Lots of CROWS! Are they a pest to chickens?

[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.

 

[ccm352]

send some crows my way.. When I was leaving my shop last night I looked back at the cut corn field and in the treeline sat about 20 hawks..

 

[gofasterstripe]

I go out and feed the crows in my back paddock. They stay around and wait for me to feed them. 1 day last month the crows were going crazy and the ducks were doing the STRANGER DANGER call and were all huddled together. When I went outside the crows were attackign the top of a tall pine tree. After 2 minutes a HUGE hawk flew out and you could hear the crows chasing the hawk for a good 5 minutes untill they faded out into the distance. I love my crows

 

[Chihuahuamom444]

I have always encouraged the crows to stay because of the darn hawks, However I had No idea they would take a baby chick

, I had a few just disappear last summer and figured another predator got it....I guess this year when we have babies I will have to pen them and mama sep till theyre bigger.

 

[hippiehen]

Quote:
A caracara is a carrion bird that's seen a lot here with our regular buzzards but unlike the buzzard a caracara is an opportunist - I've seen them chasing down the ducks in our field and they've carried off kid goats as well. I think technically it is a falcon, so it is still a hunter. I hate them.

 

[vetgirl00us]

I'm in the southeast. The crows are good here. I know to get the gun if the crows are going at it anywhere near the house. They eat what's leftover or dropped out of the birdfeeders in the front yard, the chickens are in pens and no hens or babies run loose or bantams. The big, large fowl are penned in the garden with an 8 foot fence. Birds of prey don't bother them.

 

[chickensioux]

I like it when the crows are around, their squawking alerts me and my chickens to watch out for hawks. Blue Jays tell me about the hawks too.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Quote:
How old were the chicks?
I leave my 6 week old (fully feathered) chicks outside with protection from their dog when I cant be out there watching.

 

[okieinalaska]

I happened upon this article about how smart crows are. It was pretty interesting! Be forewarned though, the author uses a few naughty words.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19042_6-terrifying-ways-crows-are-way-smarter-than-you-think.html

 

[Cetawin]

I miss those big Oregon crows *sigh* feed them and keep them around...they will attack and chase away any hawk that comes near. I feed them here in Kentucky at the woodline just beyond my coop and I have seen them fly from the tree and attack a redtail in flight and chase it away.

Crows are your friends...for adult LF birds...chicks I would not trust them