Great Horned Owl INSIDE my pen! MORE PHOTOS

[peachick]

This guy was INSIDE my expensive peafowl pen 2 nights ago.
Fortunately he only killed a Sumatra pullet. We caught him and have him in an empty chicken pen. We gave him the rest of the pullet to eat, and tonight I'll probably sacrifice a small rooster so he can have another meal.
Tomorrow we will be driving up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to relocate him..... hes been fascinating to watch!

 

[Whispering Winds]

He is so majestic isn't he? Those all-seeing, all-knowing eyes. WOW. I am so glad you are relocating him, and he didn't get hurt. Sorry you had to lose a couple chickens though, dang it.

 

[Cetawin]

He is gorgeous. I would not sacrifice my chicken...for one meal...go buy a whole chicken breast and give it to him. He will not learn from one meal that he can be "hand fed" easier and not have to mess with feathers and bones. LOL

 

[Cara]

I don't know that he'd eat something he hadn't killed, especially if it doesn't look like his usual diet.

I had this guy in my coop. We finally caught him after he killed dozens of young birds.

 

[Cetawin]

If he is hungry he will eat it. I was forced to do the same thing with a Screech Owl that got blown from its nest during a hurricane....for 3 days and then a rehabber took him.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Gorgeous! I guess this is the week for the GHs to get caught up in the coops/nets! LOL

You doing the right thing. They should be eating live prey. Commercial meat has things in it that can be a shock to a wild raptors system. They should always be given fresh live prey when in captivity.

I always toss a chick/rabbit in and run to the back. I have a peep hole in my raptor coop that I watch to make sure they are attacking and eating their prey properly and so they have as little contact with humans as possible.

Don't you just love those carpeted fuzzy feet!! ...and their 'snapping' of their beaks.

 

[txchickie]

Holy crap those things have CRAZY EYES!

 

[chickenmum]

Don't sacrifice your rooster!!!!
Go buy some from the store or get some from the freezer!
Or maybe he can just wait till tomorrow to eat!
But don't let him eat your precious roo

 

[halo]

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I so appreciate people who try and do the right thing by these wonderful creatures, such as giving them live prey until you can turn them loose.

 

[peachick]

thank you for all the comments and support everyone. if you click on my flickr photo link I have LOTS of photos I took of him yesterday morning ... you can see how ticked OFF he was. Today hes more relaxed and I was able to get those good photos of him.
To the people that dont want me to kill a young rooster.... I took 15 extra roosters to the auction last week. this week I have another 12. Since people only want to buy pullets.... I get stuck with all the boys. They are going to end up on some Chinese buffet table anyway. Id rather feed one back to nature.
Believe me, I know where you guys are coming from... I used to feel the same. But the reality is.... chickens are at the bottom of the food chain.