Crows are stealing my eggs

County Lodge · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:47 pm

HI all,

I wonder if anyone has any suggestions. The crows are stealing my light sussex eggs. The area where my girls lay is enclosed with that orange safety fencing along the side on the inside where the feed and water area is. They get into their laying area by slipping under the safety fencing which is that orange plastic stuff. I have had trouble with crows before which I why I put this up. The crows have also now worked out they can slip in under the plastic fencing also and get in there and steal the eggs.

The pen itself is fully enclosed with bird netting over the roof area to the outside run. The fedd area, laying area and roosting area are all under cold room roofing and sides. As I let my sussex out at about 8 in the morning to freerange and put them away about 4pm and leave the door open for the chooks the crows just walk in the door then into the laying area and presto free eggs.

I let them out at 9.30am today but my girls are late layers so had not laid as yet so I had to keep checking the boxes through the day to recue what eggs I could which is only max of three from that pen at present as the older girls are not with Larry and are on hols in the vegie garden. I don't want to leave them locked up all day or even until lunch time as Larry really tells me he wants out NOW.

Does anyone have any suggestions other than popping the crows :shock:

Chickenlegs · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:55 pm

Many years ago I had chooks and the crows and currawongs did the same thing.We stopped them by making a wire tunnel joined to the entrance.The chooks got used to it but the naughy birds were reluctant to go in as they could not make a hasty retreat.

pjh · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:03 pm

yeah had heard of a similar solution, crows are clever so anything simple they work out too quickly, but going into a tunnel makes them vunerable, si they won't,cheers pam

County Lodge · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:12 pm

Hey chickenlegs a really brilliiant idea :idea:

I really think it will work. I could not think of what I could put there to allow the chooks access but to keep the crows out.

You guys are right though, the crows seem to work out everything. When I ride with my friends down at the grounds we have to lock everything up as the little buggers steal the horses sugar cubes and our morning tea if we even leave a window down in the car. They are horrid things for stealing. They must be really hungry at present as I had a few of them attack my 17 week old bantam pullets yesterday afternoon. I let them out in the afternoon for a run on the grass and I heard all this noise and went running down. I had to search out the poor little things from under things and put them safely away. One had a little blood on its face and was out of the vegie garden. (fully fenced with chain wire) so one of the damn crows must have tried to carry her off. I thought they would be safe now as they are nearly fulll grown. :cry:

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:35 pm

Build a scare-crow CL :lol:

agaff4 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:25 pm

we tried that and we bought a scare cat, it worked for about a month.

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:58 pm

hehe

I once built and put in a big garden of different annual plants when i was landscaping. He asked me to make up a scare hawk to scare the birds away from the flowering plants-basically something i made up out of paper mashet and ostrich feathers :lol:

Worked great for about 2 weeks then the little birds got used to it and started perching on it and eventually pulled it to pieces :roll:

agaff4 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:08 pm

that sounds about right. the only thing i reckon would work is if you baught yourself a real hawk thatll keep the birds away, but they may eat your chooks as well

greenaus · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:11 pm

yeah, but it would keep the crows away.

agaff4 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:20 pm

so u reckon its a small price to pay

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