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Need ideas on keeping Owls away.

15K views 22 replies 18 participants last post by  Little-bit 
#1 ·
I have a barn with an awning on the front side. I park my truck, tractor, cattle trailer, and boat under the awning. The Owls are coughing up those harry little pellets all over everything and I’m sick of cleaning them up. How do I keep the owls from perching under the awning of my barn? Without hurting them of course. :)
 
#2 ·
Put up a decoy of a crow...no wait I may have that backwards.
Bright lights, noise makers or maybe some netting that denies them access to the rafters. I am sure if you can discourage them for a while they will find another roost and will not return. Good luck.
 
#6 ·
The awning on my barn 52' X 24' so the netting or the carpet tack strips are not going to be feasible. I would have to cover both sides of three trusses. Although they are great ideas for a smaller application. I wonder if I put a small radio out there would it help? Any other ideas???
 
#13 · (Edited)
Tally, president of the Oklahoma Game Fowl Breeders Association, said he has used a strobe light at night to keep owls away from his birds. ...
www.tulsaaudubon.org/conservation.htm - Cached - Similar ,,,, You might try making some flashing led lights to help keep the owls away.
Here are some, but they are expensive. http://www.niteguard.com/
I made my own... as well as use the niteguard lights, but still have had owl
trouble.
The best thing you can do is buy a good baby monitor and place the
transmitter
out with your chickens. Then at night when the chickens start squalling you
can get out
there with your shotgun to scare them away. If you catch them in the middle
of a kill
you can stake the dead chicken down and tie 3 traps to the stake and place
them around the chicken... kind of hide the traps with leafs and under the
wing, etc. (make sure you use padded traps so you don't hurt the poor little
owl) then the next morning you can go outside and very gently relocate the
owl.
If he has started visiting and killing your chickens he won't leave on his
own, and the lights won't scare him away. They may scare owls that are new
to the area... but not that old timer.
And for those that don't know, a Great Horned Owl will pull off the chickens
head and swallow it whole. Leaving the rest of the chicken. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
"Motion Sensor Owl detects and scares away thieves! Its 360 degrees spinning head, glow in the dark eyes and loud "hoot" cause birds and squirrels to flee. Uses 2 AA batteries, not included. See order form for batteries. Plastic owl is 12"H. Sensor Owl; bird away; garden owl; garden owl decoy; garden protector; keep bird away; motion sensor owl; owl decoy; scare bird; scare bird away" http://www.finestsupplies.com/info/motion_sensor_owl
 
#14 ·
Remeber those singing "big mouth billy bass" things that sold at walmart that where set off my motion, maybe one of those (our some similar toy) would work.

I had a problem with some pigeons roosting on a ledge over my truck in the parking garage. I tried a few things then one day I had a half full water bottle in my hand and set it up on the ledge... That was two years ago and I haven't seen a pigeon since. That water bottle is still there. I think they get spooked by the reflections in the water when they fly up. What ever it is it sure has worked for pigeons.
 
#17 ·
You probably have what is referred to as Barn Owls. The owls only roost when there is a constant food source and fresh water near by, such as a creek or river. Remove their food source and they will relocate. Otherwise, call the local Animal Control to find out who will come and relocate the owls. We have 4 kinds of owls in in the south, the Barred, Barn, Screech and Great Horned Owl (related the the Spotted Owl). There are some steep fines involved if one is caught harming them. The balls you are finding is the small bones, feathers and prey that is coughed up. Something the owls cannot digest. Believe it or not there is a market for the owl pellets on the internet. They are used for research and so on.

If you are unable to find someone to help you, send me a PM and I will put you in touch with someone I know that taught me alot about owls.

I know they can make quite a mess, but they do serve a good purpose. If it weren't for the owls, you would probably have an explosion of the snake and mice population on your place.

Post up a picture if you have an opportunity.

If you can't tell by now, I would love to have them on my place, but do not live in an area they would habitat.

Our previous house in Crosby, we had a pair of Great Horned owls that lived in the woods behind us. I felt that my dog, Honya was safer because of them.

Another tidbit, they mate for life.
 
#20 ·
I don't mind the owls in the area and I like the fact that they work great for rodent control. I just want them to perch somewhere other than my barn.
You guys have giving me some great ideas and I appreciate them. After summarizing all of the information giving I have came up with an idea. I will purchase a motion activate switch that will turn on a strobe light. I found a great plug-in type strobe light for about six bucks and a motion switch for about twelve. I already have electrical outlets there for the florescent lighting. I don't think the owls will like the very bright flashing light.

Thanks again for all the ideas.
 
#21 ·
pigeon spikes work great...ive used them on poachers, vultures hanging out in the big oaks that liked to take dumps on our cleaning station etc. Im sure it'll only take an owl once to fly up to the perch and impale its head once...then again, we live in a world of monkey see, mokey doooo
 
#23 ·
Problem Solved

For future reference here is what I ended up with:
Nite Guard Solar Predator Protector
Predator Protection Against Nocturnal Feral Animals
Nite Guard SolarTM is based on scientific research. A flash of light implies to all animals that hunt or feed at night that they have been "discovered" or are being watched. This is their deepest fear and forces them to flee the area. A simple, but effective concept.

Use the Nite Guard Solar to PROTECT:
  • POULTRY and LIVESTOCK against coyote, fox, bear, mountain lion, wolf, bobcat, owls, hawks, mink, weasel, and skunk

    GARDENS (flowers, sweet corn), ORCHARDS, VINEYARDS against deer and raccoon

    BIRD FEEDERS, PURPLE MARTIN HOUSES, FISH PONDS against raccoon, hawks, owls, blue heron and bear
  • CAMPSITES, CABINS, and PROPERTY against bear, raccoon, mountain lion and even human intruders
www.nitegaurd.com
 
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