We've recently had a pair of Great Horned Owls on our property. We've heard them call in the middle of the night ... a mellow "hoot" or "who-o-o-hoo-h-o-o". I actually heard one calling yesterday morning as I walked out to the hen house. In fact, I SAW the bird as it dropped silently down from its perch and flew away from me. I thought it was cool! I backtracked into the house to tell Andrew about it.
That was before I knew I had a dead chicken, and I don't know why I didn't put two and two together once I made the discovery! There are always plenty of hawks around, and I've seen them take down my chickens. I guess you could say I was predisposed to suspecting a hawk.
But get this. The Great Horned Owl is the largest and most powerful of all nocturnal raptors. They will take birds right off the roost - e.g. from the top of our magnolia tree. When prey is abundant they are known to eat only a specific portion of the body ... the head ... which contributes to the horned owl's reputation as a bloodthirsty predator. These owls hunt at night, typically between 9:00pm and midnight, or early in the morning, 4:30am to dawn.
It's really just a matter of time before chickens who roost in the great outdoors are consumed, one way or another.
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