Detect preditors; pay attention to Blue Jays.

[mikeksfarmer]

Blue Jays have saved me at least three times now. Yesterday I heard Blue Jays going off big time. Went out and saw a hawk fly off from just above my pen. Two other times I heard the Blue Jays going off big time, and watched to see them harassing a Fox. Over the years I have watched them harass snakes, cats even people. This time of year they seem more obvious. I guess its bacause they have no young in the nest.
Our chickens make the warning or stress call when they are being attacked. It seems Blue jays do it when ever they see a preditor.
Heres an Idea; Use nature to help protect your flock!

 

[meriruka]

I don't have any Blue Jays here, but I've got a murder of crows who warn me about hawks.

 

[ranchhand]

I always pay attention to blue jays- they are great warning systems, and usually very accurate.

I was visiting Dipsy Doodle Doo earlier this summer, and noticed that she too pays attention to blue jays. I don't now where I learned it, somewhere when I lived in TX.

 

[awtandrocks]

My chickens listen to the Blue Jays and head for cover when they go crazy.

meriruka... I think you just like to say Murder of Crows!!

 

[kapy4]

We have Scrub Jays in Northern California...and this summer
they started eating my chicken eggs!! I thought it was one of my
hens, and started isolating them...to find out WHO,with no success, but then
I noticed Jays flying in the coop...sure enough it WAS JAYS! Here I was blaming my ladies!! I have a covered coop, but they managed to wiggle through the wire, so I put bird netting across it and let it hang down the sides...they soon found out they could fly up under the bird netting.....THEN I put curtains on my nestboxes...that did it!!! No more problem with Jays stealing eggs....but I have to say I admired the Jays...they found a way!! I am kind of in awe!! Pretty intelligent !!

 

[chickensioux]

I have crows and blue jays that I listen to. They have warned me several times.

 

[SurprisingWoman]

Magpies are also great early warning systems.

I won't feed them in the spring and summer because of all the song birds that nest in my yard but as soon as fall comes around I am alllll about the peanuts for the scrub jays and magpies.

 

[Bard's Rock!]

OH, y-e-a-h! Having Blue Jays around is great. I put out raw peanuts in the shell for them. And they love the stiped sun flower seeds I put out for the Cardinals.

They have saved my chickens countless times from hawks, the Cooper's Hawk specifically.