Hawk Deterrant.

I've been encouraging the crows for about 3-4 years now. Every year we get more and more nesting in the pines in the back of the property. This past summer we watched as at least 12-15 crows came from all corners to chase down a hawk. Even with all that, we lost our first hen to a hawk this past weekend. The next day the crows were back on the job, but alas it was a bit too late for Millie.

What I have done to get the crows to hang around is to make sure they have available food. Corn, soiled eggs, etc. I place them out in the back field (hoping not to attracted anything else) and so far we have a nice little murder hanging out around here. Also, we are lucky because they have a wonderful stand of trees both in my yard and surrounding it to nest in. My one free-range hen now runs when she hears the crows. Smart chickie.
 
Tossing out corn and bread attracts the crows. I have seen the crows rough up a large gray owl, hawks and even a juvenile bald eagle. Personally I don't care for crows, but they reside in our trees and do us a favor. The other deterrent that I have had success with is to have turkeys run with the flock with a covered area for them all to go into, ours is a center tree and weed island and fence over the pen that has the door open. Quite often the turkeys hear something prior to anyone noticing, they head pipping to the cover, even standing in the open garage door.
We have a large standard cochin that is out with them and most hawks don't like to go in with such a guard around. (Or so far we are fortunate!) One other thing, we never allow our bantams to go out free. They are the ones who get picked off!

(If anyone in New England wants a big boy Cochin, I have one free! leave me a message! NPIP, wing band & from SQ lines-pet quality.)
We have 2 std Cochins...Misty became Mister!
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Thanks for the ideas spook & Stonerowfarm. Also, thanks terrilhb for the welcome!

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Pardon a dumb question, do you feed cracked corn (scratch) or whole dried ears? And I'm guessing during the day so the skunks & opossums don't get it?

Will give these ideas a try, thanks. And, yes, I have a couple roosters in w/ the flock. When the crows start fussing, the roosters sound the alarm & it's a mad dash for the garage, bushes, or covered run.
Yvonne
 
I lost a silkies to a hawk in November. I let the girls out in the big part of the yard because my DH was fixing the run fence. My prettiest! @#%$ hawk!

Then yesterday I let the babies out of the brooder for a quick run around the yard in the sun. The weather here has been terrible...rain, rain, rain. Thank goodness I was with them, watching. They were hanging around me near the fence and the garage wall. I was sitting on a dog crate babysitting. They were out no more than 10 minutes and out of no where a hawk swooped in and just missed my banty cochins! It was so close to me I felt the wing wash! It landed in a nearby tree. Not sure what kind but it was smallish.

We usually have a bazillion crows and stellar jays hanging around but they weren't anywhere to be seen. It must be 'hawking' my yard. Now what? It got a free meal once here...Is it probably the same one? Those banties are just tasty morsels and don't stand a chance against a hawk. The poor silkie probably never knew saw it coming.
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Quote:
Pardon a dumb question, do you feed cracked corn (scratch) or whole dried ears? And I'm guessing during the day so the skunks & opossums don't get it?

Will give these ideas a try, thanks. And, yes, I have a couple roosters in w/ the flock. When the crows start fussing, the roosters sound the alarm & it's a mad dash for the garage, bushes, or covered run.
Yvonne

I use whatever corn I can get cheap. I picked up a large bag of whole kernals off the cob for just a couple bucks. I would imagine anything would be good as long as it's not spoiled or moldy. I've heard some people buy stale bread and scatter that. It's kind of a balancing act - trying to attract the crows, but not anything else. I scatter food stuff out in the back field, near the goats, but away from the chickens. Our biggest problem right now is that we're covered in well over 2' of snow with another storm today dropping another 6-9'. There's no way I can get out and feed the crows.
 
i have those nasty crows hanging around and cought five of them ganging up on gracie my banty mama and steel her babbies by the time i got thear she was frantic and no babies those crows work fast, now every time she sees one she literly screams and hides the rest of the flock dont mind them. i now let the geese out and when they see a crow they start ruccusing and seems to keep the crows at bay. i also have owels and chicken halks but have yet to lose one of my babbies to them how ever i have lost quite a few to the neabors dogs. cyotes dont seem to bother my peeps eather but when they venture too close the geese let me know
 

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