Dealing with a killer Great Horned Owl -- any tips?

[bryan99705]

Would giving the chickens a enclosed wired coop and a small chickens only door help...and if you have a odd schedule there are automated door available

 

[kathlynr8]

I had a persistent owl. I do have netting covering my pens but was short so bought some netting that turned out to be crappy that I should have returned but put it up anyway thinking it would deter any aerial predators, and it did for awhile. Then I found a dead bird one morning and noticed a hole in the netting. I did suspect an owl because several years earlier I had an issue with an owl so I covered the pens with netting. Problem solved and it was for several years. I did put up some deer netting over some pens where I ran short but it eventually deteriorated so I knew I had to replace that section and bought the netting that turned out to be crappy. The other netting is great and still up. After the owl went through the crappy netting I put another piece up and it went through again and killed another bird. This happened three times and each time I replaced that section and put it over the other crappy netting. I finally put a camera up and moved the birds to another pen and the owl came back and went through the netting again but this time I got it on video. In the meantime I had ordered some more good heavy duty netting and replaced the crappy netting with the good netting and the owl tried to go through it again but this time got caught. We managed to get it into a cage and called a wildlife rescue who came and got it. They said they had a release area so it shouldn't come back. Good luck...

Can I ask where to get the good netting? I am starting a coop and for sure have owls.. Or is hardware cloth over the top of the pen better?

 

[Folly's place]

In Vermont, an actual roof would be best, because of snow load, and dealing with shoveling paths for birds who hate the stuff. Hardware cloth will hold snow up there, so having a structure built for your snow load really matters. Netting will sag, at least, not great either.. We had 2" chicken wire over our run for years, with good structure, and had to shovel snow in the run. Now we have a small roofed run, terrific!
Mary

 

[arwoon]

I don't know about in Utah, but we've had a pair of GHO on our property that have stayed year round for many years now.
I'm amazed that you can get away with not locking your birds up at night! I have excellent protection/guardian dogs but they are in the house at night and my birds are locked up tight, otherwise every last one of them would be gone in no time.

Same, we have a problem with raccoons, and if they find that the Dorr isn't open, they help themselves.

 

[kathlynr8]

In Vermont, an actual roof would be best, because of snow load, and dealing with shoveling paths for birds who hate the stuff. Hardware cloth will hold snow up there, so having a structure built for your snow load really matters. Netting will sag, at least, not great either.. We had 2" chicken wire over our run for years, with good structure, and had to shovel snow in the run. Now we have a small roofed run, terrific!
Mary

Oh - wow - hadnt thought of that - good advice.. I wil need to figure out how to add that in... I admit - I am getting a bit overwhelmed this week with my plan - my chickens are coming in June and I am starting to feel like my chicken plan is starting to turn into Fort Knox.. and the $$$ accompanying it if I check all my boxes!

 

[cmom]

Can I ask where to get the good netting? I am starting a coop and for sure have owls.. Or is hardware cloth over the top of the pen better?

Depends on the size of you pens. I have a lot of area to cover so the netting was the best option for me. My original netting came from eBay. It wasn't quite enough to cover all of the pens. I did put up some other netting I ordered online which turned out to be crappy which the owl went through and killed some birds. I ordered some good netting from Amazon. When the owl that had been going through the crappy netting tried to go through the good netting it got caught. We got it into a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. This is like the netting I bought but the price has gone up since I bought mine. Good luck...

https://www.amazon.com/Aviary-Netti...keywords=aviary+netting&qid=1619531779&sr=8-6

 

[cmom]

Oh - wow - hadnt thought of that - good advice.. I wil need to figure out how to add that in... I admit - I am getting a bit overwhelmed this week with my plan - my chickens are coming in June and I am starting to feel like my chicken plan is starting to turn into Fort Knox.. and the $$$ accompanying it if I check all my boxes!

Depending on the size of your pen, you may only have to cover a portion for the snow load.

 

[kathlynr8]

Depends on the size of you pens. I have a lot of area to cover so the netting was the best option for me. My original netting came from eBay. It wasn't quite enough to cover all of the pens. I did put up some other netting I ordered online which turned out to be crappy which the owl went through and killed some birds. I ordered some good netting from Amazon. When the owl that had been going through the crappy netting tried to go through the good netting it got caught. We got it into a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. This is like the netting I bought but the price has gone up since I bought mine. Good luck...View attachment 2637752View attachment 2637759
https://www.amazon.com/Aviary-Netti...keywords=aviary+netting&qid=1619531779&sr=8-6

Wow - that is a big set up - do you have the same net on your vertical walls as well? I see the electric fencing - what are you using there? I was thinking of using portable electric fence for moving chickens in day - but now am wondering if I need it around my permanent area as well... thanks for advice!!

 

[kathlynr8]

Also - what hardware cloth do folks use? Are there different types (gauges) or is all hardware cloth the same?

IE - Do I just get any hardware cloth at the hardware store - or am I looking for a specific gauge?? .

Ps - I know to avoid the chicken wire... etc..

Thanks

-Kate

 

[aart]

Also - what hardware cloth do folks use? Are there different types (gauges) or is all hardware cloth the same?

Most common is...
1/2" holes with 19ga wire.
1/4" holes with 23g wire.
Best to get galvanized after welding, should be marked GAW.
Attachment is the most important aspect, should be taut(flat) and held with screws and washers at least the second square in from edge.
Plan your framing to the width of HC for easiest attachment.