Barred Owl killed 3 hens last night

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[KrisPrince]

I actually meant hardware cloth. We have 2 coops that are separated by a run. This is actually kind of funny. My daugther had been bugging me about wanting chickens. So when a friend of mine offered 5 of hers as a birthday gift for her we gratefully accepted and I got rolling on building a run. After spending $ as Lowe's for the supplies and began working on my design, my daughter declared that she wanted a coop that she could stand up in. So back to Lowe's I went spending $$ for more supplies. After many $$$$$$ trips to Lowe's we have a beautiful 2 story coop that allows our chickens to go underneath to scratch on the ground and a 1st floor with several roosts and nesting boxes. Did I mention that the only person that goes into the coop is me? Everyone else is afraid stepping in poop. How can I be related to these wimps? We're supposed to be hardy New England Stock!!!

Anyway, the entire coop is covered in hardware cloth which is buried a foot below and into the bottom of the coop. I even screwed trim around each edge of cloth for added layer of protection. The ceiling is covered in hardware cloth and topped with a metal roof (which I wouldn't choose again as it's pretty noisy in the rain-I'll try to upload a picture of my not so shabby handwork). For the fall and winter we've covered the entire coop in one continuous sheet of 6 mil plastic which is secured by velcro at the top middle and bottom as well as with several nails.

The 2nd coop is a tractor that we purchased from www.rootscoopsandmore.com which is quite beautiful and functional. This was to be the "winter coop" allowing the chickens more warmth and protection that anything I could build. Unfortunately our chickens liked to eat the insulation so that had to be removed. But it has electricity so we keep a heat lamp and heated water base in it, which gives me peace of mind. The tractor has 2 doors with plexiglass windows. I love the windows as it allows me to peek in without opening the nesting box hatch. But after a wise BYC poster has enlightened me on the importance of not allowing predators to see what's inside, I'll think I'll replace them with an opaque window or paint them.

Both coops are connected by a run covered in hardware cloth and now the 6ml plastic. So you can imagine my shock that ANYTHING could have gotten into our coop. At 1st we thought that the owl must have been in there already when we closed up the coop for the night. But upon further inspection found the broken window.

Thanks for all your condolences and helpful insights. We really love our flock and hate to lose any of them. But accept the knowledge that it's just part of the circle of life.

So how does that chicken math go again?? We started with 5 and then bought 5 more...and then there were 10. One of our original 5 went broody and sat on on eggs of another (from our buff brahma bantam trio), which resulted in 5 more (4 roosters & 1 hen - OH NOOOO). So then there were 15. Bought 5 fancy breeds for my daughter to show at 4-H. And then there were 20. Lost 2 to a hawk, so then there were 18. Fell in love with the green eggs our EA was laying and decided we needed 5 more. Lots 2 of those last night, along with a silkie...And then there was 20. Looks like it's time to order more...if my chicken math is right.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've got 1/2" hardware cloth over all my coop windows, secured with wood screws and washers. All my coop windows open, though, so I had to secure them. I'm sorry for your loss, but at least telling your story may save someone else's chickens from the same fate. I've seen other coops people have built using the acrylic pieces for stationary windows.

It sounds like you definitely have the chicken bug.

 

[libertychicken]

Quote:
Seriously, an owl (or hawk, or raccoon?) can pull out the poultry staples I hammered in to attach my hardware cloth? I see so many coops now on BYC with screws and washers holding the hardware cloth - I have poultry staples every 4" and it would be such a pain to go back and add screws over it all!

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Bummer. I saw a barred owl a couple months ago - it let me get feet from it and it really was majestic. There's too many possums and rats around here to bother dealing with a chicken, though.

 

[flying houdini]

I'm relatively new the the chicken world. Our daughter met and married an Australian, now living in NJ. He grew up on a farm and influenced us to add to the annual veggie garden, the rest is history. We bought 9 layers in April, I named only 3 (mistake I know, but they had such personality!). I came home from work at 4pm to find an owl eating "Lady". The owl could care less I was just feet away. I finally lifted it out of the pen with a pitchfork, and it curled its talons around the handle and wouldn't let go....so I let it hang upside down on the other side of the fence. I was just glad to have it out of the pen since the other hens seemed oblivious. It wouldn't go anywhere so I finally took the broom and swept it away in the snow. I thought it was injured, felt bad momentarily. I went back outside 20 minutes later and it was gone. That was 2 weeks ago, hasn't come back. More snow predicted, won't shovel a path to the coop this time. It might have been the only thing the owl could see last time...mountains of white and a nice brown trail with activity scratching in the early dawn.

 

[akostka1988]

Tonight I came home to the idiot chickens almost all roosting on top of the coop and run they managed to shut the run’s door after only a couple got inside As I was collecting the chickens and putting them in all I could hear from the edge of the tree line was a couple of very vocal barred owls! I wasn’t 100% sure they’d be able to pick off the chickens but after reading this I’m glad I managed to get to them before the owls did!

 

[Big Doggie]

Around 9:30 last night we heard our chickens screeching. We (and our dogs) raced to the coop and found a Barred Owl inside. It had smashed through a small plexiglass window in the door and taken the heads off 2 of our (EA juvenile) chickens and was sitting on top of a third (our beautiful Partridge Silkie) which it must have been feasting on as she had injuries to her neck and body and didn't make it through the night.

We have 5 roosters (incubated our own eggs which resulted in 1 hen and 4 roosters...uugh) and 18 hens. Can't believe we lost 3 hens!!! The window has been boarded up and the chickens will be in lockdown for a while.

If it weren't for the circumstances of finding this owl I would say what a beautiful and majestic bird it is. Now I just consider it a very lethal predator.
We've had problems with hawks taking our pullets and silkies when they are free ranging, but this is our 1st encounter with an owl.
From the posts I've see on BYC it looks like we're going to have a problem for a while as Owls are persistent and determined. I hope to not encounter another night like last night!!!

The owl smashed through the plexiglass? Usually it won’t shatter. I have a plexiglass window on my coop and I think I’ll add 1/2” hardware cloth to it tomorrow. You got me worried.

 

[cmom]

So sorry for you losses. I have netting covering all of my pens. I was a little short and bought some netting online. I thought it was different than what I got. I had an issue with an owl going through the crappy netting. I replaced it and the owl went through it again and both times killed a bird. I moved the birds to another coop and put a camera up in that pen. I made some T-posts out of some wood for most of my pens to hold up the netting so I could walk under it. My fences are 5' high. I replaced the crappy netting with some good netting and the owl tried again but got caught in the netting. We managed to get it into a cage and some wildlife people came and got it.

 

[cmom]

The owl smashed through the plexiglass? Usually it won’t shatter. I have a plexiglass window on my coop and I think I’ll add 1/2” hardware cloth to it tomorrow. You got me worried.

Probably the owl didn't even see the plexiglass and that is why it went throught it. It must have been thin plexiglass. I think most any wire will work. I have used chicken wire and welded wire and so far nothing has gotten through it. Good luck...