Owls and "frozen" mice (1 Viewer)

[helenol]

Just been watching the BB2 programme about tawny owls. Noticed the the guy was putting out mice onto a table for the owl to take.

Now, I presume he'd bought them frozen from a pet shop?

My question (I'm sure I've asked this before, but couldn't find the thread, and anyway it was yonks ago and I've forgotton the answer!) is, if I put out frozen day old chicks, will the tawny owl take them? Mind you, there is an abundance of voles around here.

I would have thought the owl would take the dead mice only as a last resort - or as the programme indicated as a "supplement" to their hunting food for the chicks.

 

[Gill Osborne]

LOL What have we started with all this talk about frozen mice and day-old chicks!
I suppose the Tawny Owls would still take the chicks....certainly wouldn't harm their young. I'm racking my brains here and trying to think if Tawnys actually catch small birds or wether they just stick to rodents?
You could probably get some great pics if you had the mice/chicks placed on a stump like in the programme and had your camera set up ready!

GILL

 

[helenol]

Indeed Gill - 23 threads on frozen chicks

 

[Mickymouse]

Better strap myself in for this thread, lol

Mick

 

[helenol]

Better strap myself in for this thread, lol

Mick

ROFL!! :clap:

 

[Surreybirder]

I'm sure I've read that tawny owls take roosting birds; and there was a shot of one fishing not so long ago in another TV prog. about owls.
In this weather they would probably take Birds Eye fishfingers!
Ken

 

[Andrew]

In Birdwatching this month Kate Fuller mentions Tawnies decapitating Wood Pigeons in a roost and eating the heads only so not just small birds.

 

[helenol]

In Birdwatching this month Kate Fuller mentions Tawnies decapitating Wood Pigeons in a roost and eating the heads only so not just small birds.

Blimey, I'd better keep my eyes open then! Zillions of the pigeons here!

 

[Tammie]

Better strap myself in for this thread, lol

Mick

Don't forget your helmet.... don't need you getting brain damage when you fall out of your chair!

 

[ashrich]

When my cat was alive she regularly brought me " presents " of mice , rats , voles , small moles and rabbits , those that were reasonably intact were exchanged for a bowl of cat food and put on the bird table for the owls , although they didn't swoop down quite as quick as in tonights program !! By the way Helen , frozen food for Kites ....I saw frozen Guinea Pigs the other day at a pet suppliers .......

Ashley

 

[helenol]

By the way Helen , frozen food for Kites ....I saw frozen Guinea Pigs the other day at a pet suppliers .......

Ashley

You are kidding me! I want some!

 

[ashrich]

No kidding , I think they stock them for snakes , you only need a few a year for a medium Python , although when at the Falconry Uk display in Thirsk I had the pleasure of holding a Milky Eagle Owl on my arm while it was happily knawing at the top half of a ( dead ) guinea pig .

Ashley

 

[simon]

You are kidding me! I want some!

With Chips or Mash ?

 

[ashrich]

Without legs they fit well into a baguette .........


Ashley

 

[Gill Osborne]

URGHHHH...how gross!!!! LOL
We used to sell all sorts of frozen food....starting off with pinkies for small snakes & lizards etc, then baby mice that had just got a covering of fur, adult mice & rats. If you DO get supplies of these in for snakes/lizards/owls...it's best to keep them in a seperate freezer to the one the missus has all the frozen meals in LOL Apparently your 'average' wife does not appreciate mice in with her fish fingers!

GILL

 

[helenol]

Apparently your 'average' wife does not appreciate mice in with her fish fingers!

Apparantly, your "average" husband doesn't either.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Yeah well, your 'average' husband is just a wimp LOL
Neil once saw a praying mantis in a pet shop and said he wanted to keep one....until he realised they ate LIVE food and all those tubs of cute chirping crickets were FOOD!!! He thought they were to keep as pets! LOL

GILL

 

[Nutcracker]

:eek!:

Errrrm . . . back to the subject . . .

Tawnies hunt primarily by hearing, so you'd have quite a job 'training' them to getting used to finding food put out at a particular spot

As for what Tawnies eat, I suspect for my local ones that Brown Rat is probably the most important item, given the abundance of the things.

 

[helenol]

:eek!:
Tawnies hunt primarily by hearing, so you'd have quite a job 'training' them to getting used to finding food put out at a particular spot
.

Hi Peter, I have no intention of "training" them to getting used to food being put out. As I have repeatedly said, when I do put food out, it's on an irregular basis, and at different times of the day etc for the kites. This way, they don't "rely" on the food given by me. The same would apply to the owl (irregular basis part!). I just wondered whether they would infact take it, if they had chicks to feed.

Regards

 

[Steve G]

Would a propped up thawed-out mouse resting on a small portable CD player playing out mouse squeaks work I wonder?........ Perhaps Rodent Radio is the answer, tracks by Mousoon, Rat Stevens, Scoop-doggy Vole....