Wish I had a picture

This is a picture of a great horned owl on the chicken coop. We had no idea he was getting in the coop.

In the last week we've found three chickens beheaded with their necks eaten. We didn't know how it was happening since we found them all in the hen house. We actually thought it might be the rooster. He's been pretty rough on occasion.

Last night at about midnight I heard a ruckus in the hen house. I ran out with the big flashlight and a shotgun expecting a coyote, weasel, stray dog, or mean rooster. We found another dead chicken, only this time when we looked up on the perches there was a great horned owl just perched among the chickens. Owls are federally protected so you can't shoot or even harass them. He eventually flew off. Somehow he was waddling through the chicken door to get into the coop at night.

So now, after years of leaving it open at night, I guess I will have to shut the door at night and open it in the morning.

Mystery solved. I wish I had a picture of that owl just perched among the chickens.