This owl wont stop attacking my chickens and ducks!

[Ferretgirrrl]

Here's a thought - fox deterrents - they emit lights that flash with no discernible pattern so they look like a torch is being used... the battery one is $Au100 and the solar version is $150. I just invested in one of each to figure out which is the most economically viable over time - everything I've read says they deter foxes and dingoes , so I'm not sure if they would work with aerial predators. https://www.pestrol.com.au/buy-onli...L6RD0g24aiP3-BxYajuGtxCPv3r2A_n0aAryJEALw_wcB

Perhaps a nice coup inside the netted area would be safest? My girls all go inside at night - the guinea fowl do too - they literally ask to go in the coup at sunset, and get up on their indoor roost, then I'm up to let them out just after sunrise into their netted area - 'anti-bird net', its white with a double weave so as not to catch wildlife - I'm guessing it's harder for predators to see them. (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/124006760070 )
And it is totally cool to love your chooks and enjoy their differnt personalities ~ they are individuals, and great company <3

 

[Lynn Woehrle]

Chicken wire works well. We have six foot chain link fences on each side of the run and chicken wire on top and there are Eagles, Hawks and Osprey that can't get to our chickens. The wire holds up under snow---we have lead pipes across the top for support. it's been that way for 20 years and no problems. They also free range in our yards and our dogs are out with them and we yell and clap our hands when the predators are close and they leave. So far no problems.

 

[littledog]

I have chicken wire covering the roof of my run, and one time I came out at night to walk the dogs, and saw an owl sitting on top of the wire roof, trying to figure out how to get in. It totally ignored me and kept sitting there, so I got look at it up close. Beautiful animal - and it never did get in!

Check out repurposed materials.com. They have different kinds of heavy-duty netting, such as old fishing netting, military and warehouse netting, for far less expensive than it would cost new. As well as many other formerly-industrial materials that are useful for building farm/garden things.

 

[Ajb1952]

Hardware cloth is what I use. Nothing gets through it.

 

[Cami Su]

These 2 Owls come every night and try to take my chickens and ducks head off. I have a chicken run that had a netted roof with a tarp over it but instead the owl somehow smashed right through it and got a hold of several of my chickens. I may sound crazy but i have a very strong relationship with my chickens and i know all their different personalities,and it hurts so much to wake up and their head is missing. I have covered the roof temporally with another tarp,but does anyone know how i can stop these owls from coming and also what would be a good material for the roof?

Metal wire across the top will certainly keep flying predators out. I had to weasel-proof my pullet pen after I lost HALF of my pullets one year! That was a job and a half, and I still have to find the holes that the rats chew, which would let them in.
Hardware cloth and flashing.

 

[OKChickenGuy]

These 2 Owls come every night and try.......... I have covered the roof temporally with another tarp,but does anyone know how i can stop these owls from coming and also what would be a good material for the roof?

I live in the country and owls are EVERYWHERE. For me though, all my girls n boys are locked in coop at night. Hardware cloth is your friend.

However, I had a real problem with hawks during the day!
Until I caught it LIVE on a camera I was just guessing that was the killer. Trust me, until you see it in person or recorded you have no idea the speed and power of these predators.

My solution was initially tree bird netting. A real pain to work with, but damned if it didn't stop a red tail in full dive....that, was amazing.
She never saw the netting as a barrier until she hit it full force. She was stunned, gathered her wits, then perched on top of coop for a while before moving on. I never saw her again. The barrier bought my girls and guys time to go into coop. Where they basically stayed the rest of the day, only coming out for water, and only 1 at a time.

reviewing the net after showed it was good stuff. But the claws of the hawk did make quite a slice in it, it was repair time.
I just replaced the covering with hardware cloth and moved on. Bobcats never got thru either method with netting strong enough to deny simple access, instead it acted like something sticking between their claws...

I only do supervised free range these days. I've not had predator issues in a while, even this year with a large increase in them being around. Even opossum have left us alone.
(Quick wood, knocking on it)

The key is....do not underestimate predator abilities. They're not Apex critters because they're dumb. Like humans, they figure things out, look for weaknesses and stay very alert to our presence.

p.s.
A workmate and fellow chickeneer called what I had Fort Knox.
Like the predators, I educated myself on them, watched them, learned from every angle. So far, the tilt is with me. Learn as much about all these critters and you arm yourself even better.

 

[jgarner1327]

These 2 Owls come every night and try to take my chickens and ducks head off. I have a chicken run that had a netted roof with a tarp over it but instead the owl somehow smashed right through it and got a hold of several of my chickens. I may sound crazy but i have a very strong relationship with my chickens and i know all their different personalities,and it hurts so much to wake up and their head is missing. I have covered the roof temporally with another tarp,but does anyone know how i can stop these owls from coming and also what would be a good material for the roof?

I would build a wood frame (support the center of the run with either 2x4’s or 4x4’s wood on cement piers) and cover the whole thing with 1/2” hardware cloth. It’s really strong and as long as you tie it together along the seams with wire, no owl or any other predator that size could get through it.

 

[writerskramp]

Heads missing is a coon as in racoon.. not owl. Hoot

 

[cmom]

I have 2”x4” welded wire covering my run. It will keep out all aerial predators and larger critters like raccoons. Mink could get through, though.

I use chicken wire around my pens, but I also have electric wires and nothing so far has gotten past the electric wires. This is an old picture.

 

[cmom]

Heads missing is a coon as in racoon.. not owl. Hoot

I'll look for the video I have a an owl on a chicken. They do indeed take the heads. I was wondering what was killing my birds and only the heads were missing so I put a camera out.