Actually, we don't have crows in Australia. We have ravens. Beautiful, jet black, intimidating ravens. Well, they're beautiful until they discover your chickens, that is. Because they love eggs.

My chook enclosure is in three sections - the inner sanctum, with tall fences and corrugated iron on the outside floor to stop the foxes burrowing under, the second section, relatively safe, and the one below, divided into two - wait that's four sections. On the left side where the apple crate wicking bed is is also the black currant patch which provides shade. It's blocked off because I've put a heap of green manure there for the chooks to eat when it grows.

So you see, my chooks are well cared for and have plenty of space. I let them out in the garden for about half an hour or an hour a day, two on the weekends. They make a mess, and the foxes are always on high alert for a chicken dinner.

But the ravens, dammit, the ravens are a new one. They send a scout to check it out first. That's the one we hear in the morning. Then they call in the troops, some six or seven of them, who come and pierce the eggs with their beak and carry them away. The chooks can't protect them. We find emptied shells on the garden, sometimes still full of yolk if the raven's been startled and drops them.

So. Something had to be done. I put a sarong up - they don't like the flapping, and because I change the layout every morning, moving the tub and switching it with another silver tub, they are a little uncertain. If I collect the eggs early enough, and are home, I can beat the ravens. But I'm not always home. It's an utter pain. But this is working so far, and I hear them over the road a lot more, after the neighbour's eggs.

Poor chooks. What must they think when a raven comes and steals their eggs? I mean, if I was a chook, I ain't messing with those mean looking birds with their beady black eyes! Sheesh, I'd be like - 'hey, have the eggs, dude, they're yours, and sure, come back tomorrow'.

The elders are flowering and providing shade. One's a native elder. WE keep cutting them back but there's no stopping them. Great shade for the chooks, and good cover for marauding ravens.

We have a little back up plan. This is an Aussie bird of prey that ravens hate, apparently. I'm going to put it up somewhere above the chicken coop but so the hens won't see it as they will lose their marbles if they think it's a hawk. Apparently they work - ravens are pretty darn smart though, so I don't know.

Jamie picks up gravel and throws it in the air to scare them if he's home. Literally stoning the ravens. Hopefully this bird scarer is a little more gently effective than that. Because I really fancy an omelette.

What do you do to protect your eggs from thugs ravens?

With Love,

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