I have some pretty smart chickens...

[missnu01]

I let the chickens out and they were all milling about on the bank behind their coop, when we heard a sound...Caw! Caw! Caw! And all my chickens froze up for a second, looked around and then made a mad dash for the coop...Then like 8 crows go wheeling in the air overhead cawing all the way. I am not sure that our chickens have anything to fear from crows, but they obviously weren't taking any chances. A lot of days my chickens seem to just hang out in their coop, and I am starting to feel like it is because of something they feel is out there that I don't know about...It's good though. I don't want my chickens to be eaten.

 

[sourland]

Crows also alert to the presence of predators. If my pigeons are out on the loft or even out in their aviaries if the crows start screaming "HAWK,HAWK" They book into the coop. They come to associate the call of the crows with the announcement of danger.

 

[missnu01]

I've not seen any hawks so far, but I know they must be here somewhere. Our yard is forever in the shade of a mountain and trees, so there aren't a lot of places you can actually see the sky..