Fugly Farm

[N F C]

I was almost 30 minutes late to my break because of a customer and I was getting angry that she wouldn't just zip it and go away.

As luck would have it I was walking out to check on the chicks and see if there were eggs to collect when out of nowhere an owl comes flying out the coop yard and practically brushed me with a wing on its way by! Scared the heck out of me and the chicklets were hiding in a corner behind the coop.

This is where it flew out of
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This is where the chicks were

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Third tree from the front is huge, it's 2 blocks away, and where I believe the mated pair were nesting last winter.

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Whoa, that must have been startling (to you and the chickens)!

 

[BlueBaby]

@igorsMistress If the owls are in that tree, they have a perfect view of your flock. I wouldn't want you to loose any of your babies to them.

If you need any empty egg carton's, I can give you some of mine when you come to get these 2 cockerel's. I have lot's of carton's now.

 

[igorsMistress]

Whoa, that must have been startling (to you and the chickens)!

It was surprising for sure! If I hadn't stopped and waited for chickens to catch up so they could have a worm we might have crashed. Brings a flutter to my heart when I hear wings out there now.

@igorsMistress If the owls are in that tree, they have a perfect view of your flock. I wouldn't want you to loose any of your babies to them.

If you need any empty egg carton's, I can give you some of mine when you come to get these 2 cockerel's. I have lot's of carton's now.

I have a ton and don't even use them but thank you.

I've been aware of the owls for quite some time but it's unusual to see them here during the day. I'll definitely be outside before dusk to make sure the xhicks are put away safely. The big girls will make a bunch of racket if a predator is out there.

 

[N F C]

It was surprising for sure! If I hadn't stopped and waited for chickens to catch up so they could have a worm we might have crashed. Brings a flutter to my heart when I hear wings out there now.



I have a ton and don't even use them but thank you.

I've been aware of the owls for quite some time but it's unusual to see them here during the day. I'll definitely be outside before dusk to make sure the xhicks are put away safely. The big girls will make a bunch of racket if a predator is out there.

That does seem odd that an owl would be out during the day. I've never seen that, we have some around here but I've only seen them during the early, early morning hours when it's still mostly dark.

Hope they don't cause you any problems with the flock.

 

[igorsMistress]

That does seem odd that an owl would be out during the day. I've never seen that, we have some around here but I've only seen them during the early, early morning hours when it's still mostly dark.

Hope they don't cause you any problems with the flock.

I haven't ever seen them out so late in the day but I got a good look at it and it was definitely an owl. BIG too, I would estimate the wingspan at about 3.5 to 4 feet.

All I can do is keep checking really.

 

[BlueBaby]

@igorsMistress Do you suppose that the owl's were out during the day, because some of their regular food source has eith migrated, or been picked off already?

 

[igorsMistress]

@igorsMistress Do you suppose that the owl's were out during the day, because some of their regular food source has eith migrated, or been picked off already?

I'm not sure, it has me puzzled unless it has been here to visit at night and knows there's small prey, which is entirely possible. When we had the quail they were here constantly at night. The chicks are about the right size now so maybe it saw them on the way home?
The fields here have already been planted with corn so there is a lot of prey for them...pigeons and doves and whatever. Pigeons come here and some were hiding in the coop when the owl was out there

 

[Trimurtisan]

Good morning folks. IM, sorry to read about you owl issue. Hopefully they won't give you any troubles.

The following vine sounds like a great idea. My favourite has always been honeysuckle.

So these are three birds I picked up this weekend.

Sully, the Blue Birchen Marans cockerel. He's around 5 months old.

Mrs Blue, a Blue Copper Marans, and Sully's best friend.

And this is Blossom, the 55 Flowery Hen, friends and roost mates with the others.

 

[Molpet]

I'm not sure, it has me puzzled unless it has been here to visit at night and knows there's small prey, which is entirely possible. When we had the quail they were here constantly at night. The chicks are about the right size now so maybe it saw them on the way home?
The fields here have already been planted with corn so there is a lot of prey for them...pigeons and doves and whatever. Pigeons come here and some were hiding in the coop when the owl was out there

Lots of birds are migrating. 20 miles south of me, 35 broad wing Hawks showed up.. never seen them around here

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning folks. IM, sorry to read about you owl issue. Hopefully they won't give you any troubles.

The following vine sounds like a great idea. My favourite has always been honeysuckle.

So these are three birds I picked up this weekend.

Sully, the Blue Birchen Marans cockerel. He's around 5 months old.
View attachment 1922532

Mrs Blue, a Blue Copper Marans, and Sully's best friend.
View attachment 1922533

And this is Blossom, the 55 Flowery Hen, friends and roost mates with the others.
View attachment 1922534

I was thinking about honeysuckle, it smells so good when it blooms.

Your new chickens are gorgeous Trim! I especially like the girls in this group. The BCM has always been one of my favorites.