Are Crows a predator?

[CallDuckLover]

Outside there are a bunch of crows in the sky circling above the chicken pen. I have some younger bantam chicks in there. Are the crows planning on eating them? Are they a predator to chickens? Thank you for any help.

 

[chicmom]

Crows will steal a baby chick very quickly....even if it's right beside it's mother. Now, I'm not sure it could take a fully grown bantam....

 

[CallDuckLover]

They are very young D'anver Bantam pullets. They are small enough to lay in the palm of your hand. Is this small enough?

 

[Debbi]

Oh Yes!! Crows are like racoons of the sky! Smart, and tenacious. If the mother hen is too protective of the chicks, the crows will band together and have one or two heckle the mother while another crow (or more!) snatches the chicks! They will also get into the hen house and eat eggs! You might want to add some kind of "roof" to your pen. Don't know how big it is, but there are many different ways to make it covered, like chicken wire, shade cloth, even string fishing line to deter the crows.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Crows are more likely to scavenge than take a live bird. Yes, if the opportunity arises, they may take a chick. However, they are most likely to chase off hawks that will take your adult d'anvers as well as your chicks.

Do you have crows or ravens?

 

[Oven Ready]

I'd say crows help more than they hinder, if you've got hawks or snakes.

Sure they might sneak a chick away now and then but it's more opportunist than actually hunting them. They do chase away, or at least alert you and your chooks to, hawks, owls, lizards, snakes and cats.

I'd rather have them around than not.

eta : But they are not as good as lapwings for sending out the warning, those guys don't even seem to sleep.

 

[Debbi]

True, crows are primarily scavengers, but, they are also very busy minded birds and find ways to amuse themselves. Chances are they won't eat the chicks, but will kill them or drag them off. Used to live on a farm as a kid and watched them do this very thing on several occaisions. Told the farmer about it, he had no idea. He took a bunch of pot shots at the crows, and that seemed to deter them. They would also dive-bomb the roo everytime they saw him in the yard! They are great for keeping hawks away, but they are very clever and mischeivious as well. I've never lived near ravens, but they are as smart, if not smarter than crows from what I've heard. In any case, I'd take pre-emptive measures, why take the chance??

 

[CallDuckLover]

Yes I live in MD so we have hawks, ravens, crows, vultures, ect....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'll take crows and/or ravens over hawks any day. The vultures, well, it depends on whether it is a black vulture or turkey vulture. Blacks are as likely to hunt live prey as carrion. The turkeys have to be really hungry to take live prey.

 

[Lbrad7]

I have never really thought of cows as predators since they eat hay, corn and grass. I suppose one could step on a hen if she wasn't quick on her feet but I dont think it would eat a chicken. I wouldn't worry too much about them. I think your birds are safe as long as they stay out from under the cows feet.