Is it possible to have an owl at home. Owl as a pet. Domestic Owl Care
How to feed an owl at home if the predator has become a pet? You should think about this before the owlet managed to settle in a city apartment.
What to feed an owl at home?
The process of giving food bird of prey- an occupation that requires strong nerves and iron endurance. It is strictly forbidden to feed the bird with meat or pieces passed through a meat grinder.
This is explained by the special structure of the digestive system. In its natural habitat, the bird eats its prey whole. That is why it is important that even when kept at home, the bird receives wool, feathers, blood, bones and meat. Only in this case can we hope for a long and healthy life feathered predator.
No substitutes can provide the bird with the full functioning of digestion and, as a result, good health.
Why clean meat is bad for an owl
Bones, wool and feathers are indigestible components, but they ensure the full functioning of the predator's digestive tract. After entering the stomach, they form special dense lumps (pellets), which the bird later regurgitates. If you give the bird fully prepared meat, that is, devoid of bones and feathers, then no pellets are formed. As a result, there is a violation of the digestive process, which affects the peristalsis of the entire gastrointestinal tract of the predator.
In addition to the bones and skins necessary for an owl, a predator also receives the necessary vitamins and microminerals from small animals. Bacteria that fill the intestines of the victim produce the necessary components in large quantities. That is why you need to feed the bird with ungutted carcasses.
So, what to feed an owl? Suitable here:
Live mice
day old chicks
small birds.
Some owls do not refuse fish and frogs, as well as beetles. But this type of food should not act as the main one.
Before you get any pet that you have never kept at home before, you should familiarize yourself with the conditions of its maintenance, with the needs of your future tenant. This fully applies to such a creature as an owl. Why, you will understand further, in the course of the article.
So you like owls. Well, or you think you like them because you are delighted with them. appearance. Or, perhaps, you have read / seen enough of the Harry Potter saga, and you are touched by owls that cutely fly into Harry’s room or Hogwarts with letters, tame owls of children-young wizards that live in cages, etc. etc. Don't believe. An owl will never become a tame pet and will never live in a cramped cage. In order not to be unfounded, we will understand everything in order.
What is this "beast"?
The owl is a nocturnal bird of prey. This could be the end of this article. But we will go to the end, as some lovers of extreme sports in general and nocturnal predators in particular still manage to keep owls at home. When starting a bird, be prepared for the fact that all night you will be “entertained” by its cries and, in general, all kinds of noise made by an owl, which is “programmed” by nature to stay awake and hunt at night. Including your pets, if you already have them. Moreover, a cute owl can hamster not only your rat or guinea pig, but also tear your cat or dog to pieces. Do not hope that your feathered specimen will be a pleasant exception, and you will show off cute joint photos of your owl and purr. Owls are monogamous, and, in the absence of a mate for your pet, you will forever remain his property, no one else.
However, the harsh nature of owls practically does not allow any tenderness. The beak and claws of these birds are not exactly the same as the beak and claws of, say, a budgerigar. Get ready to meet them. You may always have to enter the room where the owl lives, wearing gloves and other protective equipment. Yes, yes, in the room, you heard right. Leave the cage for your hamster or wavy.
Where and how to keep an owl in the house?
So, be prepared to allocate a separate room for the owl. It is impossible to keep it in a cage or aviary, as the bird will beat against hard rods and injure its paws and wax. You can’t get along with an owl in the same room, unless you are indifferent to noise at night, and also calmly react to damaged furniture and things torn to shreds and scattered throughout the room by a bird that loves to play.
In the owl room there should not be anything that is dear to you - no valuables, documents, clothes and other things. The bird does not need a chandelier made of Bohemian glass either, it does not need any at all. Windows should be hung with a dense fabric in which the bird cannot get stuck with its paws, get tangled and injured, or even die, hanging upside down all night. No need to leave the windows uncurtained - the bird will try to fly through the glass, and this will not end in anything good. For the same reason, curtain the mirrors, or better yet, remove them from the owl's dwelling.
The walls of the owl room will have to be “decorated” with the so-called. perches - narrow shelves made of durable material (wood, iron), upholstered with something softer, for example, carpet. Give your pet a bath too. A wide, not too deep container will do. Owls love to swim, but, I must say, this circumstance does little to make the terrible smell emanating from them less offensive.
subsistence
If you are still invigorated and do not leave the dream of having an owl at home, let's deal with feeding this predator. A earnest request to those who consider themselves to be weak-nerved people who love and pity all living things - do not read this section. Just close the article and run to the pet store for a parrot and grain mix for him. Owls do not eat grains, they need meat, preferably live, running, squeaking, etc. Get ready for a regular supply of live mice, newborn defenseless pink rats, dismemberment of quail corpses, etc. In general, to the fact that now you will hunt, instead of your owl. Owls need fresh meat of rodents and birds, in extreme cases, frozen, but only sometimes, because fresh food contains more useful and vital substances for birds. Food is purchased at a pet store or bred on their own. It is necessary to give the owl game whole, without cleaning. It is necessary to gut only quails, daily allowances, by the way. Remove their paws and head, too, so that the pet does not become infected with anything.
That's not all. Every time after eating, the bird will burp “change” for you - the so-called. a pellet consisting of undigested feathers, wool and bones. In the event that you have not found this “gift” anywhere, do not feed the bird and take it to the ornithologist.
Disadvantages:
- the maintenance of an owl will result in a round sum;
- the need for daily thorough cleaning of the owl room;
- unsightly owl food in the fridge;
- crickets, mice, worms will also be present in your home. Live;
- forget about the holidays - you have decided, once and for all, to take care of your pet. Without you, he may die, and hardly anyone will agree to look after the owl for a long time;
- one room in the house/apartment will be given to the owl;
- you need to regularly get live food for an owl;
- very noisy at night for you and your neighbors;
- the owl room will smell really bad, to put it mildly.
We start an owl
If at this stage everything suits you, and you still decide to have an owl at home, we move on to the next one - buying a bird and its first days in your house. First, decide what kind of owl you would like to keep. It is better if it is a small or medium-sized bird, such as an owl, tawny owl, barn owl, marsh or long-eared owl. No large predators like eagle owls! The bird needs to fly, it needs a lot of space. The eagle owl, like other, especially large representatives of the owl family, will feel like in a cage even in a fairly large room. It is best to take a young bird, which will be easier to tame.
An owl cage is not even suitable as a carrier. Put the bird in a large box and take it home. Don't forget to close this temporary carrier and poke some small air holes in it. At home, let the owl get used to the new home, do not scare it with loud sounds and sudden movements.
Health
As already mentioned, you need to constantly monitor whether the owl has dropped the riddle, and if this has not happened, contact a specialist, since this sign indicates that the bird is unhealthy. Also, the pellet should not contain blood and have a bad smell. A change in the litter of a pet may also indicate malaise. Normally, it is liquid, with a tolerably terrible smell, white in color interspersed with a darker and denser litter in consistency. Any change should alert you. The activity of a diseased bird decreases sharply, appetite disappears, the owl stops caring for plumage. If these symptoms occur, take your bird to a specialist immediately.
Taming
A completely tame pet is something unrealistic when it comes to an owl. Thanks to your own perseverance and patience, you can tie a bird to you, but you can’t dream of treating it as freely as with a cat or dog. The most tameable are owls from nurseries, whose ancestors were also raised in captivity.
Tame an owl gradually, do not expect great success immediately. When feeding a bird from your hands, do not forget that they must be reliably protected with gloves. If the bird clicks its beak or hisses, do not insist on communication, now is not the best time for this.
As you already understood, an owl in an apartment is a serious test for you and your family, as well as for your neighbors. Even if you have a big enough private house, keeping an owl at home seems to be a very troublesome and rather expensive matter. Nevertheless, this bird is intended for life in the wild, hunting pests, and for other owl troubles. Helping a crippled bird recover and set it free is one thing. And to catch an owl and torment a creature accustomed to free life - you see, is completely different. You can admire the owl in the zoo or zoo corner. But, if you are still not embarrassed by the above difficulties, and you are ready to devote a lot of time, effort and money to your pet, go for it! Perhaps you will get a sufficiently tameable pet that will delight you for many years.
Many of us wanted to have a puppy or a cat as children. For various reasons, not everyone was able to do this. Cramped living conditions, allergies, parents' concern about the dirt at home, that there would be no one to walk the dog, and many other various arguments became an insurmountable obstacle on the way to the cherished dream.
We have matured, and some of us have not forgotten our childhood aspirations. Fortunately, now you can make decisions on your own, based only on personal preferences. Only the dog does not cause such delight as in childhood, I want something more original.
For example, an owl. Friends came to visit, and here such a miracle with huge eyes sits on a perch, and hoots. Here is the effect! Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to keep an owlet at home.
Is it possible to keep an owl at home
In the wild, owls feed on small rodents or birds. Very often her food is a source of infections. Most of the diseases in birds are almost asymptomatic and very fast. In the evening, the feathered one is still full of strength and energy, and in the morning he has the most acute form of some kind of ailment. 
In this situation, everyone who was in the immediate vicinity of the pet is at risk. Many bird diseases are also dangerous for humans, and often more dangerous than for the bird itself.
Did you know? The Owl-like order includes more than two hundred species of owls. The largest of all, the eagle owl, can reach 3 kg in weight and have a wingspan of up to 2 m. The weight of the smallest, Peruvian owl, does not exceed 30 g.
If you still decide to take such a serious step, how to get an owl as a pet, then it is better to do it in a nursery. There the birds are under observation. If you bought a feathered bird from your hands or caught it yourself, you should show it to the veterinarian.
It should be remembered that an owl is a nocturnal predator. This implies a number of features of the lifestyle of your potential pet. During the day, he will doze quietly and peacefully, calmly digesting food. With the approach of night, he has a period of activity. This quality is laid down at the gene level, it is almost impossible to wean.
The owl will make sounds, move around and terrify others. If you live in apartment building, rest assured, not only you will hear the bird. 
You will have to feed the bird at home. While the owlet is small, 2-3 mice daily will be enough for him, while an adult owl needs much more. If you plan to forage this much in the city on your own, you will have to quit your job and only hunt rodents. So think carefully before you become a thunderstorm of mice and rats throughout the area.
An alternative and more acceptable option is to buy such food at a pet store. It's not cheap, mind you.
Another nuance regarding feeding. A bird intended for food by a feathered predator requires pre-treatment. An owl does not eat the digestive organs of its prey. You will have to gut the birds.
So the feeding factor in this case is very important. You should pay close attention to it when choosing a pet. And if you have not changed your mind, take a look at the small varieties:
It is highly undesirable to keep a bird in an aviary, and absolutely not in a cage. She can get injured on the net and rods, get psychological trauma in addition to physical. Important!If the owl flies away, most likely it will die. She has lived all her life with a man, completely depends on him and absolutely does not know how to get food on her own.
From this follows the conclusion: to keep the owlets at home, you need an appropriate room. The room should be separate, with perches prepared in it - special crossbars, vertically attached to the wall. If there is nowhere to equip such a room, it is better to opt for a canary or a parrot.
Often people get pets because of a lack of communication or an unfulfilled desire to take care of someone. An owl for these purposes is not the best candidate. Predators have poor contact not only with people, but in general with everyone.
The owl is a typical predator. Even those owls who see a person from birth are reluctant to bring representatives of another species closer to themselves. It is not worth talking about adult birds.
A bird can cause serious injury to a person, not wanting it. An adult owl hunts a wild boar. A little owl with its claws and beak, having played, is able to cripple a person. 
Character and habits
An owl is a monogamous bird, it creates a couple once. Leads mainly a sedentary lifestyle, but some individuals probably fly south during the cold season.
The activity of the birds is different at night, then they hunt. Only White Owl, living in the polar regions, hunts around the clock. Birds without much trepidation relate to the arrangement of their own homes, they do not like to build nests. They can take someone else's, or lay their eggs in a small hole or niche.
The normal number of eggs in one clutch is 3–10. Older chicks sometimes eat those that hatch later. This happens when there is a lack of protein foods. A month after hatching, the chicks begin to live an independent life.
One of the varieties of owls, the barn owl, when hunting, uses only its own hearing.
Owl selection
From that moment on, according to the law of natural selection, the strongest survive, and the weaker become someone's food. The owls, not prepared for independent existence in the natural environment, are happy to feast on the first enemies of the owl - eagles hunting during the day, golden eagles, etc.
During the day, an owl can be active only in case of danger. Then you can see a nocturnal predator changing its location. If she is disturbed, she will find a new place to hide and wait until dark.
All representatives of the owl family eat only animal food. Small birds, rodents, reptiles - the main diet of the owl family, sometimes eat fish.
Large eagle owls hunt big game and from hunger can even rush to a wild boar. Carrion owls despise, but they love to stock up. They can go without water for a long time, as the balance of fluid in the body is maintained by the blood of their prey. They breed once a year. A very large number of owls die due to lack of food. When rodent populations decline, approximately 25% of owlets do not survive. Another reason for mass death is the constant attacks from diurnal birds of prey. During the day, the nocturnal predator is practically defenseless.
If you want to get a good healthy bird, you should not do it in the bird market. Most often in the markets they sell birds caught in their natural habitat.
Important! Owl poaching is prohibited. An administrative fine may be issued for it.
The cattery will provide you with documents on the health status of your potential pet. Specialists will answer all questions, and you, in turn, do not hesitate to ask them. You will be told in detail how to care for the owlet at home, what to feed, where to start training. 
Another important circumstance in favor of the nursery is that the owls born and raised there are much better adapted to the human environment than their counterparts from the forest.
Content Features
As already mentioned, you should not start a bird of prey in the house if your living conditions do not allow you to do this. A separate room is a must.
It is necessary to remove from it all things that your pet can turn over. Remove openwork curtains from the windows, the bird can get tangled in them. Hang thick curtains instead, which can create the illusion of twilight in the room. With such images, you can try to deceive the owl's instincts by shifting the bird's activity schedule to the daytime.
Remove mirrors from the room, and if this is not possible, curtain them well. Make perches or buy ready-made ones. Don't forget to make a feeding roost. Take care of access to water. 
Care
All owls bathe with pleasure and a lot. They can do this in a shallow basin, which you should put in the room and regularly change the water in it.
Did you know? In flight, an owl can reach speeds of up to 24 m / s.
Regular cleaning will also need to be carried out. Dirt provokes the spread of various infections, so do not be lazy. In addition, the litter has a sharp unpleasant odor. Do not use chemical or strong-smelling detergents when cleaning owl living space.
Predator by nature - a very smart bird, she sees and understands everything. Your concern, which is expressed in cleaning her home, will not go unnoticed by her. This circumstance, in turn, will help you make better and faster friends.
The nutrition of an owl at home should be as close as possible to what it eats in its natural habitat. Owlets, while they are small, should be given finely chopped meat soaked in saline. They eat it with pleasure, because such a marinade imitates the saliva of the mother, helps intestinal motility and the work of the stomach. Do not forget that birds constantly need fresh water. 
diet
As already said, the main diet is small rodents and birds. It is unlikely that you will be able to get the required amount of them yourself, so contact the pet store, they will help you there. An excellent option is quail, but it is necessary that the owlet starts eating them from a very early age, you need to get used to them.
Important! Watch carefully when the bird drops the pellet. Once she's done, pick her up, examine her, and throw her away. Otherwise, the bird may eat it.
Technique and feeding rules
The digestive organs of birds that will be fed to your pet must be removed, he will not eat them. Watch the riddle carefully. These are the undigested remains of a bird, consisting of feathers and claws. It forms in the stomach and is shed a few hours after feeding. Until the riddle is reset, the next feeding is not necessary.
Check the riddle regularly. It should be without bloody inclusions, not have a bad smell. If there are signs of blood or a foul odor, seek the advice of a veterinarian. 
Health and longevity
Cleanliness and more cleanliness! As already mentioned, the main cause of owl mortality in their natural habitat is hunger and diurnal predators. At home, these dangers do not threaten your pet.
But another risk factor appears - infectious diseases, the main cause of which is dirt. Clean the area where your pet lives often. Stick to proper nutrition and at the slightest threat to health, immediately contact a veterinarian.
Did you know? On the $1 bill, a horned owl is depicted at the top right, symbolizing the goddess Astarte, who brings pain, suffering and war.
You will immediately understand that something is wrong with your owl. She becomes lethargic and lethargic. Appetite disappears, the bird can sit all day with narrowed eyes. This behavior of a feathered one is a sure sign for contacting a veterinarian. 
How many owls live in the wild is not known for certain, but it is generally accepted that an average of 5-10 years. In zoos and at home, cases of the life expectancy of a nocturnal predator up to half a century have been recorded.
Training and taming to hands
After you bring your owlet home, it will most likely be stressed for the first few days. This is expressed in the refusal of food, the chick can hide in a corner and not get out of there for some time.
Don't worry, this is normal. You have to be patient and persevere. Soon the feeling of hunger will take its toll - be careful, do not miss this moment.
Important! Owls are representatives of the owl family of a small size, have a more docile and playful disposition than those of large relatives. If you certainly decide to take an owl into the house for education, pay attention to the furry-legged, or sparrow owl.
As soon as you feed the chick, his attitude towards you will change, and after a couple more feedings, he will get used to you and will trust you. The instinct will tell the baby that there is a creature that cares, when hungry - feed. By this time, the chick will already know that you have no bad intentions towards him. 
Now you can start taming your pet:
- Use a glove to protect yourself from claws.
- No need to rush. Don't make sudden movements. If something does not work out, you should not shout, by doing this you can create an insurmountable wall of misunderstanding.
- As already mentioned, predators prefer to keep their distance with everyone. At first - even with his master. The owl has an independent disposition, and she will try to demonstrate this to you. Be prepared for this.
- Hissing, beak clicks are signs of discontent. A feathered one can express them if you are trying to impose something on him. This is a signal that you should stop communicating.
- Your communication should include an element of play and encouragement.
- You can walk with your pet after full contact is established, not earlier. By that time, he should be used to the harnesses, which have to be put on little by little from the first days.
Now you know what an owl is, whether it is worth keeping it at home, and what difficulties you can expect in this case. But if you still have not abandoned the idea of acquiring an owlet, do not let the stories about their unsociable disposition scare you too much. Remember, every living being has its own individuality, and love sometimes works wonders.
Here we will stop on birds of prey.
Mostly they breed owls. It is very difficult to pass by a cute fluffy creature with huge eyes. People buy owls at the infamous "Bird Market" or bring owls from the forest, believing that they are "lost", "fell out of the nest." You can talk about the "Bird Market" endlessly. Obsessed with a thirst for profit, sellers recklessly lie to buyers in the hope of a profitable sale. Naturally. After all, few people want to keep a bird at home, which spoils a lot, yells at night and eats only mice. Moreover, it has all the "charms" of a wild animal - as a rule, sellers assure that owls are grown in nurseries, but in reality - all birds are caught by poachers. So people buy a pet, literally “stuffed” with helminths and various infections. And in birds, most diseases are asymptomatic and rapidly - yesterday the bird ate well and was active, and today it lies at the bottom of the cage.
Photo 1. Owl
Therefore, before acquiring an owl, think carefully, weigh your capabilities - do they match your desires?
So, owls. The owl is a nocturnal predator. This already says a lot - the main activity of the bird is precisely in the late evening, at night and in the early morning. At this time, owls hunt in nature. So in captivity it will be the same - from evening to morning the owl will rattle something, shout (especially during the mating season) preventing you from resting. So it is best to start an owl for people who lead a predominantly “nightly” lifestyle. Now let's deal with the concept of "predator". It is clear that such a bird cannot be fed with cereals, predators eat meat. But even here there is a difficulty - the owl's digestion is arranged in such a way that it needs to eat the whole carcass of a rodent or bird as a whole - with feathers, fur, bones. Accordingly, feeding chicken or beef disappears - get ready for the purchase of mice, day old chickens, quails. And they cost a lot and getting in the right amount is a problem.
Photo 2
But, let's say that the nightly screams and the specifics of the diet of owls do not scare you and you still want to get an owl. Then, first of all, you need to decide what kind of owl you can keep. The fact is that there are many and different owls - from small-sized owls (photo) to a huge owl (photo). Medium-sized owls are the gray owl (photo) and the Ural owl (photo). But still, for an ordinary city apartment, the owls are too big, they will need a lot of space for flights, and even if you have spacious rooms, the owl will still upholster the feather. Therefore, it is optimal to keep long-eared owls (photo), short-eared owls (photo) barn owls (photo) or the aforementioned owls.
Photo 3. Barn owl
Before you buy an owl, arrange an apartment for her in a suitable way. Yes Yes. Your apartment, not a cage in the apartment, because You can't keep owls in cages. An owl will certainly beat a feather on the bars, injure the wax (a soft place above the beak), and earn namin on its paws.
How to prepare a room for an owl.
First of all, you should remove all objects that an owl can knock over, tear, and stain. Owls love to play, so keep in mind that you will have to strictly monitor the location of your belongings, especially socks and documents. Leave unattended - the owl will certainly pick up the "toy" and goodbye passport! The tulle on the windows needs to be replaced with thick curtains, because. in tulle, an owl can easily get tangled and, while it fights, it will break its paws or wings, or simply die, hanging upside down for several hours. Large mirrors should be removed or curtained (windows too), otherwise the owl may be seriously injured trying to fly through the glass.
Photo 4. Owls
It is necessary to nail "perches" on the walls - wooden or iron "sticks", always upholstered with something soft - for example, artificial grass "astroturf" or, at worst, carpet. Also, think over a place for a bath in advance - owls love to wash, for this they are given shallow wide containers of water (cat litter trays with high sides are perfect).
So the place is ready. Now you need to think about food for the owl. As I wrote above, owls must be fed with the carcasses of rodents and birds, and freshly slaughtered. Of course, you can also give thawed carcasses, but “live” food must be present in the diet, because. frozen meat loses some essential trace elements.
Photo 5. Long-eared owl
You can buy rodents at a pet store, but the prices there “bite” and most often there is not the right amount. After all, even a medium-sized eared owl eats at least two mice per day. So it is better to buy mice in bulk at the Bird Market. You can also buy day old chicks and quails there. Keep in mind that if mice and chickens can be given to an owl without carcass preparation, then the quail must be opened and the insides carefully removed and the head and legs cut off. The fact is that these birds often have various diseases that can be transmitted to your owl during a meal.
Photo 6. Long-eared owl chick
Do you still want to have an owl at home? Then about buying:
Owls must be purchased in official nurseries, making sure that when you buy you have all the documents for an owl and the number on the document matches the number stamped on the ring (birds are ringed in nurseries). Thus, you will be insured against the removal of birds (catching and keeping wild birds prohibited by law), besides, birds from nurseries are more tame and healthy. Although immediately after acquiring an owl, it is necessary to show the owl to a veterinarian, pass necessary tests Get x-rays just in case. By the way, not every veterinary clinic has a veterinarian who understands birds. In Moscow, there is a veterinarian-ornithologist at the White Fang clinic and at the Moscow Zoo, in the Moscow region, birds are taken at the Cobra clinic, which is located in Krasnogorsk.
As a rule, in the nursery you will be offered a choice of the most common species - this is a long-eared owl, a short-eared owl, a gray owl, an owl (there is also a gray owl (photo), but it is large for an apartment) and various owls. When choosing the type of owl, you should remember that even a small eared owl needs a lot of space (at least a room), so I strongly do not recommend purchasing long-tailed, bearded, and even more so eagle owl. Small owls are no worse than larger species, they are just as sociable and playful, and they are not inferior in beauty to plumage. It is better to buy a very young owlet, he will quickly get used to his hands, and like all cubs, owlets are very funny. It is quite easy to distinguish a chick from an adult - the owls are covered with delicate fluff, the older owls are already beginning to grow with an “adult” feather, but their tails are noticeably shorter than those of adults, and in some places the fluff is still preserved. It is necessary to transport an owl in a closed spacious box (a cat carrier is not the best option, because the owl will see through the carrying grate, respectively, it will get frightened out of habit and begin to fight). At the bottom of the box you need to lay a soft diaper, cut a few very small holes in the walls of the box for air access. If an owl is purchased in winter, then the time spent on the street should be limited as much as possible, otherwise there is a risk of catching a cold.
When you arrive home, do not scare the owl, let it look around. To do this, simply open the box and leave the bird alone for a while.
After a couple of hours, you can offer the owlet food and water. Sometimes the owls cannot yet tear apart the carcasses, so the carcass must be finely chopped. Place the water so that the owlet sees it perfectly - when he pays attention to the bathing suit - chat in the water with your hand, thus showing the presence of water in the container. Over time, the owlet itself will determine whether there is water, but while it is small and in an unusual environment, you should pay much more attention to it, without disturbing or frightening it - try not to pick it up, do not make excessively sudden movements, do not shout.
Always offer food from your hands - so the owl will get used to you faster.
Carefully monitor the digestion and appearance of the pet. After each meal, the owl should discard the pellet. The pellet is the undigested bones, wool and feathers that the birds regurgitate about 10 hours after feeding. If there is no pellet, this is a reason to worry about the health of the pet. You should also inspect the pellets - they should not have blood on them, the pellet should not smell bad. Pay attention to the droppings - normal owl droppings are a white "puddle" with a little bit of darker, harder droppings. If the droppings become foul-smelling, yellow or brown, or thinner, contact your veterinarian.
The normal behavior of a healthy owl is very different from the behavior of a diseased owl. A sick bird loses its appetite, becomes apathetic, sits for hours with its eyes closed, squints, half covering its eyes with its lower eyelid, the feather, especially under the tail, sticks together and becomes dirty. All of the above are signs of a disease. Therefore, in such cases, the owl should be shown to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Diseases in birds proceed rapidly, there is not a minute to lose.
Yulia Mikhailina,
experienced owl owner
Real owls (Strigidae) belong to the family of birds of prey and the order of owls. Bright representatives of owls are long-eared owls, scops and tawny owls, as well as owls. They are among the most ancient birds living on our planet.
Briefly about owls in nature
According to many domestic and foreign ornithologists, the presence of owls in the northern part of America was noted tens of millions of years ago. In nature, owls are of no small importance. Such predatory birds do not allow the population of rodents to increase, which can cause very serious damage to forestry and agriculture.
Birds of this order can be found almost everywhere, including deserts, steppes, mountain slopes, sea coasts, forest areas and settlements. Different types differ in their sizes. The smallest owl is the sparrow owl, 17-20cm long and weighing 50-80g. The largest representative of owls is the eagle owl, which in adulthood has a body length of 60-70 cm and a weight of 2-4 kg.
It is interesting! The average life span of owls in natural conditions is about ten years, but in captivity such a bird lives for about forty years, and sometimes a little more.
Owls are able to absolutely freely turn their heads 180-270 degrees, and since such a predator must be able to track down prey, the owl's eyes are located not on the sides of the head, but in front. The paws of an owl of any kind are strong and very grasping, with sharp and curved claws that allow you to grab and hold prey.
The flight of this feathered predator is almost silent, due to the special structure of the feathers. The flight speed of an owl can reach 80 km/h. About seventeen species of owls settle on the territory of our country, a small part of which lives exclusively in open areas.
Owl as a pet
It became very fashionable to have a pet as a pet after the movie "Harry Potter" was released. The Hedwig Owl has become popular and recognizable, so the prices for an exotic predatory pet have risen overnight. In fairness, it should be noted that many breeders have not been able to cope with the content of such a feathered pet, due to the difficulty of getting used to a predator home conditions.
Important! Keeping an owl at home is almost around the clock constant and hard work with a pet, as well as minor abrasions and fairly deep scratches received from the claws of a predator, even when he is in a good mood.
As practice shows, the presence of such a bird at home completely excludes the purchase of expensive furniture and exclusive interior items, since they will be hopelessly damaged in a short time. An owl is a free bird and requires a certain free space, so such a predatory pet is not at all suitable for small apartments.
Combined keeping of poultry is practiced, in which for some time the pet sits in a cage, and for some time it is released to fly in a specially equipped room.
A domestic owl is not able to just sit quietly on a perch in splendid isolation. Without attention from its owner, such a pet will scream loudly and for a long time.
Requirements for a cage or containment room
In order for the bird to feel comfortable at home, it is necessary to allocate to it, albeit a small, but separate room for regular flights. Windows in such a room must necessarily be curtained with sufficiently thick curtains, and the window must be tightened with a strong and reliable mesh. It is recommended to fix special perches on the walls, represented by wooden or iron "boughs", upholstered with a thick layer of artificial grass or carpet. Care should also be taken to create an artificial "hollow" in the form of an old and empty wooden bedside table.
Cell content more suitable for not too large species of owl, and for large varieties, it is advisable to install an aviary made of steel bars. To reduce the likelihood of diseases caused by a lack of sunlight, the aviary should have both a darkened and a part illuminated by the rays of the sun. However, the best option for keeping a bird of prey is an aviary installed in the fresh air.
Diet than to feed a domestic owl
Absolutely any species of owls use exclusively animal food for food, represented by worms, large insects, snakes, fish and lizards. Some species prefer to eat rodents and small birds. It is important to remember that owls never eat carrion and are even ready to starve in order to end up with a complete protein food. On average, one domestic owl can eat a couple of mice per day. Once a week, it is advisable to arrange a fasting day for a bird of prey, which will prevent the development of obesity.
It is advisable to purchase a separate freezer for food storage. Among other things, the owner of an owl must be prepared for the fact that in the process of eating food, such a pet, with the help of claws and beak, mercilessly tears the food, so the insides of the prey scatter around. Experienced owl experts recommend gutting game and rodents on their own before feeding them to a domestic owl. It is necessary to give the bird meat along with bones, feathers or wool, from which the predator partially absorbs calcium and other microelements vital for the owl. Undigested leftovers are regurgitated in the form of a lump, called a pellet.
It is interesting! Owls imported from tropical countries are happy to eat fruits, various vegetation and berries, and some species are able to do without water for several months, and quench their thirst only with the blood of their prey.
Care and hygiene
Owls, regardless of species, shed annually, so the owner of such a pet must be prepared to rake out numerous feathers and owl down in large quantities. Cage maintenance involves daily replacement of water in the drinking bowl and weekly treatment of the dwelling, feeders and all accessories with non-toxic disinfectants.
Important! A domestic owl, as a rule, loves to swim, therefore, for such a feathered pet to take baths, certain conditions must be created. It is best to use a large and stable basin filled with clean water at room temperature for these purposes.
Diseases and prevention
Unfortunately, today few veterinarians are well versed in owl diseases and are able to help with recommendations for the treatment of diseases. As a rule, experienced owl owners recommend focusing on the appearance of bird droppings when determining the health status of a feathered pet, which should resemble a white puddle with dark and hard patches.
Foul-smelling, green or greenish-brown litter may be a cause for concern and a visit to the veterinarian. Among other things, you should observe the behavior of the bird. An unhealthy predator often has a complete lack or a sharp decrease in appetite, as well as lethargy and loss of coordination.