Owl took out my best Roo this AM

[write2caroline]

My husband called me this am to tell me the tale. (I am traveling for business) Copper the Copper Maran Roo crowed very early this am as the dawn broke and then Andy heard an odd sound, found the Roo okay but head was a little bloody and looked around for the stray dogs - Copper Crowed again and was interrupted as my husband turned around and saw an enormous Barn owl grab him and killed him. I am just sad but I cannot blame the Owl. I should have stayed locking the chickens up at night and letting them out later in the Morning. Copper was Glorious and Huge. I just have bantam roos left.

Caroline

 

[SilkieBantams]

I'm sorry for the loos of your roo

 

[Hens & Hounds]

OMG

I am so sorry for you

 

[write2caroline]

Thanks!
He was a beauty.

 

[calicokat]

So sorry you lost a favorite,

 

[mamachicken888]

Dang! I can only imagine how you feel. We haven't lost any yet, but I'm certainly not raising them for the owls or hawks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mrpekinduck]

Thats terrible I'm so sorry I wish there was something I could do!

 

[sourland]

Sorry that your rooster was killed. You can bet that it was a Great Horned Owl and not a barn owl. You can also bet that it will return. They are tenacious, brazen, single minded killers.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Dog on ground stops great horned from killing birds bigger than 3 pounds. My local great horned owl was knocking chickens out of trees every night for a week or so but owl could not follow bird to ground to finish job because dog was waiting below. Smaller chickens, definantly less than 2 pounds, the great horned owls can catch and fly to a tree outside my dogs reach and kill chicken there.

Owls can also be defeated with roost having overhead protection where only entrance is from below. My great horned owls seem unable to figure out how or unwilling to enter roost from below. They do have the ability to make chickens move out to end of branch without actually contacting target.

 

[chkn]

That's bad...the owl took out a big roo like that. It goes to show there's no chicken safe from an owl. We've got all kinds of them around here.