Owl eating all my pets at night!!!!!!

[nautical_bouy]

I lost 11 BR's to a horned owl and it left no sign, I knew it was a owl because I watched it one evening.
I scared if off of the one and there was no blood or even a ruffled feather.

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

i mean you all know if you have ducks that were they usually bed or sit and clean there feathers there is a lot of feathers on the ground within about 3 feet of the area. thats all thats there. back home before i moved her, i had some neighbor dogs rip apart my cat in my front yard, and dogs that belong to humans and eat dog food arnt coyotes and want to eat the cat, just tear it up to peices, and there was parts of here within a 15 foot radius. now the ducks ALL THREE and there white so i could see easy feathers on the ground are clearly and cleanly gone. idk, i really think it is an owl. ive seen him perched up in a tree right over the pond before, i even took pics, but i never figured that that thing eat possums and skunks and ducks as a daily diet, it all just makes sense.

 

[yeahLauren]

Quote:
Please do not assume that no one is watching. I had a giant african land snail as a pet that I did not know was illegal to have. It had many many babies, so I posted on a website asking if anyone wanted some. Well, the USDA showed up at my house, which only my name was listed on this website, and confiscated all of the snails. If the government wants to find out something, they will. So, if you plan to do illegal things, I would highly suggest not talking about it on the internet, especially on a website that can be accessed by anyone.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Quote:
Please do not assume that no one is watching. I had a giant african land snail as a pet that I did not know was illegal to have. It had many many babies, so I posted on a website asking if anyone wanted some. Well, the USDA showed up at my house, which only my name was listed on this website, and confiscated all of the snails. If the government wants to find out something, they will. So, if you plan to do illegal things, I would highly suggest not talking about it on the internet, especially on a website that can be accessed by anyone.

thank you that is what I was trying to tell everyone

 

[brookwoodpat]

If your ducks are loose at night, you're offering a free dinner to every fox, raccoon, possum, stray dog, feral cat, alligator, weasel, as well as owls. Foxes and raccoons are notorious for hunting just before sunset and they often leave no trace. To decide it is an owl, when you have no proof, and shoot a protected bird, not only is unfair to the animal, but ridiculous. Raptors are territorial. If you kill one, another will move in and claim the territory, unless you kill them all. I'm really surprised an "environmental studies major" wouldn't understand that.

If you want to keep your animals safe, for goodness sake you must realize that you need to lock them up, at least at night. That's elementary. My animals free range during the day, (in a secure fenced in acre) but all are locked up at night, and I have no losses. How sensible is it to leave your animals loose at night for every predator, then come on the board and whine about your losses ? Part of keeping animals is responsible stewardship. Provide a secure coop for your animals where they are safe from all predators, rather than blasting away at the owl just because you see it, and you can't see the real problem. The real culprits are, no doubt, too smart to show themselves when they hear, see, smell you. And after you've killed the owl, they'll be back and back, and back for the free dinner you've provided. If you're going to keep domestic animals, then be a responsible pet owner, and provide them a secure shelter. Pet or livestock ownership isn't a license to go adolescently blasting away at everything in the neighborhood because you can't bother to do the only sensible adult thing that *will* keep your ducks safe at night - build them a predator proof shelter and then take the time to lock them in it at night and let them out in the morning.

 

[swampyankee]

You might want to try a niteguard unit, http://www.niteguard.com/. I am surrounded by woods with owls,coyote, foxes, etc and have not had a single problem with predators. I do also have an electric poultry net, but no net on top. Each nite guard costs 29.95, but they are solar powered and weatherproof.

 

[kyle7630]

Quote:
I think what some folks are trying hard to tell you is that, with comments like these, you have already eliminated your third "s". Some people here share different veiws and as you can see, you have already taken flack about your idea to get rid of the predator. I'm not saying shoot or don't shoot. I'm just saying what ever you decide to do should stay between you and the moon.

 

[krjwaj]

WOW! This is a long thread!

Would a loud noise be enough to scare the owl away? Like clanging metal trash can lids??
Two or three nights if necessary? We have on owl eyeing our girls but they are fully enclosed. It even came down and perched on the tree near where we were standing by the coop.

 

[SilkieCRZYness]

well, as always, i expected people to tell me that im the promlem, haha, u have to see it coming with this forum. See if i build a shelter, then i have people who believe ducks should roam free and not be locked up, if i dont then people think i paid money for the ducks to feed the wildlife around here and just kill my pets on purpose bc i dont use common sense and im a horrible person. hahahahahahah i love this stuff, ne ways, my issue is solved and from what i have learned on here ill keep it to myself!!!! thanks

 

[silkie-mom]

How utterly incoherent.....
But anywho.........

Pets, including chickens/ducks are helpless with regards to predators.
Would you leave your toddler outside in the yard at night even though it's fenced in?

This may be where the saying "sitting duck" came from.