A Murder of Crows

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I have a problem with crows and a couple of ravens stealing eggs from my hen house. Now they are stealing my pullets. I've lost four large young ladies this week and I am mad! Hubby says, no firearms.

I have a serious rodent problem in my garden. If I were to use poison rodent bait, or large rat traps, would that harm my pet crows that I feed in my yard?

Any other suggestions?

Oh yeah, enclosing the coop is also out of the question as our border collie insists on breaking them out of jail. I cannot afford the kind of fence that will deterr a determined cow dog.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001

Answers

Paragraph one: Birds are bad, doing what comes natural to them.

Paragraph two: Birds are good, feed them as pets.

Paragraph answer: Does Ladybug Wrangler think with forked beak? Husband did not say no slingshot, SSS and close bird restaurant.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 25, 2001.


You can keep the ravens ( and other birds of prey) from flying into your chicken yard by crisscrossing the top (ceiling) of the yard back and forth with baling twine. A determined bird could probably land, squeeze in, and maybe wiggle out again, but not too likey. We have ravens stealing our free range duck eggs. We tried to shoot one the other day, and inadvertantly killed a duck instead. On enclosing the coop and keeping the dog out, what about an electric wire around the outside perimeter of the coop? That wouldn't cost much.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), June 25, 2001.

I like the suggestion of slingshot, but go one better. Go to the sporting good store and get a wrist rocket. It is a powerful sling shot with forearm brace. With a little practice you can get pretty good aim. Use ball bearings for projectiles. It is legal to kill crows for depradation.

As for the rats, we use a live trap and then submerge the whole trap in water to drown the catch. Leave it under water for five minutes after the rat stops struggling. I've had them revive after appearing to be dead.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 25, 2001.


Laura, am I still invited to post here??

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 25, 2001.

I don't see how you can discourage crows & Ravens when you feed some of them....perhaps you need to stop doing that? As far as rats go, I have heard that if you take a bucket, fill it a little less than halfway with water, float bait such as peanut butter on a piece of small board, and then provide a ramp along the side that rats will go up the ramp and over into the bucket to get the bait but will not be able to get back out (as long as the bait board is a tiny thing)..never tried it myself because we have no problem with using guns for rats. Hope you solve your problem soon. God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), June 25, 2001.


A variation on the bucket rodent trap: run a wire (coat hanger gauge) across the top of the bucket. Pierce the top and bottom of a pop or milk can and run the wire through the can so that it can spin. Coat the can with peanut butter and position it in the middle of the wire. When the rodent walks out on the wire and onto the can, it will spin and dump him in the water. In the morning just pour him out and refill. Very sanitary. You never have to touch dead rat.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 26, 2001.

I have tried that trap with mice. It bothered me to come in the morning and see a bucket of dead mice in the water and usually one or two swimming frantically trying to stay alive..But yes, it does work, and you can catch quite a few in one night.

-- Rebekah (daniel@itss.net), June 26, 2001.

AAAWWWWWWW!!! You folks are built too low! My comment about "pet" crows and rodents was to find ways to get rid of those nasty birds without violating the Federal Migratory Species Act!

Since these crows have no problem going in the chicken house and chasing out the broody banty to steal eggs, or pulling my pullets from under slash piles, simple consealment or stumbling blocks won't work.

I have two good wristrockets and I am quite a good aim, BUT.......the rubbers break every third shot. How do you mount them to the fork without them pulling off or ripping? I have a bowl of bearings and marbles by the back door waiting the opportunity but I can't keep a rummber strap on those things.

As for the dog, electric fences don't work for him, either unless I want to go 220 direct.

Thanks for al the advice.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), June 27, 2001.


Hey, THAT I can help you with! Just use some of the all purpose Liquid Nails. That stuff is great at binding disimilar surfaces.

When I was a kid, one of my friend's first chore of Saturday morning was to sit in the barn with a pellet gun and take out rats. He was a pretty good shot for an 8 year old. I tried that bucket deal for mice, and it creeped me out too much for the reasons Rebekah cited. I just got cats to deal with that.

One of my dogs keeps hawks and crows at bay most of the time. So I haven't had to deal with the murder of crows;).

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), June 27, 2001.


If you can kill one crow and hang it up so the others will see it, they will not come back to that spot. Maybe if you could pop one and hang it in the hen house? Maybe another one someplace away from public view but close enough to be near the places they are stealing your pullets? They will gather up and scream long and hard about the dead brethren, but won't land there again. Also, I didn't know that crows were protected under any federal law. It was my understanding that any wild animal that isn't on the endangered species list could be "removed" if it caused damage to or lose of property. But then, you are up north, and the laws may be different.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), June 29, 2001.


You can turn a wrist rocket into a "scatter gun" for close range (40 feet or less) by using small gravel shards wrapped in a single layer of toilet paper. Wrap the shards and wet the paper film before loading and launching so that the shards will bust out of the tp. I used this trick to hunt dove before I was old enough for a shotgun.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 02, 2001.

Whats pretty kick butt is shooting pennies. Take 3 pennies, put them in a slingshot, and fire into a crows of crows or at a single crow. I did this in a flock and took one down, though i had to kill it w/ a stick because i just broke its wing. Pretty cool. Do this only once in a while... gewts kinda expensive after a while.

I got this idea from a shotgun. On stage coaches, the drivers buddy would have a shotgun with 1.80 in dimes loaded up. When fired, the dimes would zing everywhere and either cut or kill what they hit.

AWWEEESSOOMMEE!!!

Now, for MY question. Im not allowed to use my slingshot unless i havbe my brother around (im 14, and hes not around when the crows come by). What is another way i could kill these pests???

-- Nathan Wolensky (surferman81@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001.


Hey you guys have crow problems too? I am from Australia, and have discovered the crows are taking the eggs from the chook house. They take all of them, greedy...!! Apart from shooting them, is there any other ideas how to deter them? Thanks! KELLIE

-- Kellie (kellie123@bigpond.com), September 11, 2002.

Hey everyone, i agree with your slingshot tips. I have a very good slingshot. The way to keep the band on the slingshot is to get some slow drying hairspray and slide the band on the slingshot and a little bit over the bend on the slingshot arms. Then let it sit for about and hour and it should work. Also, i am 15 and have had my archers liscense since i was 12. Its not hard to get a liscense and you can reuse the arrows:). See ya later.

-- Chris (reddragon2388@aol.com), February 18, 2003.

O yeah, did i forget to mention to use 3/8" steel bbs and to spray the hairspray onto the slingshot arms(also called yokes) and then slide the band on. What kind of slingshot do you have?

-- Chris (reddragon2388@aol.com), February 18, 2003.


O yeah, did i forget to mention to use 3/8" steel bbs and to spray the hairspray onto the slingshot arms(also called yokes) and then slide the band on. What kind of slingshot do you have??

-- Christopher (reddragon2388@aol.com), February 18, 2003.

Sorry about that. It said i had to change a character in my message and i didnt know i already posted:(

-- Chris (reddragon2388@aol.com), February 18, 2003.

I need to kill some crows. I'm thinking wrist rocket, but with plastic projectiles so they have less energy when they land, as I live in a neighborhood.

-- mplark (mplark@spade.net), May 26, 2003.

I too need to kill a crow or two as an example to the others. I am taking all the fine suggestions under advisement. I have to be careful because I live in a crowded North Seattle neighborhood. The crows in Seattle don't migrate, they commute. They bully their way around the neighborhoods all day and then you see them in the evening by the hundreds, (over one spot), making their way north to a communal roost somewhere. They are spoiling my song bird feeding and hogging the bird baths when I am not around. I had the pleasure of going bird watching with the famous David Sibley in May. We saw many wonderful birds on the north shore of Lake Washington and we also a crow grab a duckling out of the water by the neck.

-- Steve Garmire (sc-jjgarmire@comcast.net), July 08, 2003.

Why kill when you can scare them away? How about a good old fashioned scarecrow?

-- Sonya Ghosh (pramesh@nda.vsnl.net.in), August 23, 2003.

I figure that since I see crows as merely rats with wings, I would try rat poison. Last night I concocted a crow cassorole consisting of leftovers and a couple of packets of crushed Tomcat rat poison pellets. I dumped it on some foil on top of my garbage can. I think one sea gull and three crows were what consumed it faster than a keg in a college dorm room. Later this evening I placed a McCrow sandwich in my yard and it too was gone faster than a set of rims at a Puff Daddy concert. Two crows consumed that one as I watched out the window. The "McCrow" sandwich was merely a Big Mac consisting of four bread heels with my special sauce spread in between (old mayonaise and three packets of Tomcat mixed well). Only time will tell if this works. I figured poisoning would be the most descrete method since I am in a city.

-- The Chemist (can_not_say@this_time.com), November 20, 2003.

my way of keeping crows out of the chook house is to run chicken wire over the top to act as a roof.yes its cheap but also requires a little bit of work but in the end will save your dollars..

-- Raven (linroy52@dodo.com.au), November 29, 2003.

For to kill rats and crows---go to my website and download the directions for the "rat killer" and us it. Easily made and cheap to boot. http://oldhootgibson.tripod.com is the addy. old hoot Matt. 24:44

-- oldhootgibson (oldhoot@shawneelink.net), December 02, 2003.

I also have a problem with crows. I live in the city, and I live in Australia, and as well as guns being illegal, so are slingshots. I don't see them eat, but they have decided that the power pole outside my house is a great place to congregate and call others. Especially at dawn. I have no idea how I can be helped. I used to make loud noises, but they have gotten wise to that. I thought of using a 'super soaker' you know those pump action water guns, but then I reasised it was a powerline I would be firing at... not so smart... although in short bursts, would probably work...I so wish slingshots were still legal!

-- stuckwithcrows (tangus_@hotmail.com), February 11, 2004.

Laura, Try taking more responsibility in raising your chickens. Do not leave food out for your chickens, have feeding times, they will eat all the food you put out once you learn their feeding habits. All so seal your food containers, keep the food area free of dropped food. As for your dog letting the chickens loose, come-on I'm sure you can discourage him from doing that. Build in safeguards for your layers that will protect your chickens from crows/ravens. Once the source of food is cut off, they will go elsewhere. Killing them is not the answer, cutting off their food source is. As for your rats, if the problem is as serious as you say the problem is you, not the rats, it sounds to me like you don't keep your farm area clean of food sources. As a human, if you knew where you could get free food, wouldn't you keep going back for more???!!!!

Rod

-- Rod Gillis (g_rod@angelfire.com), April 18, 2004.


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