Crows to keep hawks away?

[ChickyWhicky]

We don't normally have a hawk issue. They are around but don't seem to come real close to our place & we have never lost a chicken to one in 2 years. Not sure what has gotten into the hawks lately but I have had close encounters with them several days in a row now. I literally had to chase one away from a bird on foot and the next day I had to set the dog on one that was in our backyard. Can't kill them legally so doesn't do much good to shoot, best we can do is chase them off and put some things around the farm to deter them. I have heard of people encouraging crows to live on their properties and I think this sounds like a good deal. Does anybody have any feedback on this method? How do you encourage the crows to come and stay? Any downfalls? Does it really keep the hawks away?
We do have a resident owl already, who so far has not made a fuss about the chickens. I know hawks & owls don't mingle, but with owls being mostly nocturnal I'm not sure he's real effective as a hawk deterrent. I don't encourage him (or her, unsure) to live here, but he was here when we moved in so it's not really fair to kick him out. I figure if he leaves the chickens alone and can help with rodent control, that's a good deal.

 

[SamLockwood]

I've got crows living on and around my property, and while they do help they're not going to be 100% effective as guardians for your flock. First off, they don't really care about your chickens so while they'll defend their territory they aren't going to go out of their way to help your birds.

Also, they're not around 100% of the time: they're gone for hours to a whole day foraging or doing other crow things. Sometimes the hawks come in low to avoid the crows watching in the treetops.

Crows can be a nuisance or a threat to your chickens: they can raid feeders or nesting boxes if they're easy enough to access, and they may carry off small chicks. For me this hasn't been a problem: the feeders & nesting boxes would be difficult for them to get at with my setup. Plus my flock is intolerant of any large birds that stray into their territory. I've even seen them chase rabbits away.

 

[townchicks]

This years young are out fending for themselves now. They won't be the best hunters so will look for an easy meal. Best to keep the chicken in their run for a while, until the hawks move on. Crows will chase hawks, but most of the time, when they do, they are defending their nests. So I wouldn't count on them, as their young are also out of the nest.

 

[ChickyWhicky]

Great info, thanks for replies! I dont have a chicken run so hopefully a few extra scarecrows and shiny things will help deter.

 

[Bock-Bock-Bagock]

We don't normally have a hawk issue. They are around but don't seem to come real close to our place & we have never lost a chicken to one in 2 years. Not sure what has gotten into the hawks lately but I have had close encounters with them several days in a row now. I literally had to chase one away from a bird on foot and the next day I had to set the dog on one that was in our backyard. Can't kill them legally so doesn't do much good to shoot, best we can do is chase them off and put some things around the farm to deter them. I have heard of people encouraging crows to live on their properties and I think this sounds like a good deal. Does anybody have any feedback on this method? How do you encourage the crows to come and stay? Any downfalls? Does it really keep the hawks away?
We do have a resident owl already, who so far has not made a fuss about the chickens. I know hawks & owls don't mingle, but with owls being mostly nocturnal I'm not sure he's real effective as a hawk deterrent. I don't encourage him (or her, unsure) to live here, but he was here when we moved in so it's not really fair to kick him out. I figure if he leaves the chickens alone and can help with rodent control, that's a good deal.

I have crows and haws in the area. The crows are constantly running the hawks off, as well as various other small birds. It doesn't mean the hawk won't get his chance though. They are persistent and will continue to return.

 

[McChooky]

Great info, thanks for replies! I dont have a chicken run so hopefully a few extra scarecrows and shiny things will help deter.

I built scarecrows this fall to ward off predators and move them around a lot. The crows check them out and are still here. They do not personally defend my chickens but their calls alert my flock to run for cover. I don't free range any chicks so my chickens are safe from crows. If you raise any small breeds of chickens(bantams or games)you might not want crows. Btw crows look like young ravens and are hard to tell apart

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

We have a large permanent flock of resident crows, thanks to a neighbor's poorly managed, large scale "composting" operation. I never knew crows would chase away hawks till we lived here awhile and started watching their tag-team, aerial acrobatics running off any hawks that came around; very vocal exercise by all parties!

This was mostly during the crows' nesting times as townchicks noted above; other times when there hasn't been a delectable recent addition to the compost/dump, the crows vanish for hours at a time so are no use in fending off hawks, so between that and my own dogs, I can't risk letting my pullets free-range. (Besides, some of my lighter-weight girls could and would fly over our 7-foot deer fence into the woods, where many hungry foxes await.)

 

[lagrange chicks]

I have been feeding crows here for years now, they fly through a couple times a day to check the stump I put scraps on for them. My chickens do not free range so I have no idea if they keep hawks away. I do see the chickens watching the crows when they are in the yard though.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I have a healthy resident crow population year round. In two years I’ve lost 1 pullet to an aerial predator last Fall.

 

[odchooks]

Purple Martins will mob hawks and generally keep them away while they are in town nesting (once the colony gets big enough). We have Martins and plastic crows in the yard. They help but certainly aren't fool proof. But when the Martins leave the hawks are noticeably more often circling or perching nearby. I noticed the chickens listen to the bluejay warning calls too - so they are good to have around.