Warning About Crows

[oregon woodsmok]

Two crows killed one of my 4 week old Cornish Cross chicks. I caught them in the act, so beyond a doubt it was the crows.

This was not a small chick. He was bigger than most bantams.

Also today, someone else (on another forum) writing that crows killed several of her 3 week old Cornish Cross chicks.

I knew they would kill day old chicks but mistakenly thought that a 4 week old Cornish Cross would be too big for a crow to attack.

So, it was into the covered run with the chicks and I guess I'll sit out in the orchard with a lawn chair and a shotgun when I let the chicks out to forage.

[jolly rabbit]

nothin like the smell of coffee,lead and gunpowder in the morning! lol. just think about it as target practice.

[suelandress]

So far, the crows have left my brabanter babies alone. I like having the crows around, as they chase off the hawks.....and the hawks around here think my chickens are a buffet.

[chickenista]

That is really, really strange.

Like Sue, most of my experience has been with them warding off hawks. I cannot tell you how many of my chickens have been saved by crows.
We saw the first hawk in years last week and the crows handily took care of the problem and I ahve seen it back again.

[pancho]

Crows will kill chicks and eat eggs.
Usually a good rooster will keep the crows away but hawks are different.
My muscovey drake does a good job on all flying predators.

[jen74145]

Any corvid big enough will kill and eat smaller birds, especially new chicks. About twenty minutes north of me is the winter home for hundreds and hundreds (at one point, over 1.5 million!) crows. I live in NorCal, orchards abound, so they thrive here. Smart, amazing birds. We're all just lucky that jays tend to be too small to be a threat.

I love the ravens here, but they do make me a bit more cautious with my young birds. Down near Tehachapti, I pulled into a gas station where ravens were relaxing on the ground; I've seen smaller hawks, no joke. Yeesh.

[oregon woodsmok]

I'd rather have the hawks. The hawks don't steal eggs, dig up the vegetable garden, destroy the fruit crop, steal the poultry food, attack broodies on the nest to steal eggs, peck out adult bird's eyes, or steal small shiny objects.

Also, they don't make that horrible loud cawing noise for hours on end.

It doesn't help much to have the crows chase the hawks away and then take their place at killing the chicks.

There are very few species of hawks large enough to kill adult chickens. Most hawks don't bother chickens larger than a few ounces.

[COSunflower]

I have quite a few crows around here and some of them are BIG! But, they have never bothered my chickens in all the years I've lived here (40 years) They will eat leftover chicken food or kitchen scraps and drink some water but that's it. THANK GOODNESS!!!