Do the plastic owls help prevent any predators/Scare the chickens?

[Beekissed]

In one of our local towns the interstate passes through at the level of the rooftops of some very old and stately homes and store buildings. One of these homes has four of these owls on different points/levels on their rooftops. No pigeons at all on those roof surfaces.

Right next to this house (these houses are built close together) is an almost identical house with the same kind of roof~but no fake owls. That roof is always covered in pigeons and the roof with the owls next door has not a one.

Do you suppose those pigeons feel much safer being 5 yards away from the owls instead of perching right next to them?

These owls have been mounted up there for more years than I can remember...and I've never seen a pigeon on that rooftop. It always makes me laugh to see all the pigeons huddled onto one roof and keeping a watchful eye on the other roof.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I've never seen a pigeon on that rooftop.

I'm not sure that really means anything.

My pigeons always sit on the roof of one building here, when they have a choice of 6 within 100 yds.

None of them have owls.

They just know where they like to sit​

 

[Beekissed]

We'll never really know unless you put some owls on their favorite rooftop, will we? If they continue to sit there, then it's not the owls that deters them.

 

[stilldeb]

We bought a really scary owl with a bobbing head and glowing eyes that makes 'authentic' owl sounds to keep the birds that kept getting into our garage out. They poop all over the darned thing. Yep, real scary.

 

[bugkiller]

I am a exteminator in ontario canada and have seen both sides of the fake predators. I have seen them with birds roosting on top of them and the owls covered in poop. But i have also seen them work well. The trick is to make them look as real as posible. A bird will catch on really quick to a piece of plastic nailed to a post in the same spot for years. Fix it so it has some movement and in a way ic can be moved aroung to differant spots is going to be the most sucsessfull method. But this is still not fool proof. And i dont think it would work at all for other animals other than birds. It could actuly attract coyote and fox.

 

[OldGuy43]

I also tried pinwheels. They seem to work a little better than the owl.

 

[clairabean]

We have one posted on our chicken coop run corner post.

It scares my crazy neighbour.

Worth it's weight in gold.

 

[Silkie-lover33]