2010-01-14

Hand-Feeding Barred Owls!

My dear friend Norm, who resides in Florida, was gracious and shared some of his images of hand-feeding a local pair of Barred Owls that live in his neighborhood.  He began by calling them in with a "Who Cooks For You, Who Cooks For You-All" call several years ago, and soon he had them in his backyard literally eating out of his hand !  They eventually came to the point of calling Norm outside when they could see him thru the windows, letting him know he was neglecting his duties.  Norm initially began a "Rodent Ranch" to produce enough food to hand-feed his regular guests, but as this is no small task, you can see that he switched to an alternative food source in the lower photos.

Addendum March 5th, 2010

Norm is now feeding (thawed) frozen chicks to provide a more balanced, nutritious meal for the owls.

Hand-Feeding Barred Owls!











Switching to Turkey Gizzards instead of rats... less mess, less fuss, and certainly less odor!...