How do we attract crows?

[TedJan92_in_Idaho]

Best way to attract crows is get a fighting crows CD. It will attract them from miles and will also deter birds of prey. Several companies produce them and you can find them on eBay. I seen one used by a guy in Va when I lived there and withing 15 minutes he had about 75 crows in the area.

 

[r4eboxer]

What a great informative thread! I didn't know crows chase hawks away. I have lots of crows and it seems they came after I started dumping my brooder straw in the garden for compost. There was chicken feed in the straw and it seems the crow started showing up and picking through my garden and compost pile for the leftovers. I have lots of pumpkins, squash and gourds in the compost pile right now that they are picking at.

They also eat what the geese leave after I throw feed to them. I had 8 hawks on the property after DH gutted a deer. Here I thought my fire ran the hawks off, maybe it was all the crow around the farm that did it.

 

[Nambroth]

Quote:
This is great for temporarily attracting crows (especially as a hunting tactic) but is a really bad idea for a long term crow attractant!

Crow populations and how they act around chickens or hawks vary from area to area. "City" crows and crows around more populated areas, suburbs, etc, are more likely to be bold and attempt to steal an egg or rarely make an attempt on a little chick. "Country" crows, or crows from less populous areas and especially crows from families that have been hunted before are generally a lot more wary of humans and their dwellings.

I've had crows save my chickens from possible hawk attacks no less than 4 times in the last few months. I've encouraged them with snacks on our wood pile and they nest in our pine trees, therefore are very defensive of the territory here.

 

[Tahai]

Just thought I'd mention that, in addition to being hawk chasers, crows are one of the very few animals that will eat gypsy worms.

 

[chigger bait]

If you have a scrap pile or compost piles they will draw crows.

Whole shelled corn will bring them also.

The number one thing that will ring the dinner bell for crows is a gut pile from a hog, beef, or deer.

Nothing brings them faster than fresh carrion.

 

[WalkerH]

A couple weeks back I was astonished to see a couple crows chasing a hawk. I see them every morning. But I have been seeing a couple hawks in our yard lately...maybe the crows just don't care anymore. The hawks land in the yard, and from the little research I've done these ones eat locust and crickets, so maybe the crows don't care. But I can't but help being weary about them. These hawks stay in the yard for long periods of time, up to thirty minutes of one day of watching them.

But yeah corn definitely attracts them, but I am weary cause I have heard people losing chicks to them.

 

[chigger bait]

I've seen crows being chased by song birds for stealing eggs and young from their nest.