can a GIGANTIC owl eat my chickens? My ducks? My goose?!?!?

[chickensducks&agoose]

I went out tonight, and there was a gigantic, monster owl sitting on the T-wire over my chicken coop. I ran out and yelled at him and flapped around like an idiot until he flew to an adjacent tree. Then I threw some snowballs at him until he disappeared into the dark. I did see a thing (vole, shrew, mole... looked like a dog poo with a little tail) run under my steps the other day, so maybe it was just after that... but are my birds at risk?

 

[Barry]

yes

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

can I make him go away? would he really try to eat my ducks or goose?

 

[Buster]

Yeah large owls can carry off small dogs, skunks, raccoons, etc. Your birds are fair game. Are they in a coop at night the owl can't get into. That's the time you have to be most worried about owls.

 

[Buster]

Also, you aren't allowed to harass or destroy it. Federal law.

 

[enola]

Owls are also perfectly capable of waiting for your chickens to come off the roost early in the morning. So, unless they are locked in and cannot come out to "play" until you let them out, the first hens out of the hen house in the morning might be in big trouble.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

They free range all day, wander where they can (i have to shovel them paths!), and then at dusk, they go into their coop. Once it's dark, I go out and latch them all in... I only have 11 chickens, so i count them... and then i make sure the 3 ducks and my goose are in their goose hut, and lock them in... maybe I should lock them in right at dusk... be more on top of it? would it go INTO the coop to eat them?

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

uh... is yelling and throwing snowballs 'harassing'? 'cause if it is, I was totally joking... i actually spoke politely to it, and asked it kindly to not eat my birdies.... uh......

 

[Pumpkinpup]

You had better be really watchful because that sort of bird can do some MAJOR damage!!! They don't play and they are return killers too. Once they find a supply of easy targets, they come back again and again. LOOK OUT!

 

[enola]

Owls will not go into the chicken house. All of their attacks on chickens must be air-born attacks. They cannot run, just sort of hop, so if they miss their target, they usually fly away.