Ravens stealing eggs - caught on camera

[wild chick]

Took me a day or two to figure out, but set up the critter cam to make sure. I have a dozen photos and the raven waits til a chicken comes out, then goes in. If a hen is in the coop, he won't go in. The chickens free range all day so the door stays open from dawn til dusk. I've read putting something like "caution" tape streamers at the door and little curtains on the nests? I won't kill the ravens, I've never seen a hawk here that wasn't being attacked by 3 or 4 ravens dive bombing it. Also I've heard hanging dead ravens nearby, I have some chicken feather pelts, you think that might work the same? I have no idea how many real eggs got taken, but they also took off with 3 ceramic fake eggs and 2 golf balls, the last one set up for the critter cam:

 

[BlueBaby]

Unless you have a way to keep the raven's out of there, then your egg's are going to keep disappearing.

 

[wild chick]

Yes, I know! I'm asking for suggestions - going to try the things I listed above, but open to more ideas!

 

[BlueBaby]

I think that you would have to close the run up better to keep the raven's from being able to fly down into it.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Do you have any covering of the run? Hardware cloth may work, though it is more expensive than something a friend of mine uses- a type of netting. (https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-stop-hawks-for-30-cents.73167/)

If you don't intend to cover the run... I'd recommend some sort of chicken-wire doorway. I wish I had a better suggestion, that doesn't require any investment, but I haven't had your same experience.

By any chance do you own wind chimes? Maybe hanging something from the doorway's frame could be of help. A chicken wouldn't normally fly as high as a raven ought to... so this could startle the culprit.

Best of luck.

 

[N F C]

Wow, I don't think I've ever read of that on BYC before. And you have a picture of it too!

I don't know if nesting box curtains would deter a raven but the streamers or wind chimes may.

Keep us posted on what you try and what works!

 

[wild chick]

I think that you would have to close the run up better to keep the raven's from being able to fly down into it.

The run is covered but the door is left open all day so chickens can come & go.

By any chance do you own wind chimes? Maybe hanging something from the doorway's frame could be of help. A chicken wouldn't normally fly as high as a raven ought to... so this could startle the culprit.

I'll try the wind chimes , thanks for that idea. The chickens and the raven both walk in the coop, no flying in and out. Thinking of streamers in the doorway, hope the chickens don't mind. They don't seem to spook at much of anything.

Keep us posted on what you try and what works!

Thanks, I will.

 

[TwistedSteel]

If it`s just that one particular raven I would shoot it before the rest of the flock decides they like to steal eggs too. Better for one to die than all to take up the habit and maybe meet their end at one of your neighbors.

 

[aart]

I would make the coop door smaller...or rather add a pop door for the chickens and keep the large door shut. Add pet strips over the pop door.
Will take time adding the strips 2 at a time from the outsides of opening to acclimate the chickens...and hopefully not teach the raven.

 

[wild chick]

UPDATE. thanks @aart - I started making a small chicken passage through the chainlink gate, as I really don't have time in the next week or so to work on cutting one into the coop... thought maybe I could eventually make a tunnel or box that the chickens would walk through that might be too scary for the raven. Chickens didn't mind the open pass through yesterday (about a foot square), neither did the raven(s). Was working on another idea in the barn a few hours ago and been checking for eggs as often as I can. I knew 2 hens were on the nests, so didn't worry about the raven. Then I saw Black Caviar, so I knew she was off the nest, went to get the egg and low and behold the raven was in the coop! HA! I slammed shut the gate, opened the door to the adjacent broody pen (not used this summer) and ran the wild thing in there and latched the door. So now I have him (?) captive. I have lectured him severely and will keep him in there a day or two. His mate has flown over calling. @TwistedSteel this is a mating pair that's been here longer than I have and I really respect them, especially when I see them dive-bomb the hawks. I've free ranged on over 6 acres for a little over 3 years and I'm surrounded by Nat'l forest. I've lost two chickens - one was to neighbor dogs before we added the perimeter fence, the other one we don't know what got her, but it was over a year ago and never came back for more. So that's the reason I'd rather not kill the raven. Having said that, I'd have no problem shooting a coyote, fox or most anything else. I know these birds are extremely smart, and I think by keeping one captive it will never ever ever want to come back. I read an old post here on BYC that said capture & release worked for them. Here's the thief in the broody pen. And the set up I have with the broody pen at one end of the run and the coop on the other end.