Lots of CROWS! Are they a pest to chickens?

[ParrotsNPullets]

We get hundreds of thousands of crows roosting at a large cemetery near our house during the colder months, and they do a great job chasing away hawks. They are crafty opportunists though and I wouldn't leave chicks or eggs out in plain sight because they would most likely make the best of the situation.

They could care less about my bantams or full sized chickens though. Sometimes they pick up leftover treats that my girls don't eat, but they never get close to our girls let alone bully them.

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

I was not very smart about crows and always wanted to kill them for eating my dogs leftover food. A couple of months ago I read here how great they are for chasing hawks. Now I'm glad they are here even though they sure do make a lot of racket.lol

 

[woodmort]

I always check the crows before I let the chickens out to freerange. If they are in a mob and cawing like mad, the birds stay in. Never have had them come near my chickens or birdfeeder though.

 

[ddroland]

Chicken.Lytle :

I feed the crows to keep the hawks in check.

If I am late with the dog food in their yard dish, they hang out in the trees near me and remind me.

Yep, crows are good to have around the chicken coop.​

 

[seminolewind]

I like the crows too, HOWEVER, they have been going into my coop and stealing up to 10 eggs a day!!!!!!! I kept wondering why I was collecting a dozen a day, and now 2.
How can I stop this?

 

[kannna]

Witnessed a save today. Red tail was 10 ft above our heads being attacked by a mob aka a murder of crows. If they weren't there he might have gotten one of the girls. The ospreys have also returned. Do they attack chickens? I've only seen them eat fish.

 

[ellieroo]

Quote:
Do you have magpies ??? We have crows, ravens and

magpies they are the egg stealers here!

 

[seminolewind]

Hi Ellieroo, No they are definitely crows. They sit near the coop door waiting for their chance , then go in. I could be sitting there and they are waiting at the door!
Last week I found a pigeon egg under my "broody" hen, well the crow must have left it there and took a bigger egg!

 

[desertdarlene]

Kannna, ospreys are 99% fish eaters and the other 1% is mostly invertebrates such as snails, shellfish, and an occasional nestling. In my experience, they seem to ignore just about everything but fish.

 

[ellieroo]

Quote:
I got wooden eggs that slowed them down, kinda ?? Every once in awhie they traded golf balls for eggs ??