Soo crows are good right?UPDATE

[foxflower]

We lost a lot of our crow population when west nile virus hit this area. Now we're overrun with magpies

Both are hard on the fruit. The magpies compete with the free range chickens for food. As with all wild birds susceptible to West Nile, I'd be cautious about letting them mingle with your chickens. I understand chickens can contract west nile virus, but not pass it to humans, but I'm not expert on that. Predators are likely far more dangerous than west nile, but it's just a thought.

 

[Gonzo]

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Thats interesting! I never knew that!

 

[gritsar]

gonzo&hispeeps :

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Thats interesting! I never knew that!

Maybe I should clarify a bit. Once the crows accept that the chickens are in their territory and are not a threat, the crows go on about their lives and the chickens gain protection from crows doing what they do naturally; protect their territory from hawks.​

 

[pringle]

Yes and for there protection the chickens gotta pay in feed its like the mob

 

[gsim]

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They will attack and kill chicks, and have been known to eat eggs. They really will keep owls and hawks away. I have a large population of them and it is rare to see a hawk sitting around here. One of them has damaged a patio door of mine and an upstairs windowsill too. I have been wanting to shoot them for that, but the safety of the chickens has won out for now.

 

[pringle]

UPDATE:I am soo happy they live here now.They are nesting in the pine groves and I saw them attack a hawk.They are constantly patrolling the area and sometime I see 10 in a line flying across the sky like airforce pilots

.There is atleast 20 of them for sure and i hope this is going to be a permanant nesting area.

 

[AngieChick]

I love my crows. I have seen them scare off hawks daily. I would much rather risk losing an occasional egg to crows than any of my girls to a hawk. The crows never actually land in my yard, they just stick to the trees and patrol around.

 

[debbie.h]

I have to scare off the crows, they come and eat the grains I put out for my girls (and one guy). As long as they stay out of the yard and garden, then I'm fine with them being around since they keep the hawks and falcons away.