Using crows to protect flock from hawks?

[Nambroth]

I was trying to remember, I thought I had posted about this before. I searched back through my history, and sure enough, I did about a year ago!

In case anyone is interested:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/739326/encouraging-crows#post_10349890

Otis7-- Very good idea! Using crow calls is also a good way to get them to come to your property if you haven't seen them before. You should stop playing the calls when they realize there is food and start to come regularly to check, though, as the calls may sometimes distress them and make them think there is a territorial group of crows already in the area. Once they know you are a Food!Source! They will check your property regularly. Over time they may start to frequently patrol.

 

[otis7]

Thanks for the advice! I still haven't seen them eat here, but I hope they decide to nest here this spring! From what I've read it's hard to create a nest "box" for them, but a high platform might work. We have a lot of jays, they are very good at alerting about hawks. Unfortunately the talk so much through out the day that the chickens haven't picked up on the alert call. I know it pretty well now though, when the hawk is here all the other birds fall silent and the jays sound off. They don't mess with the red tails, but I did see one land on a tree adjacent to the hawk and scream up a storm at it. I read somewhere someone attracted kestrels to scare off hawks? Hawk vs hawk

 

[otis7]

What is the best way to get them to see the food source? I was scattering, but now I'm wondering if I should try to feed them in piles instead? Would a decoy help? How would crows react to a decoy once it's landed? They're so smart it seems like they would be weary.

 

[otis7]

Also, I'd like to offer a warning with the YouTube videos, there is generally a lot of wind noise. It's hard to find a good video and if anyone can find a good (free) crow call source I would be very interested!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Your feed only needs to be in one spot. Once they start to feed they will return everyday as long as you continue supplying it. My mother gets free old bread/pastry and feeds a flock of Ravens at her house. They come and perch in the trees knowing she comes out about 9 am to feed them. It's cute to see them and their non fear of her.

 

[BlueJayFarm]

I have found that for whatever reason, the jays here will mob the heck out of Cooper's and Sharp Shinned hawks... far more than the crows will. If you have any native jays around, you could try encouraging a family unit to keep your yard as part of their territory. They LOVE shelled peanuts... They are in the corvid family, like crows and ravens, and form strong family units and are pretty clever.

It took me three years to get a blue jay family to set up on my property but they are actually much sharper at keeping after the "little" hawks than the crows are. The crows, on the other hand, really bother the red tailed hawks.

Interesting, thank you. Indeed, we do have resident scrub and Stellars Jays. I admire their intelligence but they don't seem to do much for the aerial predators, except the Stellars imitate the red tailed hawks which is confusing to all of us! Poor rooster can never put his head down. We have a lot of falcons but I have not seen the jays react to them other than hide. Maybe during breeding season our jays will.... I'll get them some peanuts, what the heck.

 

[BlueJayFarm]

Your feed only needs to be in one spot. Once they start to feed they will return everyday as long as you continue supplying it. My mother gets free old bread/pastry and feeds a flock of Ravens at her house. They come and perch in the trees knowing she comes out about 9 am to feed them. It's cute to see them and their non fear of her.

I wish I had your mother's flock of ravens! That's pretty funny actually.

 

[Nambroth]

Also, I'd like to offer a warning with the YouTube videos, there is generally a lot of wind noise. It's hard to find a good video and if anyone can find a good (free) crow call source I would be very interested!

There are some here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/sounds

You can also get a mouth call, at most sporting goods stores or in the sporting goods section of Walmart in the spring. They are used as turkey locator calls for hunters (turkeys will sometimes shock-gobble in response to loud crow calling) and can use that if you really want to. They are a blow-type call, like a duck call.

 

[D Kluck]

Below is what happen on our farm back in December and I posted it here; ..We have lots of crows on our place and this has not happend again...


>>> I have read on this forum where crows would attack chickens but I just couldn't believe it...in my 60 years being on a farm I have never seen it... Yesterday afternoon I heard our dogs barking and the chickens, ducks and guineas were making a lot of noise. I jumped on the 4-wheeler and rode down to chicken run and saw about 30 to 50 crows swooping down on the chickens...they had already killed 2 in less than 30 seconds and were attacking one more.. It looked like something out Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" movie. The crows were up in nearby trees and about 3 to 6 of them would take turns dive bombing the chickens... I shot several times with the shot-gun to scare them off.... Also I had to scare off another flock this morning... We have a lot of crows around here all the time but they have never attacked before.... it may be the unusual cold weather we are having that has them so crazy......

Now I am also a believer that crows will attack and kill chickens.

12/11/13 at 12:22pm<<<

 

[Nambroth]

Yes, they can... but it is a rare occurrence, especially compared with hawk predation.

As with all wild animals, you cannot trust them 100% of the time. They are still wild, and in times of desperation may seek unusual sources of food.

Still, thank you for sharing your story!