Crows attacking full grown chook?

[Evie_W]

One of my dearest darling chooks has a problem with her eyesight and tends to like to keep her own company and so more often than not she'll be free-ranging on the other side of the yard to the other adults. Yesterday, I was in the kitchen, doing the washing up and watching the chooks, and a big crow came out of no where, landed next to the chook. I thought at first that the crow would just be trying to take her food, but it walked right up to her and pulled out a big clump of her tail feathers! By the time I got to her the head chookhad chased the crow off but all my little ladies were very alarmed and upset by the whole incident!

Has anyone else had this problem before? Is it something that I can expect to happen on a regular basis and need to address, do you think? I would not have thoguht a crow would just randomly attack a full grown chicken!

 

[CMV]

Crows are smarter than your average bird. The crow spotted the deficiency in your chook's vision and exploited it. You will need to be aware of this in the future. Crows are as opportunistic as any bird ever was. If they spot a weakness they will take advantage of it- chicks, blind birds, ill/infirm birds, wounded birds are all fair game to crows.

Now you know this may be a problem and bears watching.

Good luck.

 

[Evie_W]

I thought that might have been the case! Poor dear

Thanks for the reply.