Do Crows Attack and Eat Chickens?

Unlike hawks and other birds of prey, crows rarely attack chickens. However, crows usually attack baby chicks and also steal eggs from hens. Crows can attack your chickens if they lack an easier meal.

These birds can’t attack adult chickens because they are too large for crows to kill and consume. Crows will prey on your baby chicks when the chicks roam too far from the flock.

Can a Crow Kill a Chicken?

Yes, a crow can kill a chicken if it lacks an easy meal option. Nonetheless, crows only attack smaller and younger chickens. They mainly prey on baby chicks since they are an easy target for these birds due to their small size.

Crows are opportunists, and they will kill your younger chickens when conditions are favorable. Crows will rarely attack adult chickens since adult chickens are large and capable of defending themselves.

Do Crows Eat Chicken Eggs?

Crows can be a big problem for backyard chicken keepers because these birds are notorious for eating chicken eggs. Crows aren’t the most significant threat your chickens will encounter, but they pose the most significant threat to your chickens’ egg production.

If you have laying hens in your flock, you must ensure their eggs are safe from crows. These ideas will help you protect chicken eggs from crows.

  • Have Nest Boxes In Your Yard -Backyard chickens usually lay everywhere because they lack a designated place. Crows will be waiting to steal any uncollected eggs once they spot them from the air. Having some nest boxes in your yard will provide your backyard with a safe spot to lay. It will be hard for crows to steal the eggs from the boxes.
  • Put Some Physical Barriers -Crows are intelligent, just like chickens. They will somehow discover the nest boxes where your hens lay. It helps to have physical and visual barriers around the nest boxes. For instance, place some potted shrubs around the nest to make it difficult for crows to see the nest boxes and steal the eggs from the boxes.
  • Cut The Trees Around Your Yard -Crows usually perch on trees and high points to observe chickens. If there are trees around your yard, these birds will perch on those trees and then watch closely whether they are eggs around the yard. It’s best to cut the trees in your yard to deny the crows a perching point.
  • Use Pets -Pets like dogs can scare away crows, deterring them from stealing chicken eggs. Crows are timid, and they flee when they hear a dog barking. Always have a dog in your yard to scare away crows and predators that prey on chickens alongside their eggs.
  • Don’t Forget to Collect Eggs-Being opportunists; crows will always steal any uncollected eggs in your yard. Ensure you collect eggs to deny these birds a chance to steal eggs. Crows and other predators won’t frequent your yard if there are no eggs for them to steal.

Do Crows Eat Baby Chickens?

Crows eat baby chicks because they are small and defenseless. These predators usually avoid attacking adult chickens since they know adult chickens can defend themselves. Therefore, crows will eat and kill baby chicks and other smaller chickens in your flock.

How to Protect Your Flock from Crows?

Backyard chicken keepers have challenges protecting their flock from crows. After all, crows and other birds attack from the air, and therefore, it can be pretty daunting to keep these predator birds at bay.

Fortunately, you can protect your flock from crows if you take the appropriate measures. Kindly check these ideas on how you can protect your flock from crows and other predatory birds.

Have a Chicken Run

Having a chicken run is a perfect way to allow your chickens to get fresh air and also protect the flock from predators. A chicken run can help contain your flock in one place, consequently preventing the younger members of the flock from straying to areas where they are vulnerable to eagle attacks.

Cover the Chicken Run

Crows attack from the sky. These predator birds also attack chickens from a perch. Even if you have a chicken run, it doesn’t mean your flock is entirely safe from crow attacks. Covering your chicken run is the surest way to ensure the flock is entirely safe from crow attacks. You can cover the chicken run with netting or chicken wire since these two are inexpensive options.

Build an Extra Shelter to Protect Your Flock

It’s good to free-range your flock because the birds will benefit from getting additional nutrition. However, free-ranging chickens come at a cost because your birds will always be vulnerable to predator attacks, including crow attacks.

However, you can have a shelter in your yard where your chickens can hide from crows and other birds of prey. The shelter doesn’t have to be necessarily a complete house. It can be a shade with an iron sheet at the top to ensure the crows don’t see the chickens when they take shelter.

Protect the Feeding Area

Chickens are vulnerable to attacks from birds of prey when they are feeding. Chickens eat with their heads low, and therefore, they can’t notice when a crow is preying on them. It’s best to protect your chickens’ feeding area to prevent crows from attacking them when they are feeding.

You can cover the feeding area on the top using an iron sheet or a chicken wire to stop crows from attacking your chickens from the air.

Have a Rooster to Protect the Flock

Roosters play their protective role by ensuring all flock members are safe from potential threats. A rooster will alert your flock when it senses danger. Roosters have a sharp sense of danger; therefore, having a rooster in your flock will protect flock members from crow attacks.

Crows Can Help Protect Your Flock

Crows can protect your flock from other birds of prey. Like chickens, crows also have predators, such as hawks. If there are crows around your yard, they will be alert for hawks and other birds of prey, and your chickens will be safe from such birds.

Conclusion

Crows can attack chickens, but not all chickens. Crows are notorious for stealing chicken eggs and killing baby chicks. Don’t allow crows to be around your chickens since they will kill the younger chickens or steal the chicken eggs.

avatar James
Hey, I'm James, a hardworking homesteader for more than 30 years. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from tending my flock. I've raised chickens and ducks for eggs and meat for many years. I also have experience with other poultry too. Learn more

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