Crows: friend or foe?

[aart]

Have seen crows harass hawks big time here...
..but then last week saw a hawk and 3 crows perched in the same tree.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They're a little of both. I do see them harassing hawks and even eagles around here, but I did also lose a hen to a hawk before I netted the run, so they're only a bit of a deterrent and not any sort of reliable predator protection.

I've also seen crows nab a baby rabbit right in front of my living room and they'll come into my garage and steal things. Caught one dragging out a bag of planting mix, and they ripped into a bag of dried grubs.

 

[AnimalGeek23]

Friends, most definitely. Not only do they chase away predators but they can be funny and entertaining to watch!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That video makes me think of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds! It’s a good thing they aren’t aggressive I like to watch them chase the hawks away here.

 

[MissChick@dee]

I don’t have crows I have Ravens. I see them flying with chickens eggs all the time. They will take tiny chicks too. They eat all kinds of bird eggs. I have a breeding pair that nest behind my
House every year. I love them they are fearless with hawks and relentlessly chase them off. I’m very happy we built our house next to theirs. They travel in pairs so I don’t worry that they would gang up on a full sized chicken (never heard of that ever). They would more likely than not be interested in my chickens treats/feed. I had one fly off with a waffle once. They are
Not regular’s to my yard as I keep food up and no longer leave treats out. I enjoy watching them. I have zero concerns about them.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

Both, they took 2 of my ducklings off their mother this summer. Partly my fault as I forgot to put something on the top of their run. But they’re good for keeping the hawks away.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Both, took 2 of my ducklings off their mother this summer. Partly my fault as I forgot to put something on the top of their run. But they’re good for keeping the hawks away.

So sorry...they are opportunistic and very smart.

 

[Alexandra33]

I wish I had more crows around, honestly. The local hawks are simply brazen.
Time to attract them with peanuts!

Never have any of these beautiful birds attempted to harm my flock. American Crows are known to dine on young avian life, small animals, and carrion (among other things), therefore it's highly unlikely they'll go after adult chickens.

Edited to add: certainly NOT implying that I'm purposefully attracting hawks!

~Alex

 

[paneubert]

This is what I get to see each dawn and dusk. Very effective hawk/falcon/owl/bald eagle deterrent. Never had them bother my quail.

"At dusk the sky darkens over the University of Washington Bothell as up to 15,000 pitch-black crows descend on the campus. Swooping and cawing, they come from all directions to roost for the night."

EDIT TO ADD: Never heard anyone in the local Chicken and Farm Facebook groups report any problems with crows and their chickens.

I claimed that they help keep the eagles away. Haha. While working on my coop yesterday I was kept company by THREE bald eagles screeching and flying from tall tree to tall tree in my suburban neighborhood. They kept it up for HOURS. Haha. Not an every day occurrence, but made me chuckle. And yes, there were some crows around as well.

 

[JerryR708]

I don’t have crows I have Ravens. I see them flying with chickens eggs all the time. They will take tiny chicks too. They eat all kinds of bird eggs. I have a breeding pair that nest behind my
House every year. I love them they are fearless with hawks and relentlessly chase them off. I’m very happy we built our house next to theirs. They travel in pairs so I don’t worry that they would gang up on a full sized chicken (never heard of that ever). They would more likely than not be interested in my chickens treats/feed. I had one fly off with a waffle once. They are
Not regular’s to my yard as I keep food up and no longer leave treats out. I enjoy watching them. I have zero concerns about them.

We have big ravens also that are almost as big as chickens. Today, I was watching my chickens scratching around the backyard in a group from my kitchen window. Two ravens appeared on a wire above and then one of them flew to the ground next to the group of chickens. The raven seemed to be curious as to what the chickens were gathered around eating. The chickens were frozen with their necks stretched up high. I walked outside and all my chickens ran to me and gathered around my legs as the ravens flew off.