daytime owl attack

[kylohen]

Hello! We have just recovered from what I thought was a fox attacked New Year's Day. I had forgotten to close the fence door and went out the next morning with all three hens missing and the rooster frantically looking for them. Three days later one of the hens appeared! We had already bought three more hens. So after weeks of the returning hen being so traumatized she wouldn't leave the perch in the coop, things were finally getting back to normal. This week we were outside and decided to let them free range for a few minutes. I walked away for a minute, my daughter was still standing with the chickens. All of a sudden, an owl swooped down and attacked the rooster! Two feet from her! She couldn't get the owl off and took off screaming. I guess when she ran it scared the owl enough and it left. The rooster was ok. But now I am terrified to let them out even if we are outside! But they are miserable inside the fence all the time because they used to be able to free range all day. Any ideas? I am thinking I will never let them free range again, which is sad because they are more like pets to us. They even come to the door and knock on it with their beak when they want a treat!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

There was a time in this country when no owl who seriously cared about its well being would let ANY human approach closer than a 100 yards of the owl's perch. Obvious owls now view us as just providers of free range FREE chicken burgers.

 

[SueT]

I know I've been there. Reluctantly locked everyone up due to coyotes killing 2 hens. A year later I got brown leghorns because they're supposedly good at evading predators and I didn't want to give up on free ranging. But then we noticed great horned owls nesting in nearby trees, so we enlarged the run instead of letting anyone out. It's a year later and I have been letting only my 2 older hens free range part time. They're more expendable but also wiser, and they'll come when called. Predators are a fact of life and any of them can be out in the daytime.
Good luck.

 

[Zoomie]

Wow, that must have been really scary for your daughter! I'm glad the rooster survived.

I'm curious: what causes you to think the chickens are miserable? Mine live in a run all the time, and they seem fine... what symptoms are you seeing? Could it be just that they are experiencing some change in not going out?

I can't free range here. WAY too many hungry predators. So, my chickens live in a big covered run. The coop is extremely secure, it even has a cement floor. Before, when I allowed free range, I was totally wiped out by raccoons. That was hard to go through and I don't want to do it again, so I keep the chickens in the covered run. They seem very happy and one thing I can tell you for sure: they are all alive.

 

[Mimi13]

That is so scary and we just never know when our flock might be next.

 

[kylohen]

Wow, that must have been really scary for your daughter! I'm glad the rooster survived.

I'm curious: what causes you to think the chickens are miserable? Mine live in a run all the time, and they seem fine... what symptoms are you seeing? Could it be just that they are experiencing some change in not going out?

I can't free range here. WAY too many hungry predators. So, my chickens live in a big covered run. The coop is extremely secure, it even has a cement floor. Before, when I allowed free range, I was totally wiped out by raccoons. That was hard to go through and I don't want to do it again, so I keep the chickens in the covered run. They seem very happy and one thing I can tell you for sure: they are all alive.

Well, they are flying at the fence..I will have to expand the area, because it is fairly small since I had always intended for them to free range. Maybe I am too sentimental in thinking they have feelings!

 

[drumstick diva]

Chickens are creatures of habit, in time they will forget they used to free range. Give some some playthings in the run - like hanging a head of cabbage just out of reach. They will jump up for it and get exercise. Put a sandbox in the run so they can get dust bathe.
You could even stick some real tree branches in the run for them to roost on.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

When I first got chickens several years back, I let them free range and I swear I turned my back for a second and something swooped down and picked up a full size hen, and my others were carrying on and I turned around to see what was going on and that hen was missing never to be seen again. I then decided that no more free range time for them. My husband built a huge run for them. There are just too many predators trying to get free chickens.
If they have a large enough run they don't care about leaving the safety of it. Chickens are exactly thst a creature of habit.
If they have stuff to do like a sand pit for dust bathing and a large area they will be fine

 

[kylohen]

Chickens are creatures of habit, in time they will forget they used to free range. Give some some playthings in the run - like hanging a head of cabbage just out of reach. They will jump up for it and get exercise. Put a sandbox in the run so they can get dust bathe.
You could even stick some real tree branches in the run for them to roost on.

good ideas!

 

[kylohen]

When I first got chickens several years back, I let them free range and I swear I turned my back for a second and something swooped down and picked up a full size hen, and my others were carrying on and I turned around to see what was going on and that hen was missing never to be seen again. I then decided that no more free range time for them. My husband built a huge run for them. There are just too many predators trying to get free chickens.
If they have a large enough run they don't care about leaving the safety of it. Chickens are exactly thst a creature of habit.
If they have stuff to do like a sand pit for dust bathing and a large area they will be fine

sorry about your hen!