Author Topic: gahh, bloody crows stealing eggs! (Read 22436 times)

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #45 on:** June 06, 2014, 09:41:48 pm »

Yea sorry wasn't thinking straight.

By the way I have never, for the record, laced them with rat poison. Mustard is good to lace them with, however picking the right moment could be difficult. Maybe building a poultry pen for the hens could protect them and their eggs. I have a friend who has had a massive poultry pen built to keep out the foxes, however cost would be an issue too.

HesterF · « **Reply #46 on:** June 16, 2014, 12:27:32 pm »

We've been having huge problems with crows too. They take all the poultry food, have just moved onto eggs as well as pulling out all my baby sweetcorn and pumpkins, courgettes, gourds etc. (literally every single one - planted inside the chicken enclosure, inside another fence to keep the chickens out). We had somebody round to try and shoot them twice and he got a handful which were duly strung up - they took no notice. They also ignore the various bird scaring devices except to peck out the eyes of the smallest scare crow (interesting psychology!). Our latest trial which is certainly slowing them down a bit is to string fishing line across the top of the run. We have a huge run (40m x 70m) so there are big gaps in between that they can get in through but they can't see the line very well so they don't know where to go. I think we need a bit more up there but at least one bird has hit the line so far (and broken it - you need stronger than 12lb!) and at the moment they're all hanging round the edge of the run trying to work out what to do next! It doesn't hurt them but scares them enough to think twice and hopefully go for a safer meal elsewhere. Will keep you posted whether it continues to work or whether we have to find another approach!

H

lord flynn · « **Reply #47 on:** June 16, 2014, 01:27:05 pm »

thats interesting HesterF, sorry you're having so many problems though. My hung up crow has disintigrated somewhat so they've been back around again-they have fledgelings to feed. The fishing line might just work on my pen but I guess we might have to move it regularly so they don't figure it out?

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #48 on:** June 16, 2014, 01:33:18 pm »

it seems a worse year than any others here, too. The benefits for me of no eggs staying long outdoors - no broody ducks and no surprise ducklings (couldn't cope with another load just now)...

HesterF · « **Reply #49 on:** June 16, 2014, 02:27:30 pm »

Should also say we have two cats that are great hunters and they keep the rabbits down but no effect on the crows.... I think we'll have to move the line regularly otherwise they will change their routes in and out.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #50 on:** June 25, 2014, 12:26:24 pm »

We figured out that the sudden appearance of so many more hungry crows this year is due to our neighbours having "harvested" their quite extensive woods up the hill so they all came down here for the nearest larger trees....

Bionic · « **Reply #51 on:** June 25, 2014, 04:03:57 pm »

I have been using fishing line with cd's strung along it. The cd's shimmer in the light and swing around. The crows still haven't gone away but they have been less of a problem.

I need to go through my cd collection to find some more

HesterF · « **Reply #52 on:** June 25, 2014, 11:54:33 pm »

Well we entangled quite a few crows - not very humane but they were all well enough to fly away after I rescued them (yes, I know - complete insanity, pay a man to shoot them and then rescue them from the fishing line, my logic was that they'd suffered enough and wouldn't come back although one did come back the next day!). Main issue with the method is that the crows end up so tangled, you have to cut the line and then you have to be very careful about collecting it all (we had a duck get tangled up in an end) - and you end up losing a lot of the protection very quickly. Problem is better but now we've also got a terror kite and have bought some bangers. Also managed to end up with free labour who will (apparently) be weeding the vineyard so he'll be around all day up there which hopefully will also deter crows.

sabrina · « **Reply #53 on:** July 04, 2014, 10:51:40 am »

My family of crows arrived 2 years ago when my neighbour took down their nesting tree. Now that they use our trees they steal eggs when they can, the cat food and any bird food going for free. I hate killing wildlife but this is getting beyond a joke. I now feed the cats in another building and so far crows have not managed to get in. this morning at 5am Barnaby was outside my bedroom window asking for food ( he is a cat ) I had no sooner put out his dish, got back in bed when I heard a right racket. 4 crows attacked the cat to get his food. he ran for his life and there was me outside in my nightie, no slippers on yelling at the bloody things.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #54 on:** July 05, 2014, 03:15:50 pm »

We had this problem a couple of years aago and it turned out to be one male crow. If we know they're nesting nearby we hang out CDs and strips of foil on thin thread. Other thing that worked very well was a scarecrow made of a coathanger tied 18" from the top of a strong pole about 5 ft high. Dressed it in an old waterproof jacket (hood up) and trousers, leaned it against a gate or similar and just moved or rearranged it every time I passed by (which was 5 or 6 times day), so they didn't get habituated to seeing it there.

lord flynn · « **Reply #55 on:** July 11, 2014, 09:16:35 am »

crows seem to be after the feed now-the hens in the paddock are fed via a spring feeder. But I have just watched my remaining elderly hybrid chase them away bless her. I was considering moving her on this autumn to make room but on that basis, she can stay!