# first time owl keeping



## ION (Feb 3, 2014)

A friend I work with keeps owls. Eagle owls I believe. Fairly large and she loves them. It's always been a dream of mine to have an owl. So I thought I would do a little homework first by asking people who actually keep them which is why I'm here. I've read a few things over the net but have found the articles they have are quite scary! They talk about people losing eyes etc. I know these things are possible but are they likely? Or are these articles focusing on a small percentage of individuals? Because no one writes about the thousands of success stories.... 

So first things first. Enclosure. I have finally moved into a new home and have a small garden. In the garden is a shed. All wooden and size is about 7ft high, 4ft wide and 6ft long. Can this be converted? Or will I need to build an aviary?

Next question which relates to the first is which owl is best for a beginner?

And finally I've seen people with birds of prey allowing them to fly and the bird comes back to them. Is this possible with owls? Or is it best to keep them in an aviary? 

Sorry for the newbie questions but I want info from people who keep them


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

I think BOP forum would be more help then a reptile keeping one.

There is only a couple of members that keep BOP


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## Kiwibird (Mar 27, 2014)

I agree with BradleyC on a birds of prey forum for owl-specific info. Though, I think keeping an owl would be awesome (so long as proper research was done and you have the ability to provide proper care of course). I've never kept owls, but I have spent my entire life around large parrots. Some "general" rules apply to the whole of aviculture you may find insightful:

As for the horror stories- TRUE. ALL birds are basically wild animals, whether you've had them since chicks, no matter how "tame", well trained... whatever. You can expect to be bit and scratched by a bird, it comes with the territory of owning one and if you can't accept it, birds of any kind probably aren't for you (just being honest). They do have weapons (i.e. the beak and talons) and can inflict serious injury. It is absolutely a real risk with any sizable bird, no matter what species. Here is what happened a few years ago when my little "angel" woke up on the wrong side of the perch and I wasn't paying close enough attention to his signals to back off (I've had far worse over the years on my hands and arms, but this was one of the worst facial bites I've had)-


















Whether a bird is competent enough at recall to be a candidate for free flight is highly dependent on the individual bird (and theres really no way to tell until you begin training). It is a LONG process, and you have to be 100% dedicated to training, or else it's best to keep your bird secure in a nice aviary large enough to allow for flight. It may also be good to ask on a BOP forum if it is recommended for owls to do a harness and flight line. Basically, your bird is harnessed and allowed to fly outdoors on a extra extra long leash (called a flight line). I don't know if birds like owls can be harness trained, but it's a great option for those who are leery of free flighting their bird

I would be interested to hear if you do end up getting an owl!


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## Neels (Sep 24, 2010)

Something to read.
Page 242


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## johne.ev (Sep 14, 2008)

Hi.
Can't your friend that already keeps owls give you the info your looking for? As you said it's pretty basic stuff your asking.
My advice would to be firstly get a good book specifically on keeping owls. You should be able to pick a few up cheap on e-bay (where i got mine :2thumb. I can highly recommend, "Understanding owls" by Jemima Parry-Jones. Another thing i would recommend is owl days/courses at your local falconry centre. Well worth the money if the centre you choose is a good one & know there stuff.


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