[sabrina]

I lost 2 doz. last weekend to the crow. If I find a dead one my brother told me to hang it up and the others will give the barn a wide berth.

[northfifeduckling]

Same problem here, they've been at it since the season started. My worst nightmare is that they leave half eaten eggs and the hens think "That's tasty"  , so I'm cruising the garden all day long but only find empty shells..

[Azzdodd]

Larson trap works a treat I had this problem eBay Larson trap bait with eggs by the time you catch a few the others soon get the point....

[bloomer]

just remember if you trap them you have to kill them quickly and humanely so that needs to be planned for.

[Victorian Farmer]

You have to blast the nests erley on . 2 shots for a big nest the onley way becouse its been a mield spring .

[Stereo]

Lots of crows this year. I haven't got around to dealing yet but on days where I can't get up to the pens, I am losing all the eggs. My pen of Welsummers are laying 10-11 a day and if I don't get up 'till 4 they are all gone. I can't afford  that. Wed looks fine so hides will be built tomorrow and death will happen then. A few of them set up on V sticks will keep the rest away.

It's not their fault, they are only doing what they do. Problem is they are clever buggers so most fixes don't work.

[northfifeduckling]

Here they "just" get the eggs from outdoor attempts at nesting. Do the crows (or magpies) go into the bird houses in your place? I've heard that maybe a curtain in front of the nesting boxes helps (worked wonders here for other reasons like egg eating hens and bullying).

[lord flynn]

I have curtains for the nesting boxes in my big coop-they aren't getting in there right now. In the paddock I rent a couple of miles away I have three fledgling crows on the grass but can't bring myself to dispatch one and hang it up 

I am a bit :/ about the amount of starlings we have too-they are the number one wildlife reservoir for gapeworm apparently.

[sabrina]

I feed my cats in the feed room every morning. they have been acting hungry over the past week . Turns out once I leave the building and come back into the house the crow drops in, chases both cats away and eats all the food. I watched on camera this morning. Can't get the eggs anymore so has moved onto the poor cats.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I am so sorry to hear that. Last week it was the same, I had a broody hen and a crow kept on scaring her off her eggs, because of that the eggs did not hatch and then because of that crow, or should I say magpie, hatching was an absolute disaster, no alive chicks and a hen which has wasted her whole time. With broody hens I would recommend buying a broody hen house and putting it in a garage or building where you can keep an eye on her and she would be safe from the weather and crows, or magpies.

[northfifeduckling]

Absolutely right, WBF. We have a spare eglu on long-term loan which serves as prison for bullies, hospital wing or maternity ward. Last year 2 hatches of ducklings were born in there and should that hens' nest in the shed turn into a sitter hopefully some chicks this year 

[lord flynn]

yes, as I said-I do normally but it was being used for growers that were due to go a couple of days later and was trying to strike while the broody was hot lesson learned-have 20 in the incy now and thats it for this year.

[Porterlauren]

Aye, it gives you an idea of the kind of hell corvids play with  the rest of the wild bird population. Egg robbing little sods.

[fiestyredhead331]

ah good its not just me then 

actually sat and watched a hoodie crow pop into the duck house and another in the hen house, and pop back out with eggs in the beaks, despite having 100 chickens in the vicinity, they don't scare them away!
going to bait a nest and get them with the air rifle i think!

[Steph Hen]

The crows (and rooks and jackdaws) have gone back to only eating the cocks food. It is only a few birds that come here and go into the pens. They know the eggs are in traps and are too wise to them. I want to sit with the air riffle, but I struggle to stay in one place for long enough for them to come in. I've got to get on top of these birds.