got a 50 x 25 run..... i've got every type of hawk, bald eagles, ospreys etc. etc....... i got the bird netting for fruit trees that your talking about......... i haven't had an eagle/hawk attack since..... i had them regularly before the netting....... i'm sure they would go right thru it if they hit it full force...... but it's been up 2 years and they havent touched it..

 

[mondotomhead]

I just covered my chicken yard with netting this weekend. I know netting is rather flimsy but I'm hoping the shiny-ness of the net will deter the hawks.

I really, really like the idea of the snow fencing and I'll also check into the aviary nets.

 

[Mattemma]

You could also tie some CDs or red mylar to the netting. I can hear our hawk right now,and keep running out to check on my free roamers.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

Poultry netting may keep the hawk out but I lost a hen to a hawk getting in a 8 inch gap between twist ties that I had joined two pieces of netting together with. Make sure there are no gaps in your netting and you'll probably be OK for keeping out hawks but four legged predators need something more stout to deter them.

 

[seminolewind]

I use deer netting and it's pretty cheap. I double it.

It also depends on how much food is available in the area for the hawks. I also attract crows to keep the hawks away. They steal eggs, but it's worth it.