"Holy Good God"

"Holy Good God" were the words I said on the phone this  morning to Chatty.  "You need to come down here."

What was I so surprised about?  Well, I was standing outside the polyhouse where we are raising our baby chickens - 10 week olds and 6 week olds.  While I was talking on the phone with Chatty, out of the corner of my eye I saw this grey mass fly across the polyhouse, on the inside of the polyhouse.  I ran to the door, and to my surprise, this is what I saw:

 I'm not exactly sure of my owl breeds, but looking it up I think it's a Great Horned Owl.  The last time I saw one of these, it scared the bejesus out of me when I was little because it flew out of a tree right above me.

I was so in aw of this bird.  He was beautiful!  I have never been this close to a wild owl.  I did think he was going to fly in my face.  And I may have screamed and jump a little when he flew about 6 feet from me.  By the look on his face in the picture above, what would you think?

 A few weeks ago I went to open this door so the chicks could get outside, when something fell on my head.  It was a wing of a chick.  I had no idea how it even got up there.  And was a little freaked out.  Well, now I know - this owl has been preying on the chicks for weeks, one chick at a time!  He would bring it to the top of the door, like seen here, and eat it.

Chatty and I managed to get him out.  He must have snuck in there last night before we closed the chicks in for the night.  We've been having predator problems, so just recently, after weeks of no problems started to close both doors at night. The owl was closed in all night, feasting on the poor little 6 week olds that we just put in there yesterday afternoon.  We lost 11, but the 10 week olds seemed unscathed.  And for now on, I'll be looking up, down, side to side, and behind when I close the chicks in at night.

Good Bye owl!  I'd like to see you again, just not eating my chickens...