Chicks murdered by crows!!

[rheo]

I put my favorite of my incubator hatch a month ago down in the coop last night feeling like they were about ready to join the other 4 year old hens in my flock.

They were 5 weeks old.

I left them down there this morning for only 2 hours and when I came back crows were just leaving the scene and they were all gone but for feathers and 1 carcass.

I'm pretty devastated.. I thought they were big enough to be on their own. apparently not. This crow thing has been going on for awhile now. They usually come after the chicken scraps I put down there for my little flock. Also I suspect they got the new chicks when I tried to let some hatch under a hen. I never imagined they could do this to 5 week old chickens.

I now only have 4 more chicks left that I was going to give to a friend but I guess now I'll keep. But naturally these were all my favorite hens from my own eggs from my brahma rooster who recently passed. very sad..

I'm trying to put up flagging tape now over the pen. not sure what else to try.. it's going to be a process.

Any suggestions?

 

[iwiw60]

I'm SO sorry!! I can well imagine how devastated you are....

As for those scumbag crows? I'd be sitting out there with a .22 and shooting ever last one of them. Was the area covered by netting or a roof?

 

[soydo]

Ouch. Consider it a lesson learned. Even if the crows did not kill them chances are a hawk or cats would have so it's kind of pointless to shoot the crows. The real solution would be to keep small chicks covered and penned until they are too big for the crows at the very least.

 

[iwiw60]

I'm SO sorry!! I can well imagine how devastated you are....

As for those scumbag crows? I'd be sitting out there with a .22 and shooting ever last one of them. Was the area covered by netting or a roof?

bump ...

 

[rheo]

how do i know when they are big enough? I thought they were big enough being about the size of doves or pigeons about now.

 

[iwiw60]

Chickens, no matter the size, are prey for ANY flying predator....crows, hawks, etc. If your run/yard area is not covered in either netting or a roof you're inviting trouble sadly.

 

[soydo]

Half the size of a large chicken minimum. Crows WILL try to catch anything quail/dove sized if they can tell it's confined or easy to catch. In the wild they regularly go after live mice, with some being brave enough to try gophers and medium size rats. So something pigeon sized or smaller is very fair game... 5 weeks is way small and helpless.

To be sure, keep them confined until 3-4 months old, especially for bantams.

 

[rheo]

It turns out one of the chicks survived! It was hiding under the nesting boxes.. So I only lost 4 and not 5. Still very sad. There was a really interesting looking green legged chick with loads of personality in the losses. These aren't bantams though. They were hybrids of a big Brahma roo and his Arucana, new hampshire, australorp and leghorn. not tiny birds.. these were already the size that some bantams get.

I have about a 25 foot by 50 foot run for them. Covering that amount of space securely is a little outside my budget and expertise. We get heavy snowfalls here..
This coop has been there for years and somehow never needed a roof on the run before. The crows seem particularly aggressive this year.

That said I just went out and bought 4 rolls of flagging tape and spider webbed something up with that. It looks like the chickens are getting ready for a big party tonight. Hopefully that helps keep the crows out. I also bought a slingshot in case i get a chance to make an example out of one of them.

 

[soydo]

Good luck! It helps to move things around as they do learn when things are harmless.


5 weeks is way young whatever the size they are though. They're still soft n' stupid plus small enough to kill at that age. Perhaps a little separate section for started chicks inside or adjoining the run? Doesn't have to be big or tall just secure enough to keep the chicks safe until letting go into the larger area full time. It would also be a good way for the chickens to get used to each other.

By the way I also found out the hard way crows do eat chicks. Saw the whole thing also. Crow landed, jumped over to a chick grabbed it and flew off a short distance over the fence into the neighbor's yard and started ripping apart the chick. I was SHOCKED and ANGRY! Now I just know when the chicks will be mostly safe and not let them out before then. Seeing the resident crows and ravens don't even bother me at all because everything's safe anyways. Much better feeling.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi !
Call your local sportsman's club and find out the rules for shooting crows.
There may been be a bounty on them. Tell the Club they are killing livestock.
Tell them you are having a crow shoot , do they want to come?!
Best,
Karen