I would like some advice about my captive bred Barn Owl. She is 18 years old, a rescued owl and registered to me. I handle her daily, allowing her to fly on a creance if she wishes. However, I have been told that she is happy to live in her weathering, which has a mesh front door and in which she is free and untethered whilst inside. I have been promised an aviary, but this has not come to fruition.
My concern is that the weathering is not suitable for her long term. As I am not an experienced owl keeper, I am unsure if I should try to find another home for her which has an aviary, or if it is indeed OK to keep her as she is, with daily exercise with me. She has laid 5 eggs so far this year.
I would be grateful for your advice on her housing.
A.R.
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Thank you for your email. My advice would be to continue flying your Barn Owl on the creance daily and to continue to free loft her in the weathering, provided it is large enough.
The smallest size weathering I would recommend would be a minimum of 6ft X 6ft, though the larger the better. The weathering should have two perches as far from one another as possible, so that the owl can fly from perch to perch.
Here at S.O.S. we free loft some of our Owls from their aviaries which are 8ft X 12ft, each with 3 perches.
A.H.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
Our Barn Owl Cobweb free lofts in an aviary 8ft x 12ft with three perches