I've had free range chickens for quite a few years now and for that long at least three pairs of red tail hawks crusing the air space up above. I have lost a chicken on rare occasion to possibly a hawk or more likely a daytime coyote. It has always been the chicken that didn't seem to stay with the pack. I've had seven guinea hens trolling the acerage for four years now they are always out in the open and I'm amazed they have survived so well. It must be the terrible noise they make and of course they are a fabulous early warning system for the chickens.. everything and anything seems to set them off.

Yes, I agree they (chickens and guineas) must have all those feathers for protection more than warmth. My black lab mix dog loves to defeather the tail end of my white chicken and my white rooster about every three months. They never have a mark on them but the yard looks like the angels were having a pillow fight.

The amazing thing is that dogs, hawks, chickens and other critters can live in relative peace together with a minimal amount of attrition. If we humans will just stay calm and let nature take it's course you will get a lot of joy raising backyard poultry. It's easy.

Roosters are amazingly courageous when it comes to their hens. Odell, my rescued fighting cock, is dear to my heart. I came running out of the house one day to an outrageous screaming in the lower field. It was, of course, Odell, who was head to head with one of the biggest coyotes I've ever seen while the hens were madly dashing for cover. He kept the coyote occupied,flying into it's face, spurring and flapping and screaming like a banshee. By the time I reached them the coyote had plucked him just about naked---no tail feathers, mane, wing feathers, or breast feathers---but he was still charging the rascal when I scooped him up and sent the coyote on his way. Amazingly, nary a scratch was on him and not a hen was lost. Perhaps that's why they have all those extra feathers to begin with. I could tell dozens of stories of how these feisty guys have protected their hens. I wouldn't trade my roosters for anything!

I have 27 laying hens. They are allowed to roam free during day light hours. To protect them from owls I place owl decoys around moving them from time to time. Hawks are terrified of owls. Also I have 2 big dogs who are very protective of their territory. They chase off other critters like coons, skunks, coyotes ext. This helps to protect my chickens.

To Sheila:
No, you do not need a rooster if you just want hens for
laying eggs. The only time you need a rooster is if you
want baby chicks. And besides, a rooster can get extremely aggressive with your hens. No need to give them hormones or anything else special to eat, just chicken feed. Mine also
love sunflower seeds and oats.
Enjoy the eggs:)

I have never commented before, but I just had to comment on this one. We have a lot of hawks around here too. A couple of friends have lost a lot of their chickens due to both hawks and coyotes. They have wondered if I have been losing mine too. I have never lost a bird in my flock yet! It just so happens that we have a turkey in our flock. She is the alpha when I'm not around. I have seen her scare off coyotes, hawks, and ravens, as she puffs up and flaps her wings at them after sounding the alarm to her friends! She is a great girl....way better than our watchdog even. She treats the chickens like they are her babies and protects them well! Who needs a noisy rooster around when you can have a guard turkey?

I have never commented before, but I just had to comment on this one. We have a lot of hawks around here too. A couple of friends have lost a lot of their chickens due to both hawks and coyotes. They have wondered if I have been losing mine too. I have never lost a bird in my flock yet! It just so happens that we have a turkey in our flock. She is the alpha when I'm not around. I have seen her scare off coyotes, hawks, and ravens, as she puffs up and flaps her wings at them after sounding the alarm to her friends! She is a great girl....way better than our watchdog even. She treats the chickens like they are her babies and protects them well! Who needs a noisy rooster around when you can have a guard turkey?

I live in town on a typical residential lot with two reds and two dogs. We have a hawk problem here too. I placed bird netting over a section of my garden near their coop. This gives them a place to hide in with the hibiscus. The only loss i've had was a dove that got nailed. The chickens scoot into hiding real quick when they or the other birds that live around my yard spot a hawk or a cat. The ruckus raised quickly brings out the mutts to scare it off.

I want to raise a few chickens for eggs. Can someone tell me if it's necessary to keep a rooster? Someone told me if I didn't I would have to feed hormones to the chickens. Does this sound right?

We have many red-tail hawks, raccoons, coyotes, etc., and I don't know of a fool-proof deterrent. However, we have several roosters, including one exceptionally large one, and they alert the hens to predators. The large rooster in particular has taken on a number of hawks, cats and raccoons and come out the winner.

I bought 8 young pullets in 2002 and I just have one left. The last one we lost last winter during a thaw. I was less than a block from my house when I saw this huge racoon dragging her along by the neck. I was so angry I got out of the car and kicked him away from her body. Unfortunatly her neck was broken and she couldn't be saved.

I read somewhere that people set up a couple of those plastic owls that folks put in their gardens. Haven't tried it personally, but it can't hurt?? Good luck!

I have a small flock of buff orpingtons, and I actually saw my rooster chase off a small grey hawk one day. The hawk had swooped in at one of the hens and the rooster was right there attacking it and chased it flapping as the hawk headed for the nearest tree empty-handed. Then the rooster noisily gathered up his girls and took them back to the orchard where their pen is, and there's cover from the trees. It was pretty impressive. We have red tails and bald eagles around here as well, and I doubt he could take one of those, but I'm sure he'd try.

We have been fortunate and not had any other predators, though we lost a cat to coyotes a couple years ago, so we know they are around.

I had trouble with hawks in the winter. Two things have worked for me. The first was fencing their area and string fishing line from end to end overhead. It doesn't have to be close together - even five feet apart seems to keep the hawks out - but this method requires you to keep your hens fenced in and the fishing line tends to break in the winter when it gets weighed down with snow or ice. It's a pain to keep up with picking up the pieces and restringing it.

I read that guinea fowl are excellent flock protectors, so a few years ago I ordered two. I haven't lost a hen since, and I've had a few opportunities to see the guineas in action. The guineas let out a shrill warning cry when there is a predator in the sky and the hens immediately run for cover. Guineas are NOISY birds, especially the females, but I've found them to be excellent protection for my flock and they also are great consumers of insects. Our tick and flea population is almost non-existent thanks to the guineas and chickens.

Our greatest protector for our chickens from predators has been a pot-bellied pig. In fact, since my husband built the pot-bellied pig hut on the back of the chicken house and since we began allowing the pig to free-range with the chickens, we have lost no chickens to predators. We are on our second pot-bellied pig now - the first passed away of old(er) age three years ago.

We have so many predators here! Fox, raccoons, hawks, and opossum are the worst, but there are also coyotes and down the road there is a problem with weasels.
Last spring, we increased our flock greatly. Anticipating our hawk problem, I researched and found that goats were helpful with this. We didn't want goats, so I then thought about a goat-scarecrow or a similar decoy, and then found a life-sized stuffed lion at the thrift store for $3.00. I attached the lion to the top of one of the chicken tractors, moved it occasionally and brought it in at night for a few weeks and we never saw another hawk until fall!
We did lose 10 chickens to fox, including the biggest rooster I have ever had, but without the electric fencing that we invested in, I am sure that there would have been many more losses. The chickens that were lost were either not fenced or they were out to far to run safely back in. (We raise a section during the day so that they can range and can run to safety if needed. We lower the fence at night and lock the birds in the tractors.)
At night, the fence is perfect for raccon and night predator problems.

We have chickens, ducks and guineas that free range and have found no fool proof way to keep them all safe all the time. However we do have two Great Pyrenees dogs that work 24/7 on their behalf. If there is any disturbance the dogs are johnny-on-the-spot, checking it out. Saw them go running down into our front field one day for no obvious reason. The dogs ran the guineas that were there off into the trees and began to whirl and jump at the sky before I realized that a red-tailed hawk was circling overhead. As for night predataton we have the birds trained to go in at night and they are closed up securely behind solid doors or chain-link gates and any "open pens" attached are covered by a tough olefin netting that nothing has ever (in three years) gotten though. Awoke one morning to find that our female Pyr had a tree over the duck pen staked out. There was a raccoon sitting in the crotch of the tree. Not 100% but these things have helped us.

I have 25 hens and two roosters that free range with my three goats. I believe the roosters help some, but I think the goats are a larger deterent! Also, they have their coop for shelter and the goat's shelter. The chickens scatter the hay the goats waste out of their manger, too. (I think next year I will move them both to a new fenced in area and use this one for a garden! It's fertilized and tilled and composed all in one!) But...back to the subject...since I put the chickens and goat together, I haven't lost any chickens to either hawks or owls. Last year I lost three to owls.

I allow my chickens to free-range in my backyard in the city (if you can call walking around a 1500 sq ft. yard free ranging), and I have had no problems with predation. From reading around online, though, I understand that a rooster can be a great asset in protecting a flock. They keep on the lookout for predators, and will alert the girls if they sense any danger. I've even read of a case (on a blog somewhere - sorry I forget which) where this guy's rooster attacked a hawk that had gotten one of the hens! Apparently he jumped on the hawk's back just as he was about to fly away with the chicken, and clasped on with his spurs, so the hawk dropped the chicken, and the rooster wouldn't let go until the hen got to safety. Crazy, no?! Unfortunately, it's against the law to get one in the city, but I'd definitely have one if I lived someplace they were allowed and would be tolerated by the neighbors.