Do crows pose a threat?

[jforsness]

My 3 B's free range in the backyard which is fenced in. There are always crows around, any chance that they'll attack (full grown) chickens?

 

[PortageGirl]

Possibility? ... well, yeah, but likelyhood? I would say very, very unlikely. I wouldn't hesitate for a single second to let full grown hens out with crows around.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

I was wondering this too! Hopefully someone will answer. We have alot of crows also.

 

[PortageGirl]

Just looked at where you are from... are they crows or ravens? Ravens are more agressive, and I'd be a little more careful around ravens, I'd still do it, just be keep a closer eye to see how they all acted at least initially.

 

[davidb]

Actually, Having crows around is a good thing. they will steel some of your eggs,they wont attack your chickens, but what they do attack is the bird that they hate the most hawks.

 

[jforsness]

I'm in Seattle, these are surely crows. I was hopeing they'd keep hawks at bay, thanks for that response!

 

[bywaterdog]

Crows are no problem but Ravens are killers, they will carry off a chicks one at a time until they are all gone. I don't think that they could do much harm to full grown foul.

Yesterday I saw a Golden Eagle swoop down and get a pigeon in mid flight just two blocks from my house. The scary part is that I thought that were safe from these types of predators. I live in a very urban setting, so I guess no place is really safe.

Now I know it is time to put a better roof on my run.

 

[bigzio]

Yep, I agree. Crows are scavengers and are of no danger to your flock at all. Not a predator and nothing to be concerned about.

bigzio

 

[sandypaws]

around here everybody calls them "crows" but they are REALLY RAVENS....
crows should be OK
ravens are evil!!! eat eggs, eat baby chicks, thrash the coops, eat anything they want, bring roadkill to the water bowls and "wash" there food, ect... gross nasty creatures...

 

[Duppydo]

I encourage crows to hang around my property, as they chase hawks when they come around my place. Yesterday i gave them some chicken fat/skin and a call, they came pretty fast for their treat. Not 5 minutes later i heard a commotion out back , their were my crow friends descending on a redtail hawk, not far from my hen house..
Crows will steal young chicks , like they do young wild birds, their nest robbers..I never have young chicks out where they can become a meal, so i don't worry about that.For me, the good they do far out weighs any bad. Some don't like crows because they rob gardens, make to much noise early in the morning,etc.. me...i love crows...

Some of my crows i reconize by their voice, and have been around for yrs, way before i got my first hens....
I built a treat platform for them, several feet off the ground...Crows are the best legal hawk discouragers i have found....