Crows can be a good thing - listen to them!

[RiddleMe]

Thought I was doing everything right, nice solid coop and covered run, free range during the day on 1 1/2 acres inside 6" chain link fencing, tons of trees and brush for cover from hawks. Assumed I might loose a bird at some point to the hawks, but I lost 2 hens and a pullet yesterday. Absolutely no sign of them, they were there when I let them out in the morning then gone that afternoon. So I figured a couple of hawks must have taken them. The crows were sitting in a large tree just outside my fence throwing a fit yesterday mid day, so I suspect they saw what was happening (and I should have listened to them and investigated!!!). But when I checked that area during my search, turns out it wasn't a hawk. Something dug under my fence, and that is probably what they were seeing and complaining about. Based on the size of hole it dug I'm thinking ~60lb dog or coyote (yes, our local coyotes are very healthy critters).

Question - has anyone had a coyote attack like that in broad daylight? If it was a dog, I would expect some sign of carnage, but I scoured the area and didn't see anything, just some feathers by the fence. I have on rare occasions seen a coyote out and about during the daytime, just wasn't expecting this. For now, my very unhappy chickens will have to stay in their run while I figure out what to do. I'm thinking of running hot wire along the base of the fence, but that will take time...

 

[GoChick]

yep - a coyote entered my chain-link fenced in area around noon and took one of my hens. I then put some trailcams and got pictures of him around 1 pm, several times. But this was in early Spring. Right now with the high temps around here, they usually are more active early morning, dusk.

now... the run is totally enclosed with hardware cloth, with a 3ft apron, and so far, no coyotes have been able to break in.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I see coyotes out in daylight fairly frequently.

Yeah crows are just great, except they kill chicks and steal eggs, as well as stealing fruit and raiding the veggie garden.

 

[halo]

I put eggs out for the crows, I love having them around. The chickens listen to them; they have warned of hawks, eagles, and foxes. When they start their racket, the chickens run for cover.

 

[zazouse]

I feed them also, i love them, there are not many here but i am glad they are here and do encourage them to stay.
I have a pair that have been here for a couple years, there names are Joe and Flo.
Back in the day i use to see 30 40 at a time now if i see 6 together that is alot.

 

[bucky52]

i love hearing the crows in the morning when i'am out tending to my girls.they get on my dh nerves.

.they can be very vocal.i saw them chasing a hawk the other day.i tell my dh crows are a good thing.

 

[RiddleMe]

Well, sadly, confirmed it was a coyote today. Been letting the girls out midday last couple weeks without any issue but today I turned them loose around 7am. Lost two around 8:30am, neighbors saw a young lone coyote carrying what they assumed was a rabbit at the back of their unfenced property. It left it under a tree and returned shortly with another then carried them off. Odd part is their patio is maybe 250 feet from my coop and they can see a lot of the free range area, and they never heard or saw anything inside my fence. But there are a lot of 2-3' dry weeds right now, I was leaving them as protection from hawks but thinking they just acted as coyote cover.

 

[seminolewind]

Halo, I leave eggs for the crows too! I know they steal my eggs, but they do keep the crows away .

 

[Nambroth]

I've never had a problem with crows or anything else stealing my eggs, because nothing can get to my eggs.
Nearly any animal will kill and eat chicks. Even squirrels. Keep chicks safe or suffer the consequences..

The local crows have only ever benefited me.

 

[centrarchid]

Coyotes with experience getting chickens seem to know how to get job done without getting birds riled up. Coyote slips in and grabs bird or two with minimal chase killing victims rapidly with crushing bite. Kill quick enough that bird does not give much alarm and coyote does not go after a bird it does not quickly catch. Some dogs very much capable of same (some of my past dogs) so the feather mess is not a hard and fast rule for determining what predator is afoot.