09/13/2026
Iāve been fascinated with corvids for as long as I can remember. Naturally, it began with crows, but it evolved as I learned more about them.
When I purchased my first home 22 years ago, I noticed a group of about eight crows visiting around the same time every evening. I researched their nutritional needs (yes, I am that kind of nerd) and began creating "crow charcuterie boards"āas one does.
This went on for years. It was long enough for me to recognize individuals, and for them to recognize me right back. They started leaving me gifts, and theyād even spot me at the local grocery store a mile away, circling my car, hoopinā and hollerinā! (And yes, of course I started keeping trail mix in the car for them). To this day, I have crows who visit regularly. If there isnāt a snack waiting in the front yard, theyāll fly to the trees out back and yell at me until I come outside bearing gifts.
When I started working for Honey Hill, I quickly became the resident "crazy bird lady." I bought day-old chicks so weād all have eggs and built the Fluffy Butt Hut where our laying hens live. Between you and me, I went a little chicken-crazy for a few years and slacked off on the crow life. I figured I had learned all there was to know, so I was off to hyper-fixate on another animal.
Iām not sure when I finally learned that a crow is actually a chicken keeper's ultimate BFF. Did you know crows will absolutely harass the heck out of a hungry hawk?! They are incredibly territorial. Theyāll gather the troops, squawk their little heads off, and dive-bomb a hawk until it gives up.
Nobody truly knows if itās purely transactional or if theyāre actually protecting the livestock. Maybe itās the half-scoop of sunflower seeds I leave as an offering, or maybe they just like the chickens. Either way, Iām so glad theyāre watching over us.
Naturally, I was thrilled to start luring crows to Far Out Farm so we could have built-in security for our future chicken coop! A few weeks ago, I picked a spot easily visible from the main event shelter, bought a few shiny thrift store plates, and loaded them up with snacks.
I knew from experience it could take monthsāor even longerāto earn their trust. I set out the food, walked back to the shelter, and got to work on a painting project. I kid you not, barely ten minutes later I heard the squawking. I ran outside to see six big, beautiful crows inspecting my offerings! Every single snack was gone in minutes.
Since then, Iāve been feeding them a few times a week. Each time, they clean their plates and linger just a little longer. They are so ridiculously smart and endlessly fun to watch.
Iām really looking forward to welcoming like-minded folks to the farm who are just as excited as I am to commune with nature, connect with the wildlife, and maybe even make a few crow friends along the way.
Do you feed the wild birds at your house? Drop your favorite bird-bribing snacks in the comments! š
š¦āā¬ ā¤ļø- Brandy
