Help! 3 owls and still counting

[mmaddie's mom]

Is it my imagination or are the owls much more plentiful this year than ever before?

I have had 3 visiting at night for about the last 2 weeks (Barred or GHO, not sure) and my daughter has had at least one at her place in town for about the same time frame.

Not letting my chickens out until about 11am and getting them in between 4-5pm. Haven't lost any so far during those daylight shortened free range time.

Are you losing your birds during daylight/mid-day times?!?

 

[centrarchid]

They are re-enforcing territories, getting vocal in process. I appear to live at boundary between two pairs and hooting wars go from about midnight till sunup everynight for last week or so. Some young may not have dispersed since they stay in natal territories at lot longer than other birds. They are just getting boot now around here.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
Good to know. Is there anything I can do to discourage them from taking up residence in my trees?!? They seem to leave the property during the daylight hours.

 

[centrarchid]

They maybe after birds (doves, songbirds, etc.) roosting in trees. They will likely quite visiting as often once prey abundance goes down. Or you may have deal like mine where trees are at border. Are they doing a lot of hooting? Does it sound like "who cooks for you" or "uhwhaa"?

 

[drumstick diva]

Hmmm, since owls are pulling chickens thru the fence - besides the hardware cloth you could string some electric fence lines around it. I mean to take care of other predators, just sayin" how in the world would you know owls might do such a thing.? I think a good zotz from the electric wire might lessen their resolve.

 

[PineappleMama]

Got me thinking about the old rat pellet lab... ugh that was gross... but had a thought... if an owl just happened to eat a poisoned rat what would happen... or are they smart enough to know that's not a good thing to eat?

 

[BooBear]

birds of prey are protected in the US.
if you are caught harming them there are steep fines and possible jail time.
If they are too much you need to call your local game n wildlife and/or animal control to come out and safely remove and relocate them.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I only let my girls out about a half hour before dusk to run in our grass and I never leave them. I hover like a mama hen. I heard hooting and I looked up. This guy was hanging around the neighbors pine tree about 15' up staring at my girls. ( I always have my camera with me as you never know what funny things the girls may do) DH scared it away by shaking a rake at it but it came back a few times. Then it came back with a friend. DH has a bb gun and shot it at the tree to make noise. ( I told him it was illegal to hit them) They got the message it seems. They flew away and I have not seen them in 2 weeks.

I think these are the young. From what I understand, owls stay within a 5 mile range from their where they were hatched. There is a pair of owls that have raised owlets at a hotel nearby us. The birds in the trees squawk up a storm if there is an owl. I also worry about our small dogs as well as the neighbors small animals that roam in the fenced yards.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
Unfortunately I just can't hear the "who cooks for you" call... on line I heard almost the exact same call and it was a GHO.

Yes we have lots of trees with lots of doves, songbirds, etc.

Will continue to scare them away if I can and hope they decide on somewhere else to live.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Quote:
I know the "who cooks for you" is a Barred Owl but which ones do the "uhwhaa" sound? I hear both sounds around here and LOTS more now that I have chickens!!