Maybe he's a lonely crow with a bit of an identity crisis? He sees that house full of cute chicks, thinks it's the Chicken Ranch, and is showing off his studly self! Crows are funny. Maybe he'll lose interest soon and move on. How long has he been around?

About the egg on the floor: My girls will drop one on the floor every now and then, usually if they are in a fuss about something. Mr. Crow may have just had them upset by his presence outside.

I know what he's doing. For a couple of years I have been losing eggs from the barn. Barn is all close up except a vent strip on the roof about 8 inch tall and ten feet long.
Thing is I find eggs out by the stream. Several eggs all cracked open and eaten. Just couldn't figure out what was taking them out of the barn to eat someplace else.
I finally put one of those cage traps up there with a couple broken eggs and a good egg.
I caught a crow. His beak is plenty big enough to carry off eggs and he is the ONLY theif that could get into the barn that would leave the chickens alone and take the eggs.
Needless to say...............I'm not missing eggs any more.

Yup. Crows are thieves.
Brendasue

I went out to collect the eggs today and at first i thought no eggs. hmmm I dug around in the shavings and there they were. first time they ever hid the eggs.

Hmm. Maybe those hens aren't so silly as we think. Maybe they'll discourage the crow hanging around if he can't find the eggs. I sure hope so!

Yesterday I found a chicken snake in one of my nest boxes. He had eaten at least 4 eggs that I could see in him, then curled up for a nice little nap. We dispatched him, but today I only got 2 eggs. I'm wondering if we have another, smarter, snake still around gobbling my eggs and then going elsewhere for his nap. What do y'all think? Don't they usually sleep it off right where they eat?

A few years ago, while on a run through a park, I saw 2 crows hunt a dove dove down. I figured crow ate a bit of everything, but I hadn't seen the things hunt before. I followed the action for about 5-6 minutes. They would attack the dove, the dove would fly off, then they would follow and attack it a few times in the air, until the dove would somehow get to a tree, then rest. This happened several times. They finally had the dove "cornered" on a branch, and they just sat there, waiting...

The world is going to the birds, I tell ya!

Oh Geez, What is a chicken snake? Whatever it is I hope it is only in your neck of the woods! LOL Sorry, but I have a huge fear of snakes - no matter what kind it is - around here they get dispatched quickly. I think chopped to bits would be more accurate! LOL

msjay: you know until that old thread came up I had not seen a crow around here - now here a few days ago I saw one and it robbed a robins nest of its eggs-----spooky!! :)

I have lots of crows around and have never had a problem. I don't doubt that they are thieves. I welcome them as they are the sentries that let me know there are four-legged predators around. They make a god awful racket and literally plague the foxes and coyotes. When I hear them I go look and sure enough something is crossing the pasture! Birds are highly intelligent in general but crows rank among the some of the highest.

Nelda my crow must have flown to your place cause I do not see it anymore!

speaking of chicken snakes I have found 5 in the last month. I chopped up two but then again they were very small babies. They give me the heebie jeebies too! How do they get in the coop?

nelda, I'm in Texas. I couldn't tell you what the range is on chicken snakes. All I know is we have a lot of them around here! I, too, have a huge aversion to snakes. My usual method of "disposal" is my 410 shotgun, but that wasn't really a good option inside the stone hen house. Since I certainly wasn't going INTO the house with the snake, he had to wait on my husband to get home to do the ceremonial chopping. (Gave him an opportunity to finish his nap.)

msjay, I don't know about your coop, but I'm assuming they just slither right in the door of mine! I'm still not finding nearly as many eggs as I should be getting this time of year. And I check the nests regularly now - like every time I walk anywhere near there. I'm mystified.

So glad to hear your crow found business elsewhere!

msjay: I think the crow is on its' way back to your house-I told it to go back were it came from LOL! Haven't see it since!!

henhilton: Oh geez!! How can you stand even going inside the coop? How, if I see one in the coop can you stop them from getting in there? Wouldn't the chickens put up a fuss and refuse to go back in? You let him finish his nap? LMAO! 410, yup that would do:)

Well, I must admit that I sort of creep veeeeeery carefully into the coop these days, whilst looking up, down, left, right, under, over. I'm sure I look like some sort of furtive lunatic. If I knew how to keep them from getting in there, they wouldn't be in my henhouse! The chickens don't seem to have any problem at all with going back into the house. In fact, they are all still using the nest in which I found him napping (it's always been their favorite).

Neldaaaaaaa, I swear, if that crow comes back I am putting him in a cage and walking him straight back to you. Where do you live again? LOL

msjay,

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are going to walk you better pack a lunch LOL! -OR-You could eat crow :)!!!!!!!!!

I will never tell - I am soooo not taking that crow back!!

And don't you dare bring any snakes with you!!!!!!!

Okay, now I'm picturing msjay marching up a lonely road with a caged crow in one hand, a jar of mustard in the other, and a whole fleet of chicken snakes humping along behind her!

This just gets better and better. Thanks, y'all. I really needed some light entertainment tonite.

I am out of town right now but when I get home I am going to check it out. I bet I see that crow when I get back. LOL

I am back now and so far no sign of the crow. whew! Runningtrails new find must have worked a loooong distance. I bet they are up in the trees discussing the conspiracy we are starting against them.

You guys can have them.