Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Peeps61]

I know everyone that free ranges their flock has had to do egg hunts when their chickens start laying. I usually walk my yard everyday looking in all the places one of my flock might lay. I have found a couple duck eggs when they started to lay and an occasional egg under my deck but for the most part everyone lays in the coop and they all fuss at each other trying to use the same boxes instead of all the others available. Well today I was in the coop, which is an old shed that has a loft, and I heard pecking up in the loft so I moved all the storage boxes around and there was one of my Easter eggers with eggs everywhere.

There were a total of 30 eggs and a couple broken ones which is what she was pecking at and the reason I found her. She clucked and fussed at me for finding her spot but now I know I will have to crawl around the loft daily to get her egg unless I can figure out how to stop her from laying up there.
Sorry for the long post just wanted to share my morning chicken escapade.

My EE hen was laying under some fencing in a pile of hay. It was situated just so I couldn't see the eggs. I found 17 there before I got her broken so that she would lay in the coop! (I locked her in for two weeks.)

 

[Tikkijane]

I am curious as whether any others have noticed that when you find the "hidden" nest, they never lay there again. Every time I have found one, that is the last time my hens will use that spot. Usually, there are at least 17+ eggs in there before we find it. Is there a reason, or is it just my chickens?

It's because they are smart enough to know that eggs are gone= not safe.

 

[Treasured Chest]

Hi everyone! I was hoping you could help me with a free range related question.

My flock has always free ranged from sun up until sun down when they are then locked in their coop for the night. The last couple of days I have been noticing eggs missing from their nesting boxes and this morning I caught the culprit red handed. A big black crow!

My question is how the hell do I stop him? Unfortunately my hens don't all lay in the morning and so I can't just grab all of the eggs and close the coop door.

I love having them free range and so if the only answer is that they should be locked up day and night them I suppose the crow can just have the eggs but I guess I was looking for other suggestions from knowledgeable free rangers!

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi everyone! I was hoping you could help me with a free range related question.

My flock has always free ranged from sun up until sun down when they are then locked in their coop for the night. The last couple of days I have been noticing eggs missing from their nesting boxes and this morning I caught the culprit red handed. A big black crow!

My question is how the hell do I stop him? Unfortunately my hens don't all lay in the morning and so I can't just grab all of the eggs and close the coop door.

I love having them free range and so if the only answer is that they should be locked up day and night them I suppose the crow can just have the eggs but I guess I was looking for other suggestions from knowledgeable free rangers!

That crow has learned the trick to a fast free meal. I would feed him some lead hot out of a shotgun barrel before he teaches the others his trick. I like having crows around as they keep hawks at bay, but that one would have to disappear.

 

[Treasured Chest]

That crow has learned the trick to a fast free meal.  I would feed him some lead hot out of a shotgun barrel before he teaches the others his trick.  I like having crows around as they keep hawks at bay, but that one would have to disappear.

Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately I am in Australia with very different gun laws (i.e. I don't own one)!

Any other suggestions!?

 

[Teila]

OK, first up I have a confession, I have not read all 179 Pages of this thread but the word ‘Crow’ caught my eye in the ‘New Posts’ view.

I have some experience with Crows and after much research probably know more about them than I care to

If you have nothing better to do one day and you are at all interested, you can check out my ongoing battle on this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/906780/my-home-has-become-crow-central-why

Treasured Chest I note you are in Brisbane also … yes, while it is illegal for us to ‘interfere’ with the Crows or their nests in any way, we can still outsmart them

 

[Treasured Chest]

OK, first up I have a confession, I have not read all 179 Pages of this thread but the word ‘Crow’ caught my eye in the ‘New Posts’ view.

I have some experience with Crows and after much research probably know more about them than I care to 

If you have nothing better to do one day and you are at all interested, you can check out my ongoing battle on this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/906780/my-home-has-become-crow-central-why

Treasured Chest I note you are in Brisbane also … yes, while it is illegal for us to ‘interfere’ with the Crows or their nests in any way, we can still outsmart them 

Holy cow! I have just read your thread and wow.

I am going to count myself lucky that I only appear to have one or two crows hanging around and only one that steals eggs (for now)!

I am reluctant to waste my electricity on playing sounds to deter them though I will definitely keep it in mind as a last resort.

These crows still seem weary of me and so I think I might try a combination of hanging CDs and making a scarecrow to see if that works at all.

Keep your fingers crossed for me fellow Brisbane crow infested buddy!

 

[Teila]

Tee hee Treasured Chest yep, it has been one heck of a battle which I have partially won!

I have not had to play the CD for a couple of weeks now. I can still hear them in the neighbourhood and occasionally I have one or two in the garden looking for a feed but I do believe a combination of the CD, my neighbour no longer feeding them, my deterring them from roosting in the front tree and chasing them off whenever I can has worked.

Maybe I am the reason they are now at your place lol

All my research has indicated that your egg stealer may teach his friends and any off spring where there is a free feed and I think discouraging him is a good idea.

Anyways, I definitely do have my fingers crossed for you and wish you luck

 

[gander007]

Hi everyone! I was hoping you could help me with a free range related question.

My flock has always free ranged from sun up until sun down when they are then locked in their coop for the night. The last couple of days I have been noticing eggs missing from their nesting boxes and this morning I caught the culprit red handed. A big black crow!

My question is how the hell do I stop him? Unfortunately my hens don't all lay in the morning and so I can't just grab all of the eggs and close the coop door.

I love having them free range and so if the only answer is that they should be locked up day and night them I suppose the crow can just have the eggs but I guess I was looking for other suggestions from knowledgeable free rangers!

Oh I so have the same problem but I just live with it as the crows do keep the red tailed hawks away so a few eggs for the safety of the flock is much like paying taxes and my neighbors kids shot them for awhile and the entire flock of crows left and I started loosing chickens and the crows came back and the shortage of .22 ammo in California put stop to the kids shooting the crows and now I have about 8 crows who patrol the yard and the chickens let them land and eat their feed as if thy were old friends but yet the same chickens will chase off the wild rabbits so the real answer is the safety of the flock or a few eggs paid for mothers natures security guards ........

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately I am in Australia with very different gun laws (i.e. I don't own one)!

Any other suggestions!?

Sorry, I never noticed where you where from.

The only other Idea I have would be to use a live trap inside the coop. with the trap lid in the doorway so the crow would have to enter the trap. The problem here is I doubt the crow is dumb enough to enter the trap. Do you have a dog that is chicken safe to run the crow off?

I did not go to Teila link, I am sure the ideas there are better than any I had. I only have two plays in my predator book, trap or shoot.