Barn Owls and Chickens? Do they get along

[Chicken_Guru]

I have this barn owl in my backyard for as long as I could remember, looking at my chickens. The only "Attacking" pose I saw the owl do is when a squirrel went close to it. My chickens are 14 weeks and 3 days old. I need to know, for my chickens' safety. If they do attack chickens, I'll have to set up a trap or cage my chickens!

 

[Zoomie]

If you keep your chickens in a coop at night you won't have to worry and can enjoy *all* the birds.

 

[Chicken_Guru]

If you keep your chickens in a coop at night you won't have to worry and can enjoy *all* the birds.

Well, the thing is, that little barn owl is still there in the early morning and afternoon, pretty much all day.

 

[Zoomie]

Well, the thing is, that little barn owl is still there in the early morning and afternoon, pretty much all day.

Well.. you may have to adjust to fit the situation.

Where I live we have a LOT of predators. It's easier to list the ones we DON'T have. So! I have very strong runs with netting over the top. That way I can enjoy all the amazing wildlife we have here without having to worry about my chickens. For me, this equals peace of mind but everybody's situation is different. You have to do what works for you or in other words, adjust to fit the situation.

 

[Akrnaf2]

They will take any chick ,
What breed your chickens are ? If they aren't Bantams I think that in 14 weeks of age they are big enough.

 

[Kusanar]

Remember that all raptors are protected, this includes owls, so trapping the owl isn't an option. They typically only take down small prey, so once the chickens are fairly big they should be fine and you can let them out late and bring them in early to avoid him.

 

[JedJackson]

If you raise a large breed there shouldn't be a problem as long as they're mostly grown. Barn owls seem to be much more discriminating when it comes to prey and prey size than most raptors. They take robins where I live due to lack of ground prey, but they've never bothered my chickens. Now if it were Great Horned Owls then I would be very concerned as they can and do take much larger prey.

 

[Chicken_Guru]

They will take any chick ,
What breed your chickens are ? If they aren't Bantams I think that in 14 weeks of age they are big enough.

My chickens are 2 RIRs, 1 Leghorn, 2 cuckoo marans and 1 Easter egger.