problem with crow

[seminolewind]

I like the crows around to keep the hawks away. However, this crow has been flying into my small coop and eating all the feed! How do I outsmart him?

 

[fancbrd4me02]

You can try making one of those feeders that the chickens have to step on to get the food dispensed. Or only put the food out when you can watch it. Or put the food inside the henhouse if you have one.

 

[wyndski]

Ah seminolewind, I know you live right near me, we must be sharing crows. lol Those buggers are soo smart. I have two different bird "husband and wife" sets. One is in a small coop and I haven't had a problem so far with them. The other two are free ranged 24/7 and have a nest inside a spare stall. The crows fly around the corner and into the stall and steal eggs. She is a old hen and doesn't lay all that often anymore, but I know she lays more than the eggs I am getting. I walked out of the house the other day just in time to see one fly out of the barn with a eggs in its beak.

It saw me and flew threw the barn and in the back, when I ran back to look it had it cracked open eating it.

I haven't had a problem with the hawks, even though I have a pair live here too. I went outside the other morning and a hawk flew past me with a crow on its butt, I had to do a double take as the lone crow was half the size.

They are so smart that I think if you had a feeder the they had to push to get the food that they would figure it out faster than the chickens. lol

 

[BankerJohn]

hey folks in Spring Hill... Lecanto here. A shotgun may work well on your crow issue. LOL

 

[seminolewind]

Hi Wyndski, yeah we're probably sharing crows, LOL. I guess the crows have more trouble getting pigeon eggs, LOL. I've actually put a collected egg down while I get the rest and have the egg gone after me being in the coop for about 20 seconds!

You're right, if a chicken can figure it out, a crow can too. Probably faster than the chicken, LOL.

BankerJohn, I'd like to keep the crows around to keep the hawks away, but not have them in my little coop eating all the food. My biggest concern is a crow infecting my chickens with something.

I just need to come up with something. Maybe netting?

 

[Brindlebtch]

You can get netting pretty cheaply at Home Depot. Its the type of netting used for keeping birds out of fruit trees and the like, and is very light weight, but sound like it would work just fine if all you have to do is cover a pen, or something.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Okay, I'm going to get netting. Sounds like an easy fix

Thanks