What to do about a barn owl

[oldchickenman]

lets we have been able to run off all the other predators but a big old barn owl he got another chicken last night. i have some chickens i let around the farm he keeps picking them off short of shooitng it what can i do?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Keep the chickens locked in an owl proof coop or a run with a top. This is the time of year Barn owls are raising their young - they hunt amazing amounts of rodents and now sadly your chickens.


We have a family of Great Horned owls here. Just this winter, after 5 worry free years, one of the owls started snacking on my ducks. So now the ducks are locked in the coop for the night.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Barn Owls are usually more beneficial than harmful. They are also one of the smaller owls. It is more likely that another kind of owl or predator is making off with your chickens, if they are adult birds. My advice on reducing any predator problem is that if at all possible, you make a safe night pen or roosting pen for them to sleep in at night.

 

[sourland]

Seriously doubt that it is a barn owl. They are primarily small rodent eaters. They are also too frail to take on a full grown chicken. Great horned owls on the other hand are fearsome predators, and the only recourse is a covered run for the evening. I once had a flock of semi-feral bantams that was decimated by a great horned owl.

 

[chooniecat]

we have barn and great horned owl(those are all I have seen) and its NOT an issue because,as everyone has suggested, the chickens are enclosed at night. have never lost a chicken or had an incident with them(predator wise) and I have only killed one coon in 24 years of living on 6 acres with surrounding 50 acres of woods(and cropland)the girls put themselves to bed anyhow so its not hard to just go shut the door at night but since yours are used to barning it you might have to enclose an area where you would then put their feed. then feed at night and they'll run in.

 

[oldchickenman]

It must be a Great horned owl, i saw it last night fly off about 11 pm, then this morning we found a delaware missing its head around where the bird flew away from i have places for the chcikens to roast that are enclose some just choose not too. i have some that roost in trees.

 

[ksct]

I Don't Think You Can Shoot The Owls.... Believe It's Against The Law.
Keep The Birds Locked In @ Night?
Is That Possible For You? I Don't Know Your Set Up.

 

[patnjess]

missing a head? You sure nothing else could have gotten in like a coon?

 

[FireTigeris]

"who, who, who cook for you all?" is the call of the GHO they will leave the heads/ or take only the heads if they are especially well fed.

Barn owls are white and look about a foot tall, GHO on the other hand are much larger looking... they are brown and have those funny ear tufts - they stand about 2 feet tall.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3593/3578512891_d001d9cfe4.jpg

above is a link to a picture comparing a Great Horned Owl to a Bran Owl.
Edit- fixed link.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Yup, the GHO who nibbled on my ducks, ate only the head/neck/crop area.