feeding barn owls (1 Viewer)

[Bubi]

Hi everyone! Sometime ago I found a barn owl in my farm. The owl looks ok but it can not fly (some problems in one of his wings). It is living at home now and actually I like it a lot ( it is very friendly and funny). Because it can not fly I'm afraid now of its feeding. I'm feeding it only with red meat although I know that it should eat mices and (perhaps) insects instead of just red meat. I was told that I should give it calcium too and I am. Nevertheless, it is not doing very well and it looks rather weak. I was even trying of having it hunting mices but it doesn't show any interest in doing so. Does anyone know how should I feed it?
Thanks a lot!
yours
bubi

 

[peanut]

Well done Bubi for rescuing the owl

From you're discription the owl needs to go to a vets immediately of he will surely die.
Birds cannot go very long without food like mammals can.
Owls get a lot of their fluid from their food and the rawmeat will have no fluids so he is almost certainly dehydrated. Birds cannot regulate their temperature like other animals either and will rely principally on food to keep warm.

He should be fed with mice, voles, 1 day old chicks and anything with fur,hair and skin on it as its natural diet would be. Without this the owl will not be able to form pellets properly.
Make sure there is a large tray or bowl of fresh water available like a large baking tin so he can bath and drink
Any pet shop will have frozen mice and day old chicks they are not expensive .If no petshops local you can mail order day old chicks from pet shop suppliers.
I would suggest you cut them into smaller pieces first about as big as a mans fingernail. You may need to feed him if he refuses to eat

Keep in touch and let us know how it goes

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Hi Bubi, and welcome to the forum. I cannot offer any advice, but peanut has given you some good information here. Good luck with the care of your owl!

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hola Bubi,

Red meat will be OK in the short term, but you are right, it does need bone scraps and fur/feathers to aid its digestion. The bone is easy enough to do, smash up some chicken (or other poultry) bones into small pieces, but fur is difficult! If you keep sheep, you could try some wool, cut into very short lengths (5-10mm long).

Include some liver in its food, too, as that is rich in vitamins.

And yes, a visit to a vet is important.

Good luck!

Michael

 

[peanut]

I am afraid I strongly do not advise that any owl (especially a sick owl) is fed smashed up chicken bones.
The bones of an adult chicken are far too well developed and would splinter into very sharp shards sticking in the gullet and potentially harming the bird.
Nor can I commend the suggestion of using `sheep wool' ?

When it is so easy to purchase cheap one day old chicks and mice (with soft bones and all the minerals and essential nutriants already there) from a pet shop why go to all the bother anyway.?

Bubi if there are no pet shops locally try locating local snake keepers or zoos where they keep snakes as they are invariably fed on mice and they will either sell you some small mice or advise where to buy some.