Chicken Attacked By Owl!!!!!!!

[cicknmama]

NEED help with predators! My flock was attacked by an owl yesterday morning. The owl had one of my hens pinned down when I got out to the yard. I scared it away, and with some doctoring, she will recover. BUT, now I'm afraid to let my chickens out of their run. What do you all do for flying predators? I KNOW that owl will be back!Any suggestions for detering airial predators?

 

[clawstar]

Strings tied up around to make it difficult for birds of prey to swoop in and quickly fly out. Some people use hen saddles or something like that with predator eyes sewn onto the back. A plastic owl can be placed on a post or on top of the coop. Placing lots of hiding places for your chickens will help them escape in case a owl tries to attack. Scattering boxes, bushes, and wooden structures can make a large difference in the safety of your chickens. Hope all goes well!

 

[cicknmama]

Strings tied up around to make it difficult for birds of prey to swoop in and quickly fly out. Some people use hen saddles or something like that with predator eyes sewn onto the back. A plastic owl can be placed on a post or on top of the coop. Placing lots of hiding places for your chickens will help them escape in case a owl tries to attack. Scattering boxes, bushes, and wooden structures can make a large difference in the safety of your chickens. Hope all goes well!

Thank you for that. I will work on making more places for them to hide. There are plenty of bushes and they are great in the spring and summer when it's leafed out, but this time of year everything is drying up. I was thinking about placing a few half sized lean to's aound the yard. Do you think that would help? BEEN wanting them for summer shade also.

 

[aart]

I keep mine confined to aerial predator proof run....too many hawks around here.

 

[cicknmama]

I keep mine confined to aerial predator proof run....too many hawks around here.

this is the first time ever seeing an owl. And the hawks and eagles usually stay by the river. I'll definitely be adding some airial predater proofing.

 

[clawstar]

My hens tend to go inside their run (simple dog run with tarps on one side and roofed with chicken wire) when they see a eagle circling above, and my hawks are too interested sitting on top of my quail cages. We heard owls a few weeks ago but they didn't stick around...

 

[Isaac 0]

I use old cds but bushes and tall grass is the best way to prevent a hawk/owl from killing chickens

 

[centrarchid]

Owls may not be as easy to deal with as hawks. Owls I deal with do not hunt when hawks are out but I have had owls working area 30 minutes before dusk and during twilight of morning. If owl considered a problem then free-ranging I shut down during those times. If owls switching over to more diurnal hunting because of winter or they have heavy tree cover to operate under, then free-ranging option may be gone. I study predators a lot and do not have a good handle on how cover that can work against hawks would do against owls. Chickens may simply not be able to see owl well enough as it approaches to take advantage of cover. My roosters that are quite effective against hawks on the ground have not demonstrated an interest in taking on owl on in the same situation. The owls are scarier on the ground, even to me.