I was seeing a feature on the television news about making own houses to attract barn owls for rodent control. We used to have an owl that swooped down on our place but I don't see him anymore. My neighbor has falcons, (stupid hobby), instead of working a real job, he does this. How would a barn own do against a falcon, should they meet? And is the reason our owls went away because of his falcons?
Barn owls for rodent control
- Thread starter Lammie
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john250
Well-known member
Barn owls like a high perch where they can search the surroundings for rodents. I've only seen a couple of them my life. They're rare.
I've no idea if they would fight a falcon, or observe professional courtesy.
I've no idea if they would fight a falcon, or observe professional courtesy.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Owls are night hunters, so i don't see any conflict with the falcons. They would compete for food at diffrent times. Owls might be hard on the chickens.
We have two large owls that hang out in the trees behind our house. You seldom see them in the day,they are most visible in the early evening and we sometimes hear them at night. We saw a hawk fly over with a snake last year.
Tom.
Tom.
Green Creek
Well-known member
It's kind of a case of be careful what you ask for. We built an owl nesting box and put it in the peak of our pole barn because we knew barn owls were in the neighborhood. They moved in the next year and set up housekeeping, if you want to call it that. They catch lots of mice and when they are feeding a brood, leave mouse pieces, parts and bodies on the ground under the nest until it becomes a stinking, nasty mess. Then when the brood leaves the nest, they scatter around the barn while waiting to fledge and drop copious amounts of white poop over all your equipment. Then they moved into the eaves of another shed and pooped all over the mowers, hand tools, etc. We finally decided they were not worth the horrible mess and took the box down and secured the other shed so they couldn't get in. You may have an entirely different perspective once you get them but they are MESSY!
I sure do have to take that into account. I know they vomit or poop (?) pellets with stuff they ate in them. From a science prospect, that might be interesting. But I can do without more poop. I guess they would chase away my barn chickens. I got chicken poop almost as bad as you describe. I can do without a stink, too.
You have given me some food for thought, Greencreek. I will certainly take that into consideration.
You have given me some food for thought, Greencreek. I will certainly take that into consideration.
Green Creek
Well-known member
If you decide to do it, I will send you the dimensions of a nesting box.
HOSS
Well-known member
Lammie":3qzbsyux said:
Lammie, the problem you would have with owls and chickens is that chickens are such easy prey compared to rodents that the owls will just eat chicken. It happened this way with my mother's chickens. They tried a cat too and it focused on the easy to catch baby chicks so now they use traps.
john250
Well-known member
I have a barn which hosts sparrow hawks, aka coopers hawk. I've never seen a nest, they may be in a tree line several yards away. But I saw the hawk just this morning. Since I made wheat hay last year, there are mice in every bale. Pickings are pretty good for the hawk.
