Advice, please, from crow feeders and friends

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

My house is surrounded by wide open pastures that belong to the ranch I work for and I'm plagued with hawks. As far as I can tell (and I have lots of opportunity to observe) there are 2-4 hawks whose territories either border or overlap right here. I've seen hawks chased off by crows now and then, but not as often as I would like, and only once super close to my house. The crows have a gathering place on a communication tower about 1/4 mile away, I would like to invite them to my place for dinner and drinks.

In other words, I want to put out a feeder and bath to attract crows to frequent my property and deter hawks. But I also want to keep my chickens safe when they are in their yard. Naturally, because I am me, I'm overthinking it, so I'm here to ask where I should install the bar and buffet. I have 3 places in mind.

1. Inside my fenced yard. My house is completely enclosed by a single yard that is bordered by a fence with super-tall pine trees on both sides of the fence. This is the most convenient place to replenish the feeder, but maybe too hidden to easily attract visitors. Plus I have A big, goofy dog that is in and out of the house with annoying frequency. (Blue)
2. On the West side of the property. This is a bit of a distance from the coop, but it's in a wide open space we use for storing and parking ranch equipment. There's some traffic, but not much. It's not an inconvenient place for me to restock with peanuts, but it is on the opposite side of the property from most hawk flight patterns. (Orange)
3. In the pasture on the East side of the property. this is the side with most hawk traffic as well as nearest the chicken coop. It's least convenient to restock and furthest from the tower where the crows gather. (Purple)

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None of these areas have a place to perch and visit with friends, but I can probably make something happen.

Where should I set up for attracting crows to my place and why?

Bonus questions: Other than peanuts, what should I feed? What kind of bath do they like? Should I use a raised platform or stay close to the ground? What are the cons of attracting crows (the noise doesn't bother me)? What should I avoid doing to be more attractive?

And finally... Show me your feeders!

 

[Debbie292d]

Crows don't really need a feeder. Just make a few piles of cracked corn where you want to draw them to. I know I've seen some have trays, like a cookie sheet of sorts but we just dump it on the ground.

Once in a while, we put a pile of unsalted peanuts in the shell, in the farmer's field next to us to get the squirrels to stay over there and out of our yard as much. The crows come for those too, though I didn't intend upon it.

 

[Jenbirdee]

For two years, I had a self-made crow feeder in my front yard (my ducks, chickens, and geese are in my backyard.)
All I did was flip a large barrel upside down and I glued a tray on top and I put peanuts and dry dog food in it every morning and sometimes a duck egg that I didn’t think was good for humans like if I found it in the pool or something .
At first, the crows didn’t come at all, but after a couple of months they started coming, and Blue Jays came a lot as well. Over the next year crows moved into the trees surrounding my property . There were more crows and they were getting less afraid of me. They also started landing on the roof of my duck house and helping themselves to the ducks feed. And I even caught them marching of the ramp right into the chicken coop stealing eggs, even so I was still happy to have crows around because many times I have seen them chase away Hawks. we had a lot less hawks than we used to well the crows got so used to me and so unafraid that they started raising their baby crows just behind the fence in my backyard. They were adorable. It was so fun to see them until the day that one of the baby crows flew into the chicken area and one of my chickens murdered it ever since that day all the crows left the area they do not come to my feeder anymore. I call that chicken, my murder chicken I took down the crow feeder and I give up, I don’t think they will ever forgive us.

 

[Seaslug]

Not knowing your property, I can give some general answers.
The issues with encouraging the crows relate mainly to biosecurity. Crows are susceptible to West Nile and potentially to bird flu. My greatest concern would be having them roost around my coop and entering my run. Some chickens run for cover when they hear or see crows, but then again you are partially counting on that -- the crows will not only be mobbing the hawks but also be sounding a warning when the hawks are hunting.
I would focus on the areas of coniferous trees -- the crows are more likely to gravitate there and I wouldn't want to discourage the hawks from rodent feeding in the fields. (This depends on the types of hawks you are seeing & if they even feed on both birds & rodents. We have resident Coopers & Sharp Shin, which mostly prey on birds. The resident blue jays actually provide the warning system to all the birds, including my chickens, about the hawks' movements (although the hawks themselves are quite vocal.) Good luck.

 

[WingItRanch]

For two years, I had a self-made crow feeder in my front yard (my ducks, chickens, and geese are in my backyard.)
All I did was flip a large barrel upside down and I glued a tray on top and I put peanuts and dry dog food in it every morning and sometimes a duck egg that I didn’t think was good for humans like if I found it in the pool or something .
At first, the crows didn’t come at all, but after a couple of months they started coming, and Blue Jays came a lot as well. Over the next year crows moved into the trees surrounding my property . There were more crows and they were getting less afraid of me. They also started landing on the roof of my duck house and helping themselves to the ducks feed. And I even caught them marching of the ramp right into the chicken coop stealing eggs, even so I was still happy to have crows around because many times I have seen them chase away Hawks. we had a lot less hawks than we used to well the crows got so used to me and so unafraid that they started raising their baby crows just behind the fence in my backyard. They were adorable. It was so fun to see them until the day that one of the baby crows flew into the chicken area and one of my chickens murdered it ever since that day all the crows left the area they do not come to my feeder anymore. I call that chicken, my murder chicken I took down the crow feeder and I give up, I don’t think they will ever forgive us.

Wow. This post was a wild ride!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Not knowing your property, I can give some general answers.
The issues with encouraging the crows relate mainly to biosecurity. Crows are susceptible to West Nile and potentially to bird flu. My greatest concern would be having them roost around my coop and entering my run. Some chickens run for cover when they hear or see crows, but then again you are partially counting on that -- the crows will not only be mobbing the hawks but also be sounding a warning when the hawks are hunting.
I would focus on the areas of coniferous trees -- the crows are more likely to gravitate there and I wouldn't want to discourage the hawks from rodent feeding in the fields. (This depends on the types of hawks you are seeing & if they even feed on both birds & rodents. We have resident Coopers & Sharp Shin, which mostly prey on birds. The resident blue jays actually provide the warning system to all the birds, including my chickens, about the hawks' movements (although the hawks themselves are quite vocal.) Good luck.

This!!!!!

All wild birds are a threat to domestic fowl from diseases and pests they bring with them. You cannot have any wild birds coming into your coop or run or even pooping in it. Secure the bulk feed in metal drums and the coop feed in a treadle feeder with a narrow and distant perch instead of a wide step or a close in narrow perch. But I wouldn't count on a murder of crows not eventually learning how to cooperate on a treadle feeder so bird proof the coop and run.

And the part about the raptors feeding on the wild rodents in the fields, that is golden advice. You do want rodent natural predators to keep their numbers thinned down but at the same time if you are attracting rodents to the coop for the chicken feed they are laying a constantly refreshed bright yellow trail of rat pee that raptors can see using their UV vision. Leading right to the coop..... Control the rats and mice by refusing to set out a chicken feeder buffet and you force the raptors further away to find enough rodents to survive on. A lot of predators do have territories and they also will allow a rich territory to be shared IF there is an abundance of prey, too much to fight over.

 

[Dogs Cows Chicken]

1

I don’t think they will ever forgive us.

Oh, Dear! I'm sorry that happened!

 

[Jenbirdee]

This!!!!!

All wild birds are a threat to domestic fowl from diseases and pests they bring with them. You cannot have any wild birds coming into your coop or run or even pooping in it.

This is why I now say that my murder chicken did us all a favor.
I’m also saving quite a bit by not buying any more peanuts

 

[No Coop No Problem]

All wild birds are a threat to domestic fowl from diseases and pests they bring with them.

This reminds me of the quote "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right".

If you treat chickens like weak, sickly flowers without immune systems you'll get exactly that

If you treat chickens like tough little dinosaurs you'll get exactly that

I have wild birds of all types hanging freely with and around my chickens with absolutely zero issues. I've been doing this for years now and my flock is in superb health

 

[Jenbirdee]

This reminds me of the quote "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right".

If you treat chickens like weak, sickly flowers without immune systems you'll get exactly that

If you treat chickens like tough little dinosaurs you'll get exactly that

I have wild birds of all types hanging freely with and around my chickens with absolutely zero issues. I've been doing this for years now and my flock is in superb health

You have been blessed