Great Horned Owl

[micstrachan]

This is from Friday.

Fabulous photo!

 

[micstrachan]

So this past weekend there were our usual passing hawks. There was one large one that got pretty close to our yard. I didn’t get a good luck at it, but did the aerial predator call to alert the girls and went running into the center of the yard flailing my arms like a mad woman so the hawk would be sure to see me.
And, low and behold, a significantly sized flock of crows was going crazy just past the trees at the edge of the property. I think they chased it off. I like crows a whole lot more now!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Fabulous photo!

Thank you! As unhappy as I was to see it, I was glad it was still there to get a pic after I ran for my binos!

 

[Kessel23]

Yes... it sounds like that. A lot of people want chickens but then when they realize other things might want their chickens too.... they fail to secure them against those other things and when nature takes it's course, they give up chickens. With every complaint or story, usually there is a glaring problem that the perhaps new chicken person doesn't realize..... "Golly Gee... that hawk flew right into my open topped pen".... or "A Racoon got into my coop (through the open door) and Golly Gee, that raccoon killed everything. Chickens are not for me."

Chickens are not for everyone. Some people experience terrible losses that I can only say "There but for the grace of god go I...". I hate to see people give up, but if they do not have the ability to secure their livestock, something else will every time.

I like Crows, but I think their Anti-Hawk properties are oversold, and Crows themselves can do damage to alot of things related to Chickens... They eat eggs, they would unhesitatingly eat a chick. They are smart birds and I do like them, but I just watch them passing overhead.

Crows will only kill chicks or take eggs that are set out for them, like if you have an open top run, they will fly in and take eggs or chicks. Crows can not break through chicken wire or dig under the side of the coop. If you, for whatever reason, have your nesting boxes out of the coop and available to literally anything that wants them then yes, a crow will take eggs. If your chicks are able to free range unsupervised or are able to run freely in your open run then a crow will take them, literally any predator that wants them will take them. Crows are the most least threatening chicken predator, if you have crow attacks often that is your own fault. Chicks and eggs should be kept INSIDE the coop. I am not saying you should welcome crows into your coop, i'm just saying a large murder of them in the area will reduce raptor numbers. They are not killing raptors, just making the area less desirable. A fake fox or coyote also works well as chickengeorgeto said. The raptor will not attack if it sees a fox or coyote because it does not want its food to be stolen. If your coop is not crow proof then it is not going to stop any other predator either.

 

[Kessel23]

Here is the photo of a good GHO.

View attachment 1263488

Photo is not working for me.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Crows will only kill chicks or take eggs that are set out for them, like if you have an open top run, they will fly in and take eggs or chicks. Crows can not break through chicken wire or dig under the side of the coop. If you, for whatever reason, have your nesting boxes out of the coop and available to literally anything that wants them then yes, a crow will take eggs. If your chicks are able to free range unsupervised or are able to run freely in your open run then a crow will take them, literally any predator that wants them will take them. Crows are the most least threatening chicken predator, if you have crow attacks often that is your own fault. Chicks and eggs should be kept INSIDE the coop. I am not saying you should welcome crows into your coop, i'm just saying a large murder of them in the area will reduce raptor numbers. They are not killing raptors, just making the area less desirable. A fake fox or coyote also works well as chickengeorgeto said. The raptor will not attack if it sees a fox or coyote because it does not want its food to be stolen. If your coop is not crow proof then it is not going to stop any other predator either.

Actually, that's not quite correct... a member here had a severe crow issue to the point that they would invade the coop and open a locked brooder to kill chicks...

 

[casportpony]

Actually, that's not quite correct... a member here had a severe crow issue to the point that they would invade the coop and open a locked brooder to kill chicks...

Crows are really smart that way.

 

[Kessel23]

Actually, that's not quite correct... a member here had a severe crow issue to the point that they would invade the coop and open a locked brooder to kill chicks...

Crows are very smart and are very easy to get rid of, you can legally shoot them and they will spread the word to other crows and no crow for years will even go near the coop. Also, you should have a run with a secure top to keep birds out, and you can stop any crow puzzle solving skills with a door knob, crows can not open a door with a door knob. The brooder should be inside the coop, it does not need a lock, crows are not weightlifters, put a rock on it. If no rocks are available, try a combo lock or padlock, crows can not solve combination locks or unlock padlocks. I could see this happening one time to someone but it should happen no more than once, crows are very smart animals but you are smarter. I have never had crow problems, I see them hang around the coop often but no crow is going to get past my door knob, double layered chicken wire walls, and metal roof and if somehow they do, they will have to get past another door knob and then get past a 5lb rock to get to my brooder. Also, you should research predators in the area you live to avoid these surprise attacks, the only predator I have had successfully break into my coop this year was a mink. I have had coon problems before but I solved them pretty fast. I have not had a predator kill one of my birds in the coop yet this year.

 

[4 ever Orpington]

I had a flock of bantams all taken by a Great Horned Owl. The bantams roosted outside at night. My current flock is in no danger from the owls because they all roost inside a closed coop at night. I have had the owls roost in the trees during the daytime but have never had them take any of my poultry during the daytime.

What a majestic creature!

 

[Kessel23]

What a majestic creature!

They are truly magnificent, sucks that they kill chickens.