owl problems

[melissa41927]

i have lost 2 chicks in the last two nights. yesterday i couldn't figure out what had been able to reach though the fence and pull a chick partially threw and only eat the head and upper body. i thought it could be a cat or weasel, but this is a 8x8 pen with chicken wire on all sides and the top. early this morning around 3 am, i looked out the window and there was a owl sitting beside the pen. this morning when i went out one of my buff chicks was dead in the same way. i have seen the owl swoop down at the at night before but i didn't think anything about it. it must swoop down and get the chicks panicked and just wait till one tries to go threw one of the holes and then grabs it. is there some other way to stop this from happening other than killing the owl? my usual guard dog is sick and not able to do her job and it is taking its toll on my flock. please help.

 

[swdunn0926]

close in two sides to protect them and give them a safe side!!

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Raptors are federally protected. It is illegal in every state to kill or harass one. The punishments for killing one include huge fines and possible jail time. You may request a special permit in certain situations from the federal goverment. But you won't likely get one. How can you assume it's the owl just for being nearby? It is common for raccoons and bobcats to pull chickens through wire. Use hardware cloth (wire) for your poultry pens. it is strong and too little for a predator to get it's claws/hand/paws through.

I have 4 owls residing on my property, they have not pulled anything through wire. But raccoons & bobcat have.

 

[melissa41927]

update on owl problem. the scarecrow worked. didn't lose any chicks last night. just a reply to the message above me, i did see the owl grab a chick. i am a conservationist. if i can find away around destroying any kind of nature i will.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

From what I have read on BYC, it sounds like you have a raccoon problem. Something reaches throught the fence and pulls their heads off. I hear this repeated over and over on this forum.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

As a conservationist you should know that it's against the law to kill owls. http://www.fws.gov/pacific/migratorybirds/mbta.htm
You didn't say you saw the owl grab it. You said you saw an owl near the chicken pen. The circumstantial evidence led me to believe you have a raccoon.