Dead Owl in the Chicken Run

[xarimus]

I just recently started my flock and have 10 chickens ranging from 6 to 8 weeks old. Today I found a small ( just a little smaller than my 8 week old chicks) owl dead in the chicken run (pretty small fenced off area around the coop until they are a little older). My office is like 10 feet from the run and my door was open most of the day, so I think I would have heard a commotion if there was one, but it's a little weird none the less. Any ideas what might have happened? Should I be concerned?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
I'd contact your state DNR about it, meanwhile bag it in plastic and chill, don't freeze it. See any obvious injuries? Could have broken it's neck flying into the fence, maybe.
Look up what it is, might be a juvenile just away from the nest.
Mary

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Did you check for a nest overhead and Peck wounds or blood?

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I just recently started my flock and have 10 chickens ranging from 6 to 8 weeks old. Today I found a small ( just a little smaller than my 8 week old chicks) owl dead in the chicken run (pretty small fenced off area around the coop until they are a little older). My office is like 10 feet from the run and my door was open most of the day, so I think I would have heard a commotion if there was one, but it's a little weird none the less. Any ideas what might have happened? Should I be concerned?

Call your local Fish & Wildlife office first. It's against federal law to be in possession of birds of prey, even deceased ones, so you'll want to get the okay before doing anything with it.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I just recently started my flock and have 10 chickens ranging from 6 to 8 weeks old. Today I found a small ( just a little smaller than my 8 week old chicks) owl dead in the chicken run (pretty small fenced off area around the coop until they are a little older). My office is like 10 feet from the run and my door was open most of the day, so I think I would have heard a commotion if there was one, but it's a little weird none the less. Any ideas what might have happened? Should I be concerned?

I doubt your little chickens harmed the owl at their age. IMHO, it was probably a juvenile owl that met some injury or illness, and just happened to drop dead in your run. Or slammed too hard into the ground chasing a chick and broke its own neck. You should be concerned, yes - where there's one owl, there's more - and they could pick your birds off one by one. Put a netting over the run if you can. In any case, the others are right: Wrap the body in plastic, put it in your fridge asap, and contact your local wildlife or conservation dept. They may want to test it for bird flu, or at least document the species and location.

 

[xarimus]

Thank you all for the insight, much appreciated!

 

[McChooky]

Thank you all for the insight, much appreciated!

They will do an autopsy to see why it died.Please keep us updated and let us know how it turns out. You can never be too careful when finding a dead bird, Avian flu is contagious.