*WARNING!* Birds Of Prey!

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry! :ashamed: I was looking for an 'outdoor envoirment' forum but could not find it thanks PM!

No problem. I wanted to get it in here, so people thinking about housing outdoors will see yet another reason why that is a bad idea. This is also a prime reason why it is SO important to stay outdoors with your pigs during playtime in the grass as well.

Also- this happened to someone's African grey parrot- but they had it in a sunroom with a screen on the window- a hawk punched through and took the bird away! Fortunately the bird's owner was right there and ran after the birds and managed to find and rush her pet to the hospital- but I think about that every time I have the window open and I hear a red-tail scream in the distance. I love birds of prey, but they can eat something else than my pets...

I don't know as that is as applicable to cavies, as they are probably not as easy to see from outside the window... but I got reminded.

Percy's Mom said:

No problem. I wanted to get it in here, so people thinking about housing outdoors will see yet another reason why that is a bad idea. This is also a prime reason why it is SO important to stay outdoors with your pigs during playtime in the grass as well.

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My point is that people think if they stay with there pigs in a pen and the birds will be scared they are wrong! I am just saying that you really, really, really! should have a top on that outdoor play pen!
I will be building a safer, bigger pen for my guinea pigs when I get hawk and my hawk will not be able to see my guinea pigs.

Alusdra said:

Also- this happened to someone's African grey parrot- but they had it in a sunroom with a screen on the window- a hawk punched through and took the bird away! Fortunately the bird's owner was right there and ran after the birds and managed to find and rush her pet to the hospital- but I think about that every time I have the window open and I hear a red-tail scream in the distance. I love birds of prey, but they can eat something else than my pets...

I don't know as that is as applicable to cavies, as they are probably not as easy to see from outside the window... but I got reminded.

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Now that story actually shocks me! if you wanted to be able to have your window open and not worry about the birds you could always make some chicken wire/mesh pannels or even cubes grids! you could put up against the window and I highly warn you that you do NOT want to come across a wild red-tail!

When I was younger we had outside cats and when my older brother was like 8 he saw one of them get taken by a hawk :weepy: I was so sad but I'm glad that I didnt see it unless I would had burst out in tears.


We have wild red-tails here, they are so pretty but I havent really seen one up close, they are very scared of humans around here.

They wouldnt be if they see food!

Jenni_Feathers said:

We have wild red-tails here, they are so pretty but I havent really seen one up close, they are very scared of humans around here.

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I had a peregrine falcon try to fight me for my son's radio controlled dragonfly last month. I'm lucky I didn't get injured. Believe me, birds of prey are very prey driven. They have been known to take small dogs off leashed that owners were walking, snatch fur hats off people's heads thinking it's prey (I saw that actually happen many years ago in downtown Chicago) and have had an owl swoop down within feet of me to snatch a mouse that I scared out of hiding while walking in a wooded area at dusk.

If a bird of prey sees food they will often ignore humans and go for the kill. Stay close and stay vigilant if you bring small prey animals outdoors. Even if you live in the city and don't think you have birds of prey around. Like I said earlier a falcon snatched a hat off a lady in downtown Chicago near the Sears Tower in front of my face. The falcon that nearly got my son's toy was in an inner city park and last week I saw a bald eagle soaring over that same park. The birds of prey are there you simply don't notice them most of the time.

Very true VJ! peregrine falcons are yet again lovely birds, but so dangerous when it come to small prey, normally a female peregrine would choose the option of partridge, crow, etc etc red-tails would also go for birds but if theres something in view on floor they will go for that, also be aware of birds looking like the one in the link below! these birds have more power then twice an alsations jaw! so very powerful and are also euroupes strongest animal ATB Megs!

the european eagle owl:

(broken link removed)

Many birds of prey will go through mesh and any netting. I know my gymnastics coach used to talk about his koi pond and the hawks taking them. He said he put a net up to prevent it but it dove right through it. All he found was a hole,I guess a few feathers and a missing fish.

Yeh, they do go through netting, they will also break through chicken wire, but not mesh.

I had a peregrine falcon try to fight me for my son's radio controlled dragonfly last month

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Oh, my! I'm sure that was scary, but I still wish I'd seen it.
We're in a city, and there's tons of red-tails here; they're one of those birds that adapts well to living with people. If we ever take the piggies outside it'll be in a pen with a full wire top.

It just bother me that people have open topped!

I am thinking of using an indoor dogs playpen, 4 sided square. I plan on putting a piece of ply wood over the top. The pen itself is plastic with wholes small enough pig can't get out. You guys think this is safe enough?

MuldersMom said:

I am thinking of using an indoor dogs playpen, 4 sided square. I plan on putting a piece of ply wood over the top. The pen itself is plastic with wholes small enough pig can't get out. You guys think this is safe enough?

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Well, as I am soon to own a bird of prey I made a kinda "mesh box" and put fleece over most of it so the pigs dont have to walk on the wire, because the hawks will be out of the mews sitting on a perch in the garden even though they are 99.99999999999999999% not to be able to reach the pig pen its just a security thing, but as long as it has a top and it isnt very easy to get underneath then it should be fine!

I had a peregrine falcon try to fight me for my son's radio controlled dragonfly last month.

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Hey, off-topic VJ, but how is that, if it's the Wow Wee one I'm thinking of? Does it work good; is it easy to fly? Because I've been looking into getting one- it seems neat and got really good reviews. And it seems very entertaining.

That dragonfly is great! We have the one sold by Sharper Image (unsure of the brand). Flying it takes some practice but it's not too hard to get the hang of. The biggest downfall is that if it goes out of range it keeps on flying by itself (while you run to try to catch up to it to get it to behave again). We've had it fly into a couple of trees that way but luckily I'm a great tree climber. I recommend keeping well away from trees. It also doesn't work if it's at all breezy. It's too light and gets blown around too much. All in all it's loads of fun though!

That dragonfly is great! We have the one sold by Sharper Image (unsure of the brand). Flying it takes some practice but it's not too hard to get the hang of. The biggest downfall is that if it goes out of range it keeps on flying by itself (while you run to try to catch up to it to get it to behave again). We've had it fly into a couple of trees that way but luckily I'm a great tree climber. I recommend keeping well away from trees. It also doesn't work if it's at all breezy. It's too light and gets blown around too much. All in all it's loads of fun though!

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Okay, it's sold. Well, not yet. But I'm definitely going to buy it. I was originally going to buy it from Radio Shack because it was on sale for only $30, but I wasn't able to get to the store in time before the sale was over. So, I'll have to get it from somewhere else, preferably for less than the actual price of 50 which is, I think a little unreasonable.

But isn't it another large downfall that it attracts large birds of prey? lol

In country areas bobcats are a major concern too. A few weeks ago one was sitting on my pen in the morning pretty much drooling down at the rabbits. We had to scare it away but I was surprised that it would be brave enough to come only a few feet from the house.