These are two totally different stories but somewhat related.
Tuesday Vince and I went to town. As we were leaving town and just getting into the country, Vince said “A chicken!” I said “Alive or dead?” He said “A gray chicken . . alive . . on the side of the road”. Of course, you know what I said “Let’s stop and get it!” There are no houses near where the chicken was. It’s fairly close to a busy intersection. In fact, you could see the chicken from the intersection . . if you were looking. I was not so I didn’t see it. He said “I am not stopping and picking up a chicken!”
Thursday I went back to town and there he was . . on the side of the road, still alive but it was a gray rooster. I knew there was no use bringing him home. We have two roosters we need to get rid of. My guess is that someone dumped him and I think that’s so cruel. There’s a little stream not far off the road and if he’s a flying chicken, there are plenty of trees he can get into and there’s a bridge he can probably find a safe spot under for sleeping. It makes me so sad to see animals that people have just dumped because they no longer want. I could be wrong but I’m betting that’s why he’s out there.
Second story . . last night before dark I heard the chickens squawking and went out. There was the biggest owl I have ever seen sitting on the ground under our mesquite tree. I’m sure he had been trying to catch a chicken. They know to run under the chicken coop and that’s a safe spot from most predators. When the owl saw me, he tried to fly but he was so big, he could barely get off the ground. He made it to a fence post down the driveway. I came in and got Vince to get the binoculars and come outside. Vince saw him and then we walked towards him to see how close we could get before he flew. Vince agreed that it was the biggest owl he had ever seen.
There’s no shortage of critters around wanting to eat my chickens. An owl that big would probably grab our cat or dogs too. The good news is . . they’ll get mice and snakes but I think that owl had his eye on a chicken dinner!
wanda j says
Judy , Was it a great horned owl? I’ve never seen one but would love to. Him being so big maybe he has already had one of your chickens? Why go somewhere else when he can get a free meal at Judy’s and Vince’s house right? Get a photo if you can would love to see him.
Sherrill says
WOW!! That owl would’ve been super cool to see. My niece had a bunch of fledgling screech owls in her tree that I took a picture of..SO CUTE! She has great horns living in the trees in the back of the property but I’ve only heard them. Owls are just cool (I guess, unless they’re wanting to eat your chickens!!).
sharkiecat says
We have two Great Horned Owls that live near my house. They are magnificent, and quite loud when they get to hooting.
Linda in NE says
We often have the Great Horned Owls near our house on the very edge of town with quite a bit of open ground around it. The hubby said there were two of them to the back in the vacant lots with lots of trees. From the sounds he heard he thought they must have a nest with little ones. Now, if they would only do their job of catching all the rabbits that chew up the garden!
Sue in Desert Hills (Phoenix), AZ (formerly in Scottsdale, AZ) says
Several years ago we had two dogs attacked by owls (barn owls I was told) in our yard (in the city) at night. Our little 7 lb. dachshund did not make it as the owl was able to pick her up and drop her from telephone lines just outside our yard. About 6 months later the other dog – a little bigger – was able to fight her way and get back into the house but she had crushed/splintered ribs, a hole put into her lung, plus other injuries and required hospitalization and surgery. We think as she ran back toward the house, she ran into our barbecue grill and knocked the owl off as the grill was moved quite a distance. Needless to say, I don’t let me dogs out at night by themselves anymore. Then about a year later, I was out in the yard at about 4 in the afternoon and something didn’t seem right and I looked up and saw an owl looking at us from one of our trees – here’s a link to the photo.
Dar in MO says
Didn’t see any link on my computer.
Angie Kiker says
We have Owls around here, and they scare me. I worry they will get our Sassy. She is only 10 lbs. I go out with her, always. At night especially I put her leash on. We hear them more in the Fall and Winter months. Great Horned Owls. I’ve seen them in the trees.
Pam Crane says
Is there someone you could call to get the rooster?