Tethering Owls

[Barn Owl]

Forgive me for not knowing, but whats the reason for not tethering owls?

[Lanner_Man]

you only find out things by asking, but some reasons are that they have feathered legs, they look miserable, and i would imagine their legs are more prone to damage if they bate? correct me if i am wrong, there are probably loads of other reasons aswell.

[Barn Owl]

Thanks for that Lanner Man, but what I really want to know is, is it illegal or just frowned upon and if so why?
How are you supposed to put your owl on a perch/block on the weathering lawn without it flying away?

Anyone?

[Lanner_Man]

i think i read it on the forum somewhere, that it is agaisnt zoo regs to tether owl unless you are at displays, there is someone on here sho runs a centre isn't it?
most centres keep their owls unthethered in small aviaries.

[Liam Hay]

Owls are fround upon with tethering cause there that thick they can't work out when there tethered and when there not

[Lanner_Man]

fair comment

[Saker-Clive]

I think it was JPJ, who decided a short while ago; as owls are not recognised as 'falconry' birds, there was no need to have them tethered, so the ruling came in. As stated above, they only need to be blocked out, when on display etc. for short periods.

Come on Varmint, you know the reasons.

[GDN]

I would agree with the fact that they are not happy being tethered. I have dealt with owls that have been tethered which are not used to being tethered and they can be quite p1ssed off and misreble. When you put them back in an aviary you can almost see them relaxing. There can be a real change in there personalities. Hard to believe i know but true

It is also against zoo licence regulations to tether an owl

[Tim Laycock]

Owls are fround upon with tethering cause there that thick they can't work out when there tethered and when there not

:lol: lmao.
Its quite true :roll:

[Will]

Owls are fround upon with tethering cause there that thick they can't work out when there tethered and when there not

Fortunately, The police force only enforce the law and not spelling, grammar, intelligence or wit. :(

[Liam Hay]

ha ha ur quite right Will, although i am right about owls.

[Tim Laycock]

Fortunately, The police force only enforce the law and not spelling, grammar, intelligence or wit.

:shock:
Q- Is your comment vaguely related to this thread????

A- No Its just a personal attack.

I have just found out more about what kind of chap you are by reading this post than I would ever have done by reading your profile.
Thanks for this information.

Heres an Idea- why dont you go and boil your head! :finga:

[Liam Hay]

Thank you blackbird i would never stoop so low as to attack anyone on here, thankfully your to my rescue,

ps Will have i missed some grammar or perhaps a spelling mistake in this post.

[Hawkmaster]

As I have said before, we are not here for any other reason, other than falconry!

Please continue with the thread, no more on the subject, thanks.

Paul

[Barn Owl]

Thanks Paul

No-one has answered my question yet, why don't we tether owls, what is the reason?
Thanks for the reply so far, but the question still stands.

[Liam Hay]

Sorry bob, i was not joking when i said owls are to thick. Unfortunatly u have to go way back for even the relation between Owls and Birds of Prey (ie hawks,falcons,etc) the experts say that the owls close'st living relatives are Ducks (crazy i know). However Owls on a thinking basis are very poor, this is why it was introduced that owls should not and are not to be tethered. They don't understand when and why they are, that is why 99 percent of Owls flown are imprints. I do not know of any one using a parent reared Owl to fly because they struggle to make the link that the falconer means food, never mind if there tethered or not. This is why all centres must have Owls in Aviaries and so should any body else with one.

Liam

[Tim Laycock]

Bob
Its certainly not illegal M8, I have seen them exibited this way at a centre!
Also, I was not realy aware it was frowned upon. It certainly isnt by me at any rate!
At least, no more than keeping them in the first place :wink: :lol:

[Liam Hay]

it is illegal for a centre sorry BB

[OhMyGod]

I know a guy who flew a parent reared great horned owl at rabbits with great success. It was tethered in a weathering on a perch like many other bop are. Is this now considered cruel?

Is it cruel for me to do the same thing or should I just keep it in an aviery and throw day old chicks at it day in and day out so as to not be cruel?

Would it not work for an owl to keep it tethered making it want to fly more when it was taken out? or do they not work like that, do you people think the owl would fly just as well if it was free lofted all the time before hunting?

[Liam Hay]

I certainly do, you will have just as much success however if u have success already and the bird accepts this then y change? But i tend to firnd free lofted birds move about more burn more energy witch will increase appetite.

liam

[OhMyGod]

yes but with falcons some people hood them for hours, somtimes all day so as to make them hunt better. I don't do this but know it works for some people with some birds. I don't think I would free loft my bird during the hunting season, I would prefer to keep her on a block, I don't think free lofting would increase fitness or appetite one little bit. But I know nothing about owls, perhaps you've got a point.

However I would rather see one tethered and shown the falconry than one free lofted and just shown four walls of an aviery every day (and a handfull of docs)

What owls have you flown pc and how were they at hunting if got into a routine?

[Tim Laycock]

it is illegal for a centre sorry BB
:shock: It was a long time ago :roll:

[Lady-Luck]

ie owls :- we keep many owls of various types and breeds, we have now kept and rescued and rehomed for over ten years.
all our breeding birds are kept in free loft avairies all our breeding can be handled, even duroing the time they are sitting on eggs, i do not find owls to be stupid in the leats bit, in fact i would find them to be highly intelligent. they are no different to a man on a sunday afternoon whos had a fine dinner and few pints puts his feet up and sleeps, i find most males do this and the owls seem to have picked up on it rather well. they take thier food they enjoy it and then they sit back and relax.
as for free lofting although the breeding birds are in pens w ehave several owls that will not under any circumstances stay in any pen, and in fact when the jesses are taken off they bang themselves form the wire and the sides until we take tem out again- hence these birds are actually tehtered to blocks with a lead in a mew pen in which they can open there wings go up 6ft, go back 4ft and forward 4ft they are happily settled, they go out at weekend and work with the public, great to handle and can be trusted with children of 6 nths to adults with altzimers.
i know several people who have owls for flying some take rabbits, soem take hare, soem take foxes and one actually takes geese on the lift fromt he field, each one of these birds was trained by their owner, took lot time trouble and effort both reaped the benfits att he end of it.
i find owls owls only to be nasty after humans have been nasty to them.or if they are over imprinted.
we do thther our owls at home and when at public static display, as we keep over 100 owls we do quite well.
jeff and patricia
ps if it was to do with the hairy legs wouldt the rings also intefere? we have nevr had any trouble with our birds legs apart from the exception of those handed in, we never had one damaged while being tethered.

[Lady-Luck]

however we have had reports and falcons, harris hawks, kestrels, buzzards sparrowhawks with broken legs and damged wings due to being tethered.

[OhMyGod]

however we have had reports and falcons, harris hawks, kestrels, buzzards sparrowhawks with broken legs and damged wings due to being tethered.

Don't you mean due to bad perching?

[OutHouse]

my owls are not happy being tethered but i see no reason why they should not be tethered for a Short while i put them out when i am working in the aviaries with the doors open , they don't mind for a short period of time but seem to get very agitated, as for the reasons people don't tether i assume as its the law and it is very rough on the leg feathers

[Tim Laycock]

I cannot understand what feathers on the legs has to do with it!
A good many Eagles and Hawk Eagles are "feathered to the toes" but you are not breaking any laws by tethering these birds :?

[Lady-Luck]

bad perching, bad mangement, if you care and look after your bird htis would not happen.
a bird that baits shoudl never be left on a perch-its obviously stressed and unhappy.

[Tim Laycock]

bad perching, bad mangement, if you care and look after your bird htis would not happen.
a bird that baits shoudl never be left on a perch-its obviously stressed and unhappy.

:prayer: Good one LL! :D

[Coedhirion]

can't say this one ever looked stressed :lol: :lol:

[Tim Laycock]

:lol:

[Bubo]

I am not to keen on tethering owls either as more often than not they are not happy. You will get one or two exceptions to the rule as in everything.

As for being to thick to realise when they are tethered or not... apart from being very funny that may well be true and legs to get damaged. I have known hawks to get broken legs being on a perch. That has totally turned me off of even thinking of tethering an owl (not that i had any intention of doing so).

Not tethering your owl doesnt mean you have to keep it in avairy and throw in chicks as someone stated on here. I have not tethered my owl and i dont count on doing so. He doesnt like it and I do not have a need to do so.

I asked around before getting my owl if aviary size made a difference to performance and i think it does. So instead of making huge aviaries as i probably mentioned in earlier posts i will contredict myself now (after having more experience) and say keep owls in a nice comfy but not too big of an aviary (enough to fly and hop around a bit) and you will get superbe flyers. I dont see the point in tethering owls what so ever.

Not ever owning a falcon or a hawk i cant compare but I would say forget it. Make it's home a way he can sun and shade and he can weather in there. just my two pennies worth

[Will]

although i am right about owls.

Well, maybe a little. They have their moments though, honest! :)

[Bubo]

of course owls have their moments.... quite a few even :roll: peeps keep saying my owl is a parrot but i tried very hard not to believe them and convince myself that my owl is an owl but kadabra lets me down badly.... like sitting in my cockatiel seed bag :shock:

[Liam Hay]

i am not attacking the Owl in any way saying that they lack brain capacity, but it is a well documented fact, as for saying they are intelligent, i agree sometimes they do make u wonder but they are not intelligent or very intelligent. HH are intelligent, try to base there behaivout and traits against hawks, falcons, eagles etc and u will c how none intelligent they r.

liam

[Will]

Well, maybe, but all god's creatures have their place, surely. Women can't drive, carry heavy loads or do a decent crossword but we still keep them and love them! :)

[Liam Hay]

Your missing the point of the strain, i don't dislike owls i am saying they don't understand when and y they r tethered as a general rule all mine have be tethered this is y it is illegal for centres to do so.

[Will]

I honestly don't believe owls don't realise when they're tethered. Mine is not exactly the sharpest tool in the box but even he can work it out.

I'm glad they're not tethered at centres, I just wish there was more control on tethering at display days. Some falconers seem to use precious little common sense when positioning their birds. The birds I saw this past weekend was a good example of how not to do it.

Regarding the actual question which started this thread, I've still not been able to find a definitive link, so if anyone else could point us in the right direction I'd be grateful.

[Bubo]

I have seen classic examples of idiots at displays... hawks or larger birds flying around and tethered barn owls not far off the arena in full view of the flying birds ???????? how stupid is that!

Different birds have different requirements, owls do not need to be tethered they are happier in a pen and just as easy to fly if not better than tethered. I agree in a former post where the owl is more relaxed in a pen.

[Hodgesargh]

For what it's worth ....

In general I'd have to agree that owls fare better free-lofted (everyone I know with two exceptions keeps their owls in aviaries when not at shows).

The first exception is a European EO which lives and is flown daily at a falconry centre at which ALL the other owls are free-lofted. This particular owl is convinced that aviaries are only for moulting and, once put into one, refuses to fly any more.

The other exception I'm sorry to say is me!

I've only ever flown little owls (much prefer Hawks & Longwings) and these birds lose their imprinting very easily, can be very prone to sudden and catastrophic weight losses and are absolute little sods to catch up in an aviary. Given these problems I think it would be impossible safely to fly a little owl out of an aviary.

I know that you could argue that these problems should mean that little owls should not be flown but this would prevent a great many people from getting to meet one!

As regards whether or not an owl is aware that it's tethered, all I can say is that little owls (thick though they may be) catch onto the idea very quickly indeed.

[UKJay's Nursey]

well our owls are tethered outside their avairies for short periods iewhen cleaning is being done etc and both know when they are tethered, both are quite intelligent esp sam , Bo is parent reared and flies for his food on many occasion:)

[Bubo]

so there http://yelims.free.fr/Jetirelalangue/Langue31.gif owls are not stupid

[OutHouse]

Although many raptors have feathers on the leg owls have very soft and one could say even delicate feathers as you would be aware they are very soft this might also be one of the reasons not to tether. my older owls do not like being tethered for long periods, but as they were rescued from bad environments I am not sure if this has any relevance to their dislike of tethering

[Liam Hay]

so there owls are not stupid

i have to say that when ur wrong m8 ur wrong!

[PeregrinesUK]

owls are quite stupid i must say in relation to other b.o.p ie pere or harris , but in the wild they have obviously evolved to adapt and are amazing in there own right by yeh stupid sums them upquite well in captivity :)!!

[Claire]

I'm my opinion it depends on what type of owl and what it was used to, I've seen an barn owl who was always in an aviary who was ill and was tethered so that it could have a heat lamp, this bird hated it and became quite depressed, perked up no end once he was well enough to go back into his aviary

[Gozzhawk]

OKAYKOKEY!! cool the jets folks. Does anyone know what the LAW actually sates re the tethering of owls?? me either. What i will say is that our owls are free lofted, if pens need cleaned we shift them around , a box can be employed if needed. As for close relations i thought it was nightjars and frogmouths not ducks?? The intelligence thing is way off. . . intelligence is not quantifiable in humans never mind animals , human ideas and concepts are best left out of the animal world. Birds have been evolving for many more millions of years than us and they dont rape the planet or overuse resources... who's the fing idiots?

[OutFlying]

who's the fing idiots - the people who keep falconry birds caged up or tethered that never ever ever fly free and catch quarry as they do in the wild - THESE ARE FING IDIOTS

[Liam Hay]

YES i do know the law on Owls being tethered ie any place with a zoo license that is open to public displays can not tether owls unless they have permission from a vet to say that in the birds best interest ie its ill it must be tethered, As for Owls not being tethered i know that when they drafted this for legislation they contacted all the relavent Owl people inc JPJ and they said Owls are not the brightest spark ie None intellignet.Birds have been evolving for many more millions of years than us and they dont rape the planet or overuse resources... who's the fing idiots?
What has this to do with intelligence?????????? nothing what so ever m8.
who's the fing idiots - the people who keep falconry birds caged up or tethered that never ever ever fly free and catch quarry as they do in the wild - THESE ARE FING IDIOTS

Quite right OF :supz:

[Gozzhawk]

I agree wholeheartedly dude , hesus... folks now even treat kids like a new toy pet !!Oh what have i not got ? I know a kid !!!!!

[Gozzhawk]

Chill PC i was only trying to stick up for the ******* owls!

[Gozzhawk]

sorry meant to ask PC where can I get a copy of said literature

[Liam Hay]

literature can be obtained from the zoo license requirements best speak to defra

[Barn Owl]

At Last,YES i do know the law on Owls being tethered ie any place with a zoo license that is open to public displays can not tether owls unless they have permission from a vet to say that in the birds best interest ie its ill it must be tethered
At last, an answer to my question
Thankyou all

[Bubo]

i am trying to find the document i have about this but in the mean time you can browse through this one i have found. The articles on tethering of owls (and vultures - as they may not be tethered either) is found on page 55.
bubs

oops almost forgot the link

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/gwd/zooprac/pdf/zooprac.pdf