# barn owl



## emzie c (Mar 21, 2012)

hi all i have aquired a very young barn owl i know i need jesses scales anklets swivels leash and a training line but cananyone tell me sizes where to get from and what on earth they do please hadbarn owls and bengal eagle owls when i as younger but i never did any of the bits before flying hem can anyne help please :flrt:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

I'd recommend getting Jemima Parry-Jones' book Understanding Owls and reading it a few times over. Slightly concerning you've acquired an owl and don't know the ins and outs of this stuff.

You'll need size small for a barn owl. I'd recommend Westweald Falconry. Top notch products and they're always generous and happy to help out if you're not sure about something.

How old is the owl? Is it rung, got A10 papers?

Jesses, anklets, swivels and leashes are for restrain and tethering - although you shouldn't tether an owl to its perch. Mews jesses, swivels and leashes are only to be used when on the glove or travelling. The creance (i.e. training line) is self explanatory.

You'll also need a good telemetry system such as Marshall if you plan on flying it, or alternatively a large aviary.

Make sure your scales are good quality and spot on as even 1/4oz can be the difference between life and death for a barn owl.

Good luck.


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## emzie c (Mar 21, 2012)

hi thank you for the reply sorry i should have given a bit more info she is 2 months old is not flying alot she came from a man who kept her in a rabbit hutch and had got bored with her i have her a10 papers and have purchased the relevant jesses etc thank you again for that i am keeping her in a 8x6 mesh avery with fencing and a shed to give her 2 sides of shelter a large ow for a bath and perches we had ban owls and bengleeagle owls when i was a child she is very scrared and trys to attack me every time i go near she is eating a chick aday plus the odd mouse does this all sound ok and how do i get her to trust me thank you again


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

emzie c said:


> hi thank you for the reply sorry i should have given a bit more info she is 2 months old is not flying alot she came from a man who kept her in a rabbit hutch and had got bored with her i have her a10 papers and have purchased the relevant jesses etc thank you again for that i am keeping her in a 8x6 mesh avery with fencing and a shed to give her 2 sides of shelter a large ow for a bath and perches we had ban owls and bengleeagle owls when i was a child she is very scrared and trys to attack me every time i go near she is eating a chick aday plus the odd mouse does this all sound ok and how do i get her to trust me thank you again


Make sure she has a nest box in the aviary high off the ground, and absolutely a double door system. The size etc sounds adequate. Also ensure the bath isn't too deep, as owls are the smartest little things. :lol2: And take it out during cold weather. We've removed our barn owls' bath over the past couple of days due to the drop in temperature overnight. A bird, especially one so small and delicate in weight, should not be left in the cold if it's wet.

I can't say for sure because all owls are different but 1 chick a day doesn't sound enough to me, for a female barney. To give an example, our average-sized aviary/breeding female gets 2 chicks (1 with yolk, 1 without), 1 turkey poult (with or without yolk), 1 medium mouse (approx. 40g), or 1 quail breast daily. You want to be feeding mice 2-3x a week, and supplementing the chicks (we use Vitahawk or Falcon Top). Weigh her regularly and keep a close eye on her keel. At this point, it's better for her to be a little fat than a little thin.

As for tameness. Do you know if she was imprinted? To tame her down, you don't want to be manning her like a hawk etc. Sit in her aviary for a while not trying to touch her, change her bath, clean the aviary etc whilst she's in there and she should calm down eventually, although if she was parent reared (which sounds like a possibility), then you'll never have a particularly tame owl. At best, you'll be able to go into the aviary without getting attacked. 

Does she have anklets on at all?


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## emzie c (Mar 21, 2012)

thank you she has a large nest box at the top of the avery have increased her food but she seems to eat about 1-2 chicks daily and i have given her a couple of med mice which she ate i have bought anklets have not put them on yet she was apparantly raised by the man who had her before as he bought her as a white fluff ball ? but her untameness tells me she has had hardly any human contact for a while i wll definatly make sure the bath is removed in cold weather i hve jesses for her bt hve not got a glove yet that is strong enough after having her claw down my thumb nail and hook into my finger i have not tried to hold her again lol thanks for the advice will definatly keep posted about her she is so beautiful it really annoys me when people get animals then grow bored of them mot of my pets have come to me that way and all of them have a forever home with me thanks again


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## gaz0123 (Aug 19, 2008)

You said about if they were perant reared they wouldn't be tame but my pair were parent reared and are tame enough to happily sit on my shoulder and fly over to me, the male even comes out flying with me and he loves it. 
I know I got lucky with this lol but shows parent reared birds can be tame aswell


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