Do Owls Kill Chickens? 7 Ways to Protect Your Flock

Many ask Do Owls Kill Chickens because owls hunt at night. The chicken rearing is an enjoyable and satisfying activity, yet it is associated with numerous difficulties.

Most owners of chicken highlight the importance of getting their flocks safe fron the traditional predators such as raccoons, foxes, and their local dogs, however, there is another sneaky one that no one ever thinks of; owls.

Like me, you may not have thought much about the danger to your chickens presented by owls. I definitely did not, up until I got to understand how serious it can be. So, do owls kill chickens? The answer is yes.

Although this is not as prevalent as other predators, owls may pose significant threat to chicken, especially the larger ones such as the Great Horned Owl. Nevertheless, by taking a few precautions, you will be able to save your flock and secure your chickens.

Do Owls Kill Chickens?

At the very beginning of raising chicken, I was familiar with the common predators, namely, the fox, the raccoon, and the dog. Owls didn’t even cross my mind. They are mighty birds of prey, after all, and how could they be dangerous to their flock?

However, as I conducted further research, I found out that owls and more so large ones do hunt and kill chickens. It is a common thing than you may imagine especially among species such as the Great Horned owl which is known to be a very good predator.

Owls are nighttime hunters and they pose a very dangerous predator to chicken due to the way they hunt. They are efficient hunters due to their silent flight, sharp talons and the fact that they can swoop their prey without much notice. They normally eat smaller mammals and birds and chicken, particularly smaller ones or chicks are not hard to find.

Why Do Owls Target Chickens?

To know why owls are so attracted to chicken, it is necessary to have some knowledge about their feeding pattern. Owls are also very good hunters and they use stealth in capturing their prey.

They are nocturnal and this means that they are most active in the night when your chickens are most vulnerable. They can fly silently due to the structure of their feathers, which is peculiar, which gives them an ability to fly down without any sound. A chicken can rarely hear them in time.

Moreover, owls find chickens easy targets since they are not accustomed to handling night predators. Chickens usually sleep well in their cages and they do not even suspect that there may be an owl right outside.

Owls will attack smaller birds or weaker birds, such as chicks, or any chicken that is sick or hurt. They tend to strike the area of the neck and the head, as this is the most vulnerable part of the chicken body.

One of the most threatening predators that attacks chicken is the Great Horned Owl. This species has been known to be of considerable size and strength making it able to attack even adult chickens.

The huge talons of the Great Horned Owl are too strong to hold on to a hen, and the hen is instantly paralyzed. The owl can go to an extent of decapitating its prey and carrying it to another place where it can eat it.

How Owls Attack Chickens?

An owl strikes its prey with accuracy when it ambushes on a chicken. Owls possess very advanced hunting behaviors, and in most cases, they attack the weakest and most defenseless section of its prey. When it comes to chicken, owls typically attack the neck and the head. Here they are able to strike a fast fatal blow with their sharp talons.

Owls are silent predators. Their movement is close to silent because of the special arrangement of their feathers that enable them to move to the prey with the help of which they remain unnoticed.

The owl darts down a perch or over the chicken coop striking with his talons. When the owl captures the chicken it is either it kills it or it takes it to a more secure place. The owl in most occasions will remove the head of its prey and leave the rest of the body. This is one of the best indications that an owl has attacked your flock.

The fact that owls attack the head and neck is due to the fact that these are easily accessible as well as play a significant role in paralyzing the chicken.

The claws of an owl are hard and pointed and they are meant to grab hold of the prey and cling firmly. In other instances, the owl can also attack the back of the chicken although the most common one is the head and the neck.

7 Ways to Protect Your Chickens from Owls

I did this after being informed that owls may pose a danger to my flock and I then acted to ensure that my coop was secured to avoid owl attacks. There is no need to make complicated steps to protect your chickens against the owls, yet it takes some attention to detail. The following are 7 good methods of keeping the owl off your chicken:

1. Roof Your Coop with Sturdza Roofing

During the night, owls are also known to land on roofs or they seek to enter coops via weak areas. This is why a good roof is among the most necessary characteristics of a chicken house. Chicken wire cannot keep owls out. They might easily penetrate through a chicken wire, but they will not get to a solid roof. I also installed a more robust roof on my coop using metal and wood which means that nothing can enter the coop through the roof. Without a roof, then you are leaving your flock exposed not only to the attacks of owls, but also to other predators such as raccoons.

2. Replace Chicken Wire With Hardware Cloth

Chicken wire may be enough to keep off some predators but nothing can resist the strong beak of an owl. The chicken wire is readily penetrated by owls that grab a chicken through the holes that they make. I also used the hardware cloth as a replacement to the chicken wire on my coop because it is more durable and less prone to tearing. Hardware cloth is used and has smaller holes that do not allow owls to enter inside keeping your chickens safe. When you are closing your coop, you should seal all your holes with hardware cloth to keep out the owls, and other predators.

3. Install a Night Locking Mechanism

This is one of the easiest forms of preventing owl attacks whereby, you lock up your coop at night. Owls normally prey at night when the chickens are the most vulnerable. I applied a powerful locking system on the doors and windows of my coop. Before going to sleep it is necessary to ensure all is in order before it gets dark. An owl can find an opening even out of the smallest gap. The safer your coop the harder it is to get into by an owl.

4. Close Off Open Spaces and Gaps

Owls are surprisingly good at twisting into small holes. You should examine all parts of your chicken house to make sure it does not have any holes or openings. I ensured that the vents, windows and any other potential entry points were closed. This involves the breaks that are made around the doors and the sides of the coop. Owls have been prevented into the coop by blocking up these areas. This is to make the whole area so enclosed that the owls cannot enter.

5. Install Motion-Sensitive Lights

It is one of the most efficient methods of knowing nocturnal predators such as owls away as you could install motion-sensitive lights near your coop, owls are animals of the night and bright lights will confuse their hunting habits. On the outside of my chicken house, I put a couple of motion lights. When an owl or other predator nears the lights are turned on and they are startled, overcome and unable to hunt. This is the easiest thing that can be done to save your chickens.

6. Take an Owl Decoy or Fake Predator

It is true, however, that an owl decoy can keep off real owls. Owls are territorial animals and they do not want other owls in their space. Owls can be prevented by putting a decoy owl in an open area close to your chicken coop. I put a decoy outside my coop and even though this may seem strange; it works. Ensure that you make sure that you change the position of the decoy after a few days since owls have the potential to be caught when they see that the decoy is in the same location.

7. Lock Your Chickens Into a Clean and safe space at night

The best way to prevent owls is to ensure that your chickens are locked in a safe and enclosed coop at night. The owls are usually active at night, and therefore you should make sure that your chicken is safely shut in its coop. I always take time to shut the coop door at night making sure that all my chicken are safely put inside. Although it is great when your chickens are free to roam around all day, they must always be in their safe coop, particularly at night.

See Also: Can Chickens Have Broccoli?

Other Potential Predators and Why Securing Your Coop Matters

Owls are a serious danger; however, they are not the only predators that you have to be concerned about. Your chickens may be in danger of raccoons and foxes, even dogs. The good news, however, is that quite a number of the action you have taken to prevent owls will also prevent these other predators.

Here are a few examples: a secure roof, heavy materials such as hardware cloth and a heavy locking mechanism will help keep your chickens safe against a great number of predators. You will keep your chicken out of the reach of the owls and also keep them out of other predators by ensuring your coop is secure.

Conclusion

Do owls kill chickens? This question can be answered simply: yes, they can if chickens are not secured. Owls may definitely become your enemy of your chickens, however, you can guard your flock by taking the necessary measures.

Close your coop with well-built roofing, substitute chicken wire with hard-core cloth and ensure that you lock your coop down at night.

With these measures in place, you would be comfortable that your chickens will be free of the attacks of nocturnal birds such as owls and other dangers that may occur.

The bottom-line is that you have to be careful and practice in order to keep your chickens safe. The fact that you need to protect your chickens against owls is only one part of the deal to raise healthy and happy chickens.

See Also: Can Chickens Eat Bird Feed?

FAQs

Do all owls kill chickens?

Not every owl eats chicken, but some of them, bigger in size, attack chicken, in particular, smaller or younger ones.

What would make me know whether an owl has assaulted my chicken?

An owl attack is characterized by missing chicken, headless bodies or severe injuries of the head or neck with the talons. You can abandon the body, but not the head, which belongs to owls.

Is it safe on the daytime that owls attack the chicken?

As a rule, owls are nocturnal hunters, however, there are exceptions when they can attack in twilight or even daytime, in particular when they are hungry.

How do I prevent owls into my chicken coop?

Use hardware cloth, not the chicken wire, have your coop be solid on the roof and close up all the openings. And also, use motion-activated lamps and owl dummies.

Are the owls able to kill full-grown chickens?

Big owls such as the Great Horned Owl do eat fully grown chicken, but they usually prefer smaller, weaker birds. The risk will be minimized through a powerful and safe coop.