Very often today, an owl chick becomes a pet. Although, making his choice, often the future owner does not even realize how many difficulties await him.
Why, after all, an owl?
How is it that a seemingly adequate person suddenly decides to keep a bird of prey in the house? Yes, an article on someone’s blog about how smart and cool an owl chick looked at the photo next touched my eyes.
But how could it be otherwise? There he is so funny! He hatched his eyes, fluff fluffed in all directions - laughter, and nothing more! Not in vain with an aunt who wakes up in the morning after a good drinking, an owl chick is compared. The photo is clear evidence of this.
And many more believe in the myth of the outstanding mind of owls and owls. In all cartoons, it is to these birds that all characters go for wise advice. And even in the intellectual battle “What? Where? When?" as a prize, winners are awarded an owl cup . A symbol of wisdom is this amazing bird.
I would not want to deprive of hope to grow an extra-smart creature of someone who has already acquired a small owlet. But have to. In fact, the intelligence of an owl is much lower than that of a raven, crow, falcon, hawk. It's hard to believe, but even a heron is even smarter! And the chicks of the polar owl are generally recognized as the most incapable of learning.
Nevertheless, the uniqueness of these birds sets them apart from all birds. It:
- the ability to turn the head 270 degrees;
- soundlessness of flight.
All these qualities help predators during night hunting. But the so-called ears do not even have an eared owl. Bunches of feathers stick out on the head of this charming bird, and not ears at all, as many believe.
Natural watches are a great power!
When acquiring such an exotic pet, the future owner does not always take into account the fact that in the usual habitat this predator sleeps during the day and hunts at night. Or, perhaps, a naive person hopes that an owl chick, once in a family of people, will begin to adapt to the new regime?
In fact, everything is absolutely wrong. Indeed, in this charming bird, even the eyes are arranged in an unusual way. A special layer of cells in the pupil reduces its sensitivity to daylight. Therefore, both the owl chick and the adult prefer to sit motionless in some secluded place during the day. It is unlikely to make the night predator awake during the day. And if the owl is very annoying, then a frightened bird can fly up and stumble on a wall, door, furniture. And this is fraught with injuries.
But at night, the owl's chick will rustle, shout, try to fly and make itself felt differently. In nature at this time the predator goes hunting. Well, what can you do? Hunting instinct, and you can not argue with him.
Pet selection based on its size
A bird of prey cannot sit permanently in a cage. She just needs to fly around the room a bit. Therefore, choosing a pet for himself, the future owner should measure the size of his home, which he is going to share with the bird, and the size of an owl in adulthood.
It is worth considering that owls and owls grow quite large. Trying to make a flight around a city apartment, these birds will simply wallow a feather on the walls and furniture.
Therefore, the optimal solution would be to get smaller representatives of this family - barn Owls or detectives. The eared owl chick also feels pretty tolerant in the city apartments.
Organization of space in the room where the owl lives
It should be understood that it is almost impossible to accustom a bird to accuracy. Therefore, getting an owl in the house, it is better to hide all the objects that the bird can spoil, drag, tear, knock over, smash. The location of the documents is especially serious - the owls just love to drag them to a nook and enjoy, tearing apart their passport or marriage certificate into raptures to pieces.
Experts advise removing tulle curtains from the windows. Owls easily get entangled in them, begin to beat and break their wings, legs. And when the bird just gets tired of fighting for its life, hanging for several hours upside down, it will inevitably die.
Windows and mirrors must be covered. The bird, despite all the stories about its outstanding intellect, does not understand the difference between open space and glazed. Therefore, there is a possibility that the owl will fly into a mirror or window and begin to fight, getting injured.
On walls it is recommended to fill in special “additives” that will imitate branches. These devices are made of wood and fitted with either artificial grass or carpet.
Love the owls to take a bath. Therefore, you need to arrange for them baths - wide, but shallow water tanks.
Diet owlet in captivity
It is good if the future owner of an exotic pet asked in advance that he prefers a small predator for lunch. It’s worse when the owner finds out how to feed the owl only after he brings it to his house. After all, the diet of these birds consists of mice and small birds. Moreover, the digestive system of these predators is arranged in an interesting way. A chick of an eared owl, for example, should eat a bird or mouse as a whole, with bones, fur, feathers. Therefore, it will not work to feed her chicken or minced meat, pork tenderloin or beef chops. And about porridges and vegetables, both boiled and raw, it’s better not to start talking at all.
To solve the problem of feeding the owlet, the owner will urgently need to run to the pet store or to the bird market for mice, chickens or quail. Here he can be unpleasantly surprised by the prices of these rodents. Yes, they cost not even a dime.
How to feed a baby owl?
In the early days, a place has not yet been found where you can buy mice and chickens in the right amount, you can replace live food with chicken hearts. The meat should be at room temperature, free from fat.
If the owls are very small, chop the food with a knife. When the chicks open their beaks, demanding food, you need to put small pieces in their mouth. From time to time a piece needs to be dropped under his feet. If the owl will manage to pick up food from below, you can switch to such feeding. Pieces of meat should gradually be made larger. Owls should learn to tear carcasses of animals with claws and beaks.
2-3 times a week you need to give the chickens liver to the chicks. Predators are reluctant to eat this type of food. Nevertheless, the liver is a storehouse of useful essential trace elements necessary for the body.
Digestion Features Owls
In order for the eared owl's nestling to grow up healthy, it needs to consume a couple of mice per day or the same number of chickens, moreover, freshly slaughtered, but in no case frozen.
If a quail enters the predator’s menu, then the carcass should be gutted before serving. It is also advisable to cut off her legs and head. All these manipulations are done because quails are carriers of many infections. If you allow the owl to eat them whole, it is quite possible that the disease will pass through food to it.
A healthy bird eats well with appetite. And after 10 hours, she should burp a riddle. So called undigested bones, wool and feathers. If there is no guessing, this is cause for concern. You also need to worry if the owl heaps burnt smells foul or blood is visible in it.
Rescue of Soviets is the business of their parents
People like to go out into the woods in nature. And there sometimes they find in the grass under the trees little owls. Having decided that the chick simply fell out of the nest, well-wishers penetrate the baby with pity and take him to their house.
In fact, they do wrong, as it is quite difficult to feed an owl chick at home. And the situation is different than man imagines.
Owls do not fall out of the nests at all. They systematically fly to freedom. However, the wings of the chicks are still weak. Therefore, the kids dive to the nearest bush. Parents are ready for such a turn of events, so they calmly watch the first flapping of the wings of their children. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the owl flew out of the nest, mom and dad continue to take care of their child, feed it, protect it.