One of my goats - when she was 1 day old and over with her breeder - had an encounter with an owl. My friend/breeder came out that next morning to find owl feathers in the pen and the baby goat with a gash on her nose.
Later that afternoon - the owl appeared and they got pictures of it peering into the birthing pen. So they build a cover for that birthing pen.
All this is in a big barn with large lovely stalls.
SO - what do you all do given tiny baby goats and winged predators? Do you keep them in a closed barn/shed until they are big enough. Do you not worry. What do you do?
My goats are in a field environment with a birthing shed and I'm building a covered outdoor pen where they can explore while being protected but shortly - I want them out and about. What should I worry about or not worry about?
Judy
Replies
Yes - owls are night predators but they also fly when it is cloud cover (I just learned). In this case - the breeder got a picture of the owl - she was in with the goats and looked up when something moved in the rafters of the barn. They had the barn doors open a little for air as all the animals were in high stalls. It was a great horned owl (she is a birder so we are sure) and it stared down even as she snapped the picture. The mama goat saw it and actually "growled" if you can imagine a goat noise that sounds like a growl (according to my friend). Given the owl feathers in the pen - they think the mom goat fought off the owl the night before. I've always wanted to see a Great Horned Owl but not really under those circumstances.
They just had 2 goats back then and no dog and dog wouldn't have been a help anyway as the owl flew down into the separate kidding pen. With the top on it now - they are safe until big enough to not be prey.
I was just curious what others do. I have my plans and expect no troubles as I have no barn - just sheds that are closed up every day at dusk but still - I like to be prepared.
Judy
Owls are mostly night predators so if you keep your goats in a barn at night they should be okay. We have hawks here but I think the babies are a little too big for these smaller hawks to manage. An eagle is another story though! I did put wire fencing over the window openings in the barn so raccoons wouldn't climb in-- that should keep owls out too. My dog is out with the goats during most of the day too so that helps for day predators. Sheesh, hadn't even thought of that. I do hear the big hoot owls in the woods behind my house at night.
Oh, my! I had concerns about raccoons but never considered winged threats. Several years ago, I lost a hen to a bald eagle. Its claw prints were in the dirt, bigger than my hand, so no question in my mind it was an eagle which I'd seen overhead fairly often. It did not remotely occur to me that there might be a threat to my very young goats. Since you saw the owl checking them out and the evidence from earlier, that is pretty telling.