Hawke's Bay hawks drop Bostock chicken bits on neighbour

Bruce Govenlock, of Bridge Pa, is calling on Bostock Brothers to change their hawk deterrent programme. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Hawke's Bay chicken farm is changing the way it deals with pests after a neighbour claimed hawks bombed his property with raw chicken.

Bostock Brothers feeds naturally deceased chickens to hawks to keep them away from their live birds.

They say the practice complies with the farm's consent issued by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

Bruce Govenlock of Bridge Pa says his property had been littered with pieces of dead chicken.

He estimated up to 50 hawks at a time were attracted to the dead chickens on the Bostock property.

He also questioned whether nearby waterways were being polluted.

Govenlock complained to Hawke's Bay Regional Council this week.

HBRC group manager policy and regulation Katrina Brunton said council officers visited the site and Bostock advised they would cease the practice.

"Activities like this will be subject to review as part of the regional council's upcoming regional plan review known as Kotahi," Brunton said.

The regional council acknowledged the complaint was unusual, but said it was not investigating it further.

Ben Bostock, who runs the organic chicken business, said harrier hawks were predators.

"At this time of year, they pose a threat as they are short of food.

"To protect both the hawks and our live chickens, we provide an alternative food source by collecting our natural losses, which is an environmentally friendly way of managing predators away from our chickens."

Bostock said they had strategically placed about 25 chickens around the farm as part of their sustainable predator management programme.

Govenlock described the practice as "absolutely outrageous'' and said his two German shorthaired pointers often ate the dropped raw chicken.

He also had concerns about possible pollution of nearby water sources.

"We drink from a bore, as do all other neighbours."

Govenlock says his Bridge Pa property has been littered with the dead chicken carcasses by up to 50 hawks at one time. Photo / Warren Buckland

Govenlock acknowledged that after recent discussions, the carcasses had been cleared and alternative deterrents were being considered.

Govenlock said other hawk control methods including trees or additional cover were available.