Small owls?

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

As common on these posts, a predator has visited my chickens and made off with parts rather than the entire bird. This morning, I found a headless/neck-less guinea keet. They are about 1 1/2 months old. The sticky suggested a great horned owl. We do have owls of several types, I live in a fairly woody area. Do the smaller owls have the same appetite as their larger bretheren?

John

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I may be mistaken, but I recall reading somewhere that the Great Horned Owl is the only owl to take poultry. If that is indeed true, and Great Horned Owls are not native to your area, you may very well be dealing with a different predator.

If you have access to a live trap the size of a racoon, use the chicken remains as bait and see what you catch.

-Kim

 

[Brindlebtch]

I do believe we have Great Horned Owls in most of Texas.

 

[PeepsInc]

owls eat there pray whole. Then they regurgitate the hair,feathers & bones. Doubt it was an owl.

 

[Attack Chicken]

Barn owls will take chickens. Friend caught one in a trap. Was crawling under the fence and getting to the chickens.

Racoons will take head I believe.

 

[bryan8]

When owls attack, if the run is enclosed it is mostly the heads and necks that are missing. They get the birds to stick there head though the wire and they they grab and rip off the head/neck if the bird. It has happened to my pheasants before. ~Bryan

 

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

Thanks for all the input, y'all. A further inspection revealed the right wing was missing along with the neck and head. The right side of the body was also denuded of feathers. Perhaps the pen mates pecked them off? I will research Texas owls and try to pinpoint what is confirmed for my area. I found primary feathers on the ground under a large oak that has a pretty good platform for an owl. I've seen some sizable owl carcasses along the road and heard screech owls in my wooded area. At any rate, I'm building a 12'x8' hoop coop with a roost for my young guinea flock.
John