Owl in the chicken run!

[neanderpaul]

He is too small to hurt the chickens. He was hunting the mice that are attracted by the chicken feed. So cool!

http://youtu.be/3YrLkTS2ICA

[freshtiva]

Awesome !

[kumalaba]

i thought this was blair witch project short

[200KGPGTP]

^^^Haha yes!!

Really cool! There used to be a really huge eastern red bud tree right next to the house, and it's canopy was next to my bedroom window. An owl hung out there many a summer night, I loved it's song.


Also, breathe much?

[neanderpaul]

Lol Danny!

And yes, breathing in a video is a huge pet peeve of mine. But...
1. I was jacked on adrenalin as it was inches away and beautiful!
2. It's not like I could reshoot.

[freshtiva]

How the chicken operation going ? I thought about raising some chickens. A friend of mine experienced with chickens told me the eggs would be the most expensive Id ever eat.

[Bert]

Sounds like you're becoming a 'back to the lander', that doesn't shoot anything and everything that is unknown. Good for you. That video clip was of a Screech Owl (pigeon-sized) and there are smaller owls (Boreal, Saw whet) that also pass through your area. Mice eat chicken feed and small owls eat mice. Matter of fact the big boys (Barred and Horned Owl (who really aren't so big once the feathers are off)) also eat mice and will likely also leave chickens alone.

[neanderpaul]

It's killer fresh!
The eggs are yummy, the chickens are pets, they entertain us daily, and the girls and I learn from them. I have no regrets. As soon as we move out and get 5 acres or more I'm going to massively increase my production. I'm considering trying to make a deal with a gas station. Like I come in with a bunch of bags and trade it for gasoline. 8)

[neanderpaul]

Bert, I love all animals. I will still kill and eat any deer and fish and rabbits and doves. I respect all the animals and all of nature. You are the second person who said it was a screech owl. It is indeed pigeon sized. It was so pretty!

[freshtiva]

Sounds like you're becoming a 'back to the lander', that doesn't shoot anything and everything that is unknown. Good for you. That video clip was of a Screech Owl (pigeon-sized) and there are smaller owls (Boreal, Saw whet) that also pass through your area. Mice eat chicken feed and small owls eat mice. Matter of fact the big boys (Barred and Horned Owl (who really aren't so big once the feathers are off)) also eat mice and will likely also leave chickens alone.

I think the bigger owls will kill the chickens. My chicken experienced friend said he would find chickens with no heads. He said it was a sign that an owl had raided the coop IIRC. Either an owl or a hawk.

It's killer fresh!
The eggs are yummy, the chickens are pets, they entertain us daily, and the girls and I learn from them. I have no regrets. As soon as we move out and get 5 acres or more I'm going to massively increase my production. I'm considering trying to make a deal with a gas station. Like I come in with a bunch of bags and trade it for gasoline. 8)

I might have to give it a try. I guess the chicken by product is good for the garden. We buy our eggs now from a local farmer with chickens. Far better eggs then store bought.

[Bert]

Bert, I love all animals. I will still kill and eat any deer and fish and rabbits and doves. I respect all the animals and all of nature. You are the second person who said it was a screech owl. It is indeed pigeon sized. It was so pretty!

I too love animals and am a nevertheless a meat hunter. Here's something for you and to educate/amuse the kids. You can actually build a bird house for Screech owls. 12 x 12 by 18 high and with a 3 inch oval hole. But you'll have to lay waste to all the GD squirrels that vie for the place before an owl decides to move in, or perch it on a high squirrel-proof pole.
Freshtiva seems to think Horned owls are chicken killers but I'm not so sure; chickens are usually ducked away somewhere safe at night and owls are strictly nocturnal and not B&E types. A plucked Great Horned Owl is about the same size as a small plucked chicken. It is Goshawks (formerly known as Chicken Hawks) that wreak havoc in pens. I refer to them as "dash and dine" types as these forest-dwelling extremely agile Raven-sized birds can fly full throttle through hedges and thickets and jump on everything feet first with their rude-looking talons. I had a sub-adult Goshawk 'set up shop' at my forested place years ago and it cleaned out most of my racing pigeons in very short order (until it was successfully exposed to "heavy metals") one afternoon while dining on another one of my birds. Missing heads and livers and overall carnage in a chicken pen is often the night time work of a long-tailed weasel.

[HondaSlayer]

We had a problem with chickens getting killed at my house too. It ended up being raccoons. Made short work of that after my one cat chased it out of the coop and ran it up a tree. Having chickens is fun though. Some of my chickens will sit on my lap.

[200KGPGTP]

Aww I want chickens now!

[blkfordsedan]

Paul, there's a song in there somewhere! "Owl in the Chicken Run". Maybe I've just been playing Bluegrass and Blues too long?

[Old Geezer]

Sounds like you boys might want to join P.E.T.A. That's people eating tasty animals.
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