Crows eating my duck eggs!!!

The crows around here are too smart for decoys. 

 

I doubt your ducks will be scared of it after a day or two; mine were scared of my new windchime for all of ten hours before they got used to it, and that moved and made noise. I don't think a decoy would bother mine much.

It always surprises me, all the people advocating having crows around.  I don't want them on my place. They steal eggs and baby birds and ruin the veggie garden and fruit trees.

 

I think the only thing that is going to work for you is to keep your ducks closed inside their coop until they are done laying, and then pick up the eggs as soon as you open the door to the coop.

We have no problem with the crows, they warn us about predators and seem to leave the few eggs that don't get laid indoors alone.

 

Maybe we just have crows with scruples! 

 

The runners are kept under pretty close watch - when I am not nearby they are in the Day Pen, otherwise they are with me in the garden.  They don't seem to mind.

 

Do the crows get treats in your neighborhood?  My neighbor feeds ours, and I sometimes put out some extra suet where they hang out.  Yes, I am suggesting bribery.

 

 

Around me its not the crows that are a problem, its a trio of Ravens..Those **** birds are annoying.. If I had a shotgun I would seriously shoot them... And im tempted to find someone that can shoot them for me....

They havent gotten any of my baby call ducks, but have gotten eggs.. And I am always finding dead chicks and birds in my pools from the Ravens dropping them in there..Sometimes they stay to eat them after they wash them off..

hi my name is Katie, i would get a scare crow, they work with any birds. and also put some fake eggs in the nest were your ducks lay. you could put Easter eggs in that are white or brown and a fake egg in ( i am a expert ) i also have ducks and poultry.
 

Crows just killed one of my 4 week old Cornish Cross chicks.  Not a small bird, larger than a lot of bantams.

 

I Caught them in the act.  I'm not blaming them just because they happened to be seen in the neighborhood.

 

I quickly picked up the ducklings that I'd just moved outside and put them back inside.  They are a lot smaller than the chick that was just killed, so would be eligible for crow picnic.

Turns out, its not crows that are my problem.. its Ravens...Big, black b#%@ard's.. So far they havent gotten any of my birds, but its not for lack of trying... thats for sure...

Im trying to look up the laws on hunting ravens, and if possible, im going to go shooting....

Ravens are as bad as hawks sometimes. I would suggest securing your birds inside until after they lay. I wouldn't feed the crows because they will hang around more and they can't be trusted not to eat the eggs and/or ducklings. Crows and ravens are notorious for egg and chick eating. They even eat each others chicks. Crows can be good anti-predator deterrents, sometimes, but they can be risky if you want to keep eggs and babies.

Ravens and crows are protected birds, but you can get a permit to shoot them if you are having a problem. However, they will only give you one if there is no other recourse.
Edited by desertdarlene - 5/9/12 at 9:13pm