crows saved my chickens!!!

[Fluffy&Cutie]

i had heard that there was a hawk in the neighborhood, though I ve never seen him. that all changed today. i free range my gals 30 minutes before sunset so i can protect them. we were having a great time scratching and eating fresh grass and bugs. suddenly the crows started freaking out and flying around. The chickens ran for cover, i ran to hide them. i looked up...and "he" was watching, the hawk. The crows were amazing. they were dive bombing him. With the 12 week old chickens safe in their coop, i called for the ultimate predator...our dog. what a commotion! the crows were cawing, the dog barking, and me screaming at the hawk, "you get out of here!" he sat calmly on the building behind us. when he left, the crows left, too. My heroes.
I am sad because it is such a lovely time of the day free ranging together. But, the alternative is much sadder... no more free ranging for us. sad cluck cluck.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Watch it. Those crows can become predators too. I've had chicks snatched by crows.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

While crows are a good early warning system for hawks, crows can and do steal eggs, eat chicks, and crows have even been known to kill hens and roosters. Crows hate hawks mainly because hawks love to eat crows. So having crows hanging your chicken yard can be a good as well as a bad thing. The next thing to keep your eyes pealed for is ravens. After the old timey settlers did a number on raven populations they are now making a slow recovery and any day now I expect to see chicken keepers bemone the presence of ravens in their backyards. Ravens can do about as much damage as a hawk.

 

[cmom]

Crows will take a chick if they have the opportunity. I have my pens all covered with heavy duty netting. Years ago before I put the netting up the crows would go into the pens and get any eggs that were layed on the ground. I had a hawk take a chick even though my husband was standing right next to them. It happened very fast. Since I put the netting up they are safe and the crows chase off the hawks.

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

yes, i do not like the crows. ionically, the chickens are safer than i am from the crows...the crows and i had an incident last year. And...crows have FACIAL RECOGNITION for SEVEN years! however, our run is covered and the coop is as "safe" as a coop can be. the crows can not get the eggs. we had only begun free ranging for 30 minutes because i felt bad that the chickens had eaten all the grass in the covered run and was left with dirt. in addition, my chickens are now double the size of the crows. as i said...no more free range for them. i bought grass sod AND have begun to sprout and grow fodder for them! that' s how i solved the lack of grass. they seem just as happy.
my first chick death happened to my friend. my child and his bff got baby chicks from school. the first week, i was too afraid to let the chicks out because i knew we had crazy crows. but the bff family was enjoying a great day outside, momma, dad, and dog...a hawk flew down and snatched the baby chick right up. i saw the momma at school pick up time...she had to tell her son that his chick died. she was white as a ghost! she was so sad to break her babies heart. i did not want that to happen to me! Closed run and fodder for us!!!

 

[cmom]

During the times of the year when the grass stops growing I give my birds alfalfa. I buy some bales of nice alfalfa and they will pick all of the little leaves off of the stems until only the stems are left.