Great Horned Owls???

[Payette]

Are Great Horned Owls a big danger to chickens??? There's this owl that's been hanging out around our house, and every time we see it, we put our free ranging hens into the coop. Someone told us that a Great Horned Owl wouldn't kill a chicken, but we don't want to risk it.

Does anyone know if they are a danger to chickens?

 

[theFox]

Quote:
Yes they are. They are the night time equivalent of the hawk.

Please remember that at dusk or dawn you get overlap in bird of prey coverage.

 

[deerman]

I have caught two in live trap ,after they kill ,one was a full grown chicken, 2nd was a half grown peachick. peachick was killed thru 1 x 2 welded wire, both times I found both fresh killed, place bird in trap, thinking it was a raccoon, both caught within a few hours of the kill.

I did release both, because they kill alot of night predators, like coons,possum,skunks and cats. They will even kill full grown turkey and peafowl.

They are night hunters, or dusk to dawn. Not as fast as hawks.

 

[deerman]

sorry repeat post

 

[deerman]

sorry post repeat

 

[Lbrad7]

Your neighbor was wrong. Great Horned Owls can be a great threat to your birds. Make sure you lock em up as long as it is haning around.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

I have a Pair hanging in my barn and I went from 20 wild guineas to 5 impossible to catch the guinea's so there on there own. 2 of my turkeys decided to fly to the top of the trees to roost last night one was left this morning down to 7 of 9 turkeys now funny thing is tonight was the first night in my turkeys lives that they put them selves up before dark and i mean to tell you they were all up. they have cleaned my yard of most of the cotton tails I had accepting treats around 10 or so. and there there every morning faithfully in the top of the hay barn just roosting as if to say Touch me i dare ya!!! so yes there a danger to any animals you might have that are outsiders even small dogs and cats.

 

[woodmort]

Great Horned Owls will take cats, possums, skunks--a particular tasty favorite--and small dogs so yes they will take a full grown chicken. While they usually don't do much damage in daylight they will hunt during the day but don't as a rule since they are generally mobbed by crows.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Our Game & Fish referred to them as "Killing Machines." A few years ago I lost a number of birds in the early morning. Called Game and Fish and described the scene and they said "Great Horned Owl." Then went on to make the Killing Machine comment. Most of the birds I lost were large production breeds. I did lose a couple of silkies as well.

 

[halo]

Beautiful owl!