Saw a neighbor lose 4 hens to a hawk last Tuesday - here's what happened

I was out in my backyard around 3 PM when I heard a commotion from my neighbor's coop across the fence. Looked up and saw a red tail hawk dive straight into their run. My neighbor had left the top open because he thought his netting was enough, but that hawk squeezed through a gap in the chicken wire on top. Within 2 minutes it grabbed one hen and the other 3 were so stressed they ended up getting hurt trying to hide. The hawk came back the next day for the stragglers. I ran over when I heard the screaming but it was too late. Now I'm checking every inch of my run's roof and I'm honestly thinking about adding a covered aviary net. Anyone else had a hawk get through wire they thought was secure?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sandra1mo ago

Honestly, I gotta say this sounds like one of those freak things that people blow way out of proportion. Yeah, it stinks for your neighbor, but hawks don't just camp out in your yard waiting for hens every single day. Tbh, I've had my run open on top for years with just some regular chicken wire and never had a single issue. Ngl, I think the panic over this kind of stuff makes people overdo it with expensive netting and covered runs that end up costing more than the chickens themselves. Maybe just make sure your gaps are smaller than a hawk's head and call it a day.

uma_mitchell831mo ago

Starting off, no joke I once spent a Saturday afternoon caulking a tiny gap in my coop roof because I was convinced a sparrow was gonna turn into a hawk overnight. The real lesson here is that chickens find new and creative ways to be in danger, I swear they're like toddlers with feathers. Your neighbor's story is rough though, that hawk timing is just brutal. I'd say if you double check your wire gauge and maybe run a hand over the whole top for any weird spots, you're probably good without the full aviary setup.