Sure glad we don't have that kind of owl problems, sure didn't know owls would do something like thatNothing but Great Horned owls around here and the larger ones can carry off a full grown rooster. The smaller ones cut the wings off before carrying them off. When it first happened I found 8 sets of pullet wings at the edge of my run, all in the same place. I was like what the heck! I set out some box traps and never caught anything but kept losing pullets and finding wings. I set out 4 game cameras to cover every angle to my coop and caught the owl in the act. It was a little Great Horned. It would land by my coop, walk in and get a pullet and then try to fly off but would run into the run fence, so it would stop there and cut the wings off so it could make it over the fence. Lost about 15 birds to that one owl before I figured out what it was. So I locked all my pullets up in a cage, but still kept losing them. Kept finding them with their head eaten off inside the cage. Up went the cameras and I discovered that it was two owls working as a team. One would make a ruckus on one side of the cage causing the pullets to fly against the other side where the other owl was waiting to catch them. I had to rebuild the rooster in the cage so that the pullets were no where near the edge, but by then I only had a few left. Then the big owls began taking full size birds. One of my rooster disappeared and I found his wings dangling from the top branches of a tall tree. Only one thing could have carried him up there. He was a pretty rooster (below). But what really surprised me was when the little grey falcons started killing full size Games that were free ranging. Once they started in, it was an all out massacre. I had to build emergency pens and lock them all up to save some.We trapped him-he's gone, trap is set for another one. Only had 1 AG hen killed by a hawk that we know of but have seen them trying a few times. Had an owl that was knocking chickens out of the trees in our backyard everynight it seemed likeit but didn't get them. We have lost several that just disappeared so could be either
We have 6 of our original AG hens that will go in their coop at night, I lock them up but all the rest of the AG's that have hatched here won't even think of going in a coop at night, they roost in the trees. It's the chicks that we have in smaller pens that weren't secured well enough but now they arenot trying to ruffle your feathers but that is why they invented the chicken house. sometimes chicken houses are not built very good and that is why prdators break in. I can understand why some people don't have them. but it will protect your chickens I have never had a problem with them breaking in my chicken house. (Knock on wood!).We trapped him-he's gone, trap is set for another one. Only had 1 AG hen killed by a hawk that we know of but have seen them trying a few times. Had an owl that was knocking chickens out of the trees in our backyard everynight it seemed likeit but didn't get them. We have lost several that just disappeared so could be eithe
nice bird in your avatar
OMG..... he is gorgeous!!!!!!!..... I want one...... I want one..... heheThe only stag we have right now....10 months old .
Yeah he was awesome and recently lost him Sunday to a pair of foxes.
