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

[furbabymum]

Furybabymum,

Very informative video! Owl, despite lesser size is the aggressor and outcome may have been greatly influenced by your presence and lights being on allowing peafowl to see. Owl's motivation may not be single minded pursuit of food, rather it may also interested in ejecting any large birds from core of its breeding territory as they will be a threat to its offspring. That peafowl is likely a ramped up threat to fledging GHO's that my game chickens pose. I know from direct observation that during daytime my adult game chickens will attack grounded juvenile raptors like a red-tailed hawk and in that case would have killed raptor without my intervention. GHO's may be a little tougher but that may not make much of a difference when peafowl flogs you. An aggressive peacock can kill even my toughest gamecock very quickly and the owl is probably not as resiliant as my games to such treatment.

Your setup as appears in video is in my opinion in the owls favor. Either owl must be denied access to barn or you will need to effectively create a covered run / coop inside barn. If my dogs where in your video they would have been climbing up on things and trying run up wall to get at owl. They certainly got riled when I played video and turned up sound. Your video also allowed to hear peafowl alarm call for all which I have heard and my dog's seem to know with respect to neighbors flock of peafowl. The peafowl folks in their respective subforum should be made aware of the peafowls vocalization as when I asked about alarm calls none indicated awareness of such.

Sounds like you have a little one with you during video. My son may be about same age and being forced to participate in similar situations. We had a fox simply pass through at about 0400 this morning and son had dogs trying to recruit him for chase. The dogs like having everybody on board for Mr. Fox because it is like a big party for them; timing for such parties could be better.

We always have the light on but I think the owl being thoroughly harrassed and us being there emboldened the peacocks. 4 of them flew up into the rafters and puffed up to it but that male was the most aggressive.

Our set up is admittedly perfect for birds. Tons of roosting space in our barn which was always a good thing until now. We did have a door on the barn and we aren't sure how the owl got in. That's what the hammering in the background is. It's my husband nailing fencing over anything we can think of as a possible entrance. Hopefully we secured it better.

My son is almost 2 and terrified of the birds. lol Hence the crying when I put him down. He's a heavy bugger so holding him that long was killing me. Rooster attacked him when he was younger and he's not gotten over it yet. /sigh Someday I hope. The rooster is dead at least.

As for our stupid dog. He seemed completely unbothered by the entire thing. Great pyr was just standing around chilling. I was happy he wasn't chasing the birds like he used to but he was absolutely no help!

 

[centrarchid]

Part of improving dogs role is forcing owl to come down to their level to get at poultry. Then dogs might get a little more interested and owl will not come down voluntarily. All you must do is get dogs excited once about owls and they should do fine after that.

Owl could be walking in or simply be locked in when you think it is outside.

My son at just over one year is a threat to my roosters. In past he made attempts to grab them and they make a point not to let him behind him. Trueman now largely loosing interest in chickens except for their waterers which he plays in. This summer I will schedule a controlled flogging for Trueman so he understands grabbing bitties is not to be done. Hen should have a more effective no than I have as she will raise stakes in a proportional manner. I learned without proper oversight which will not be repeated.

 

[Oregon Blues]

“Unless and except as permitted by regulations This makes it sound as if there is some legal way to move it. Have you called any local college to see if they have any wildlife experts? I can't remember what post but someone in NJ had a licensed falconer come and remove a hawk for them.

Raptors can legally be moved to wildlife rehabilitation centers when they are wounded. It's possible that the licensed rehabilitater must go out and pick them up. Falconers can be legally licensed to transport raptors. Some animal exhibitions can be licensed to display raptors, which are usually wounded birds who can't recover enough to be released. None of that means that there is a legal way to move your raptor into an unfamiliar territory where it is very likely to die in short order.

It's easy to protect birds from them and then enjoy the benefits that the raptors bring to you. They kill hundreds of mice and rats. The larger ones help to control rabbits. If you have a Great Horned Owl, it will keep the number of skunks in your area down. The small hawks eat sparrows which would eat hundreds of pounds of your expensive poultry food. It's not all bad having them around.

 

[polloshermanos]

It's easy to protect birds from them and then enjoy the benefits that the raptors bring to you. They kill hundreds of mice and rats. The larger ones help to control rabbits. If you have a Great Horned Owl, it will keep the number of skunks in your area down. The small hawks eat sparrows which would eat hundreds of pounds of your expensive poultry food. It's not all bad having them around.

This is my thinking as well. While it sucks that this owl has gotten that many chickens, we just need to owl-proof the chicken run, and then they'll take care of the rabbit/mouse/skunk problem we have. If they do that we might finally be able to plant trees without having those rabbits eat them all within a week.

 

[furbabymum]

This is my thinking as well. While it sucks that this owl has gotten that many chickens, we just need to owl-proof the chicken run, and then they'll take care of the rabbit/mouse/skunk problem we have. If they do that we might finally be able to plant trees without having those rabbits eat them all within a week.

Uh huh. Remember how building the door together went? As I remember we yelled a lot and I went inside and left you alone to do it. You think we need BIGGER construction?????????

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: That's the only LEGAL way to do it unless you have PAPERWORK in hand

Technically even picking up just a FEATHER is illegal

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: That's still illegal
All you can do legally is leave them alone and contain your birds

Quote:
Quote: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/esa/esatext.html

 

[bird sitter]

If there was an owl in My coop / barn Id shoot it!

 

[Brucepierce]

That's a beautiful bird there

 

[bird sitter]

I can't see the video :/