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My neighbor's approach to predator-proofing made me question my whole setup
He said he just lets his chickens free range during the day and lost one to a hawk last spring, then shrugged and said 'that's just part of it' - has anyone else had to decide between total security and letting them actually live like chickens?
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reese_garcia4h ago
Tractor run with a bird netting roof over their main run area. Lets them scratch around outside but keeps the hawks out. Lost too many birds before I figured that out.
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taylorm891h ago
Wait, so your neighbor just accepts losing a bird here and there like it's a tax on chicken keeping? That's wild... I've lost birds to hawks too and it never gets easier. My setup is basically the tractor method with netting like Reese mentioned, except I forgot to check the netting one time and my dog ran through it and tore a hole big enough for a hawk to squeeze through. The hawk didn't even eat the chicken, it just scared them so bad they wouldn't lay for a month. So yeah, I'm pro letting them roam but also pro not crying over a dead bird dinner situation.
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