Blue jay's

[chicadeeholly]

I've had my silkie chicks for a week. I would say they were 10 days old. Every day I would put them outside in their container. I always had a good view of them so I felt like they were safe. Yesterday I walked away for a second. After I returned I looked outside and saw 2 blue jays in the container. I ran outside and screamed at them. Off they flew with one chick in each beak. It was awful! I felt so stupid for letting the be outside alone without something on top if their container to protect them. I'm so glad I learned that lesson but I wish I would've known better yesterday. I'm so traumatized by what I saw. It was really sad. There were 2 chicks left both were visibly upset. Chicks and chickens are very vulnerable to many different types of predators. Now we know to make our coop a Fort Knox for our hens.

 

[shmccarthy]

I never would have thought blue jays went after chicks. Yikes!
Sorry about your chicks, that's really sad

 

[Mattemma]

Sorry for your loss. Chicks get eaten by so many things!

 

[De Wet]

I never would have thought blue jays went after chicks. Yikes!
Sorry about your chicks, that's really sad

Jays are gruesome birds I read the breeder who keep these birds must chopped a day old chick every day for their young. I was in to keep softbills but since I read the chopped episode I decided against it

 

[chicadeeholly]

Thanks everyone. It is definitely a huge lesson. I had no idea blue jays were like that.

 

[chrispbrown27]

I hate blue jays and crows. They are obnoxious, loud mouthed birds that are the bullies of the bird world. Having said that, I wouldn't have imagined that a jay would eat a chicken.
Chris

 

[chickensioux]

So sorry to hear this. I sometimes rely on the screams of Jays and Crows to alert me to a bigger predator. Many times I have heard Jays or Crows complaining nearby and I would check on my girls and sure enough there would be a hawk swooping. Again, so sorry for your loss.

 

[chicadeeholly]

My mom's friend, who is a rancher, said blue jays will prey on other birds when they have a nest nearby. I don't know if they eat them or just kill them out of defense of their babies. I do know we have squirrels and my moms friend said the squirrels eat the blue jay eggs so the blue jays kill anything that seems like a possible threat. I'm still so sad about those birds dying for no good reason except my lack of experience and knowledge. :-(

 

[Hayduke27]

I had no idea about the blue jays either. Thank you for sharing!

 

[4 the Birds]

I give hot dogs to our dog pack as daily treats. A Blue Jay will clean-up any meat scraps that I leave on the deck. Young chicks are so very vulnerable. We keep ours inside and protected in a brooder for 6 weeks before they go to the coop. They need to learn "street smarts" from the adult birds over the next several weeks. Once they are full grown then they realize threats and take cover as needed when free ranging.