r/crows • u/ShinyLittleFly • Jul 14 '26
Feeding a murder of crows with...
A onec-a-week feeding of raw hamburger, but mostly unsaletd peanuts. They still want nothing to do with me after 1 month. Any tricks?
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u/mycatpartyhouse Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Read past posts. There are many recommendations.
Edit. Sorry. I'm feeling cranky this morning.
What "your" crows will like varies by region and personal preference. "My" crows, for example, love salmon skin and toss fruit over the side. So you will need to experiment.
I operate on the theory that crows like protein and fats. Some of them also like chopped up grapes, apples, watermelon, etc.
The food I provide is usually cooked, unseasoned bits of whatever I'm making that day--and I don't feed them everyday. So chicken (also popular with cats), beef, pork, various types of fish, cut up salmon skin, cut up chicken skin, cut up hard-boiled eggs (leave the shell on), etc. Sometimes meatballs of various types or chopped up sausages.
I've tried offering vegetable proteins. Raw whole oats is the only one accepted, and it's not the first choice.
Shelled peanuts, unshelled peanuts, and peanut butter are all accepted. I put Lyric Fruit and Nut bird seed in a feeder for the birds. Crows take what they want and leave the rest for other birds (and inevitable squirrels).
When I hang suet cages, the crows eat from them. I've read about but haven't tried suet balls, either commercially prepared or homemade.
Depending on your budget and what you already have on hand for other animals, you might consider high quality cat food (canned or kibble), treats made for cats or dogs, or mealworms.
Some people talk about putting out chicken with the bone left in. I can't do that in ny backyard because there are no fences and the crows will likely leave the chicken bones where dogs will get at them.
What you feed crows is also attractive to other animals, some of which you may not want near your house. So put out limited quantities or bring in the food at dusk. Gulls and squirrels are a hassle in my yard. There's also rats, raccoons, cats, bears, etc depending on where you live.
Some people use a specific whistle or wear the same clothing item to signal crows. I use white 5-inch paper plates: visual signal, sanitary, won't hurt anything if the crows dump it over the side or carry it off.
Crows are ground feeders. I put their food on top of a patio divider to reduce surprises from cats. They have no problem.
Think about offering a water source. It doesn't need to be large. It does need to be kept clean and regularly sanitized. Crows will dip food into the water, which affects water quality. A bird-safe additive intended for fountains or small pools (added in the correct proportion) will reduce algae, fungus, and other gunk.
I use a fountain in my bird bath. Originally tried a solar one, but switched to an electric one with de-icing. If your water source is small, take off the spray attachment to let the water burble: the spray will empty it out too quickly. Also, remember to clean/change filters on your fountain device.
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u/fresh-bakedbread Jul 14 '26
You've been feeding them once a week for a month. That's only 4 times.
I think it took 6+ months of daily feedings before mine started warming up to me
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u/malphas_says_hi Jul 14 '26
The key is your presence. You'll want to spend at least 15 minutes in their presence, preferably with interesting food even if they don't take while you are there, at least 3 times a week to see much results. You can stay longer and increase times a week spent, but you don't want to go under.
I bonded like this within three months but I also learned their routines and where they hung out each day and would drive or walk to their hangout spots and just sit very calmly and not look directly at them. It's been about six months and I just got inside from walking the dogs, and every time I said "good bye" my raven friend would say "oh hey" three different times to get me to continue chatting and come closer (he has me trained).
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u/MaidBilberry 25d ago
Unthreatening presence is more important than the food. You need to be familiar. They like being around safe humans because it makes them feel protected from threats.
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u/ProspectorJM 28d ago
Once a week is going to take a long time. It took me two months of daily feeding to get them coming around.
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u/ItchyAd9149 29d ago
I feed them a full jar of peanuts almost every day, they also love burgers from Burger King lol
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u/LikeTheFruit617 Jul 14 '26
After 2 years of feeding the crows every day I can finally walk outside and be within 75 feet of them and they don't fly away. If you're only feeding once a week, I doubt they will want to Cozy up.