* Added Video of Owl v. Peacock** What to do about a predator you can't shoot, you can't catch and i

[chickengeorgeto]

Owls are easy as pie to catch or to disuade from eating your chickens. The problem is that it is illegal to either catch one or to disuade one from harassing you chickens. I doubt that it is even legal to buy a Tyson chicken and gift it to the owls so that they will leave your fowl alone.

 

[mkeawsh]

Dogs work very well for me against even great-horned owls.

For me also. My Pyrenees has chased owls away and deterred hawks from grabbing my chickens as they are diving to get them. Last month, I watched my Buddy chase a great horned owl from tree to tree until it gave up and flew away. A couple days later, one was flying down and he chased it away. The chickens were clueless and kept on eating.

 

[furbabymum]

sorry if you said and i missed it but, did you try the beads or the owl decoys yet? i'm wondering if they are worthwhile... or what about those "EYE balloons" that are always for sale along with decoys.
i have some great horned owls, and a whole clan of barred owls who could care less about ANYTHING(me, the cat, the camera)... i can follow them all day, in fact i am often wondering if they are following me!
i have heard that they are like the JAWS myth, that they may live harmoniously with the fowl, until they get a taste, and then they want some more... does anyone know/have experience with that/is there truth in this?
i've been thinking of periodic free ranging, but based on your video i think i am a fool.

Well it's been interesting. We haven't tried any decoys. The fence, once reinforced, was keeping the owls out just fine. Then we hadn't seen the owls in forever so we decided to open the gate and let the poultry out. The door was open day and night for a week. Then the dogs alerted us and my DH went out to find the owl chilling on the poultry fence watching the guineas act like psychopaths. So my DH closed the door up. One guinea wouldn't go in and couldn't be caught. I was up at 2am with our son and heard the guinea calling away to his friends in the barn. Next morning he was gone. My guess is owl though with as much racket as he was making he probably attracted every predator in the area.

Anyway, the owls aren't coming out during the day anymore, only night. So we are locking them in at night and haven't lost any except the one idiot guinea.

 

[cmknight]

Protected or not, I think if I had to hassle that much, my property would be down a couple owls.

 

[Talihofarms]

I have had some problems with GHO.
My personal experience have shown that once they find easy prey, especially a chicken at night.
They will return and bring their offspring along.

Killing them is illegal, so is J walking.

I have been told that sometimes the only solution is to SSS.


just my .02