raven/crows eating chickens

[QIDOKTOR]

I have lived in somewhat harmony with the Raven/crows around my chicken pen for the last 28 years loosing eggs and chicks to them occasionally (which is normal) but I moved to a house with a flock (30-50 birds) Ravens and have lost 3 full grown chickens to them in the last week. I am thinking of getting a pair of African Grey Geese to guard the flock. Any ideas that this will or won't work????

 

[Howlet]

sorry for your losses! its hard to imagine ravens can do that much...to me atleast.. The only thing i know are cats and guns..

 

[gawildlife]

I always heard the old timers say to kill one and hang it upside down on a pole for the other crows to see, that it will scare them off.
Thought it was just old country lore aka a wife's tale. Then I started doing bird work professionally and low and behold it works. We call it effigy aversion and there are effigies made just for this in both crow/raven and vulture.
The easiest would probably be a crow decoy but it needs wings spread out like a dead bird. Hang it upside down or some other obviously dead/unnatural way.

 

[RedJungleFowl]

I agree on the second comment its hard to image a crow killing a fully standard rooster/hen but sorry for your loss.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are you sure it is the ravens killing them and not just scavenging a dead body? You could have another predator at work.

 

[enola]

I agree that ravens are not generally predators, they are opprotunistic scavengers. are you finding the ravens eating the dead chickens early in the morning? Is your coop predator proof? Years ago i had an open coop that ravens would enter to steal eggs, roll away nests fixed that problem. But, the ravens never bothered the hens.

 

[One Chick Two]

I have lived in somewhat harmony with the Raven/crows around my chicken pen for the last 28 years loosing eggs and chicks to them occasionally (which is normal) but I moved to a house with a flock (30-50 birds) Ravens and have lost 3 full grown chickens to them in the last week. I am thinking of getting a pair of African Grey Geese to guard the flock. Any ideas that this will or won't work????

So sorry to hear this.

We too have had ravens killing birds. This is a bigger problem here than hawks or eagles. Two I caught right in the act as they killed the birds, when we used to let them freerange. Dropped from the sky, breaking their necks. The fourth attack was on our largest cockerel at the time, a nearly full grown PR (nearly 7 1/2 lbs at the time.). He saved a hen. We were doing supervised freeranging at the time, but, saw the fight, and ran up, making noise. Luckily, we'd scared off the raven in time. However, the cockerel was blinded one eye, and had lacerations on his neck, across the face and chest. He was never the same again after that.

We've completely enclosed our birds to many areas now. It has helped. I've heard of hanging raven decoys as well. Don't know if African Grey Geese to guard the flock will help. Some dogs can help with this. Hopefully you can find a solution that solves the issue with the current aggressive predators.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I agree on the second comment its hard to image a crow killing a fully standard rooster/hen but sorry for your loss.

Crows and Ravens are very different birds. A common raven is about the same size as a Red Tail Hawk. They're 2-3 times the size of american crows.


Ravens are opportunistic scavengers, but confined chickens are a pretty good opportunity.

From wiki:
Quote:

I've seen vultures trying to catch chickens (and doing a poor job of it - they're not maneuverable enough). Scavenger doesn't mean "not a predator" it usually means "isn't fast enough to regularly predate". You don't need to be fast to catch chickens in a run.

 

[marcus connor]

were do you live a residential area or the woods

 

[RedJungleFowl]

Crows and Ravens are very different birds. A common raven is about the same size as a Red Tail Hawk. They're 2-3 times the size of american crows.


Ravens are opportunistic scavengers, but confined chickens are a pretty good opportunity.

From wiki:

Sorry I meant Raven but it still hard to imagine tho but who knows it could happen.