New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Owl! Big Owl!

post #1 of 41
Thread Starter 

Last night the chickens started carrying on and the guineas were really telling it.  I look out my bedroom window and sitting on top of my brother in law's camper was a really big owl.  I think it may have been a great horned owl?  I wish I had grabbed my camera!  When my husband opened the back door to go out there it flew off and the wingspan was really big, maybe 4 feet or so. 

 

What can you do to scare off owls?  I know you can put owl decals up for certain things but what could be an owl decal?  It's obviously not afraid of the light because my silly chickens roost on a rabbit hutch under my big yard light and the guineas are right next to them roosing in a pine tree.  I don't think I can shoot it in the State of Ok and honestly I would hate to, I'm a bird lover and before I got my chickens I had an owl that lived in my yard and it would whooo whooo in the evenings and would get really close to you.  It would come sit in the tree in my front yard not 20 yards from me.  I hate to kill it but I don't want it to eat my chickens.  I probably could coop up my chickens but the guineas - impossible.

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply
post #2 of 41
Thread Starter 

It's back!  Any suggestions?  I tried to take a picture but my camera takes horrible night pictures.  I know it has a white neck and is maybe a foot tall.  It really doesnt look all that big until it flies and then it looks huge.  When I go outside it flies away but eventually it will snatch a guinea or chicken.  :(

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply
post #3 of 41

How about the predator preventer

 

RAISING Runner Ducks and Seramas (got my first pair from Jerry Seramas)
Reply
RAISING Runner Ducks and Seramas (got my first pair from Jerry Seramas)
Reply
post #4 of 41
Thread Starter 

001.JPG

This is the best picture I could get and i had to lighten it up, mess with the contrast etc. to get it to even come out this good.

 

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply
post #5 of 41
Thread Starter 

What is predator preventor? 

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply

Bantam Red Cochins, Mille Fluer D'Uccle, Free ranging guineas - Pearl, Pied, Buff, Violet, Lavender.  One RIR hen and one Black Australorp hen (Henny) who is a spoiled rotten pet.  Variety of Maran babies.  One great husband, three kids, and two dogs.  I'm a chick-a-holic so I have an ever changing number of feather kids.

My Swap Page:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/my-swap-shop

Reply
post #6 of 41

They say the "nite guard" helps. it's supposed to make critters think something else is out their watching them.

3 young Silkies, 1 Brittany bird dog, 1 Chihuahua mix, a ferrel kitty and me!

Reply

3 young Silkies, 1 Brittany bird dog, 1 Chihuahua mix, a ferrel kitty and me!

Reply
post #7 of 41

your chickens are out at night with no protection? something is going to eat them soon sorry maybe not the owl but something will get them

post #8 of 41

I have great horned and barred owls as well.  Former will consume any kind of domestic poultry although with my present situation they will take only what they can fly with easily.  It they have to grapple with prey on ground, then my dog very effectively keeps owl from causing losses.  My dog gets all riled when chickens give night time alarm and dog coming onto seen causes owl to leave without making a catch.

Make every effort to understand your chicken's biology and the environment that supports it.
Reply
Make every effort to understand your chicken's biology and the environment that supports it.
Reply
post #9 of 41

600X450.jpg

 

I would guess it is a GH. But there isn't enough detail to be seen. It is certainly not a Barred owl.

-Geoff. Since 1960.-
Reply
-Geoff. Since 1960.-
Reply
post #10 of 41

It's not nearly tall enough to be a Great Horned Owl. A GHO will stand as tall as your knee.  You won't have any doubt when you see one. That hatch cover is probably not much more than 4 inches tall.

 

If you've got owls, your birds need to be in a covered run at night. Nothing else will work.  The run must be secure. Owls will walk in and they can fly through amazingly small holes, and work their way through the same stretched overhead wires that will stop a hawk.

 

They are gorgeous creatures.  I love to hear the night music and to know they are wrecking havoc on the local mouse and cottontail populations.  They are working for me as free pest control.

Exhibition quality Blue Swedish Ducks and Gray Saddleback Pomeranian Geese,   Hatching eggs available in late winter and spring. NPIP

Reply

Exhibition quality Blue Swedish Ducks and Gray Saddleback Pomeranian Geese,   Hatching eggs available in late winter and spring. NPIP

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Predators and Pests