If you’ve ever had a chicken coop, you’re surely aware that they’re built to keep birds in and predators out. They can, however, be an excellent spot for unwary creatures to become imprisoned, such as small birds or even cats!
My family had a wooden coop with a loose netting run that allowed the hens to go outside without getting into my mother’s garden when I was growing up.
The netting did a good job of keeping the hens in and foxes and raccoons out, but it was frequently a site where wild birds got their legs stuck.
I can’t count the number of times we’d go out to the chicken coop and find a wild bird tangled in the netting or stuck within. It was typically simple to release them and they appeared unharmed, but sometimes it becomes more of a mission.
When a couple from the Midwest came out to their chicken coop, they discovered an owl stuck in the run! Despite the netting, it had made it all the way into the run.
When attempting to flee the run, the huge bird got its talons caught in the netting, necessitating a rescue.
The man entered the coop, carefully grabbing the owl and freeing his claws from the netting. He and his wife chatted the entire time, with the wife telling her husband that they weren’t going to keep the owl!
While she was adamant about not keeping it, she did agree to help the bird. Once free of the netting, the man realized it had an infected claw, which can lead to major problems if left untreated. The woman initially refused to assist, but she eventually retrieved the antibiotic cream and a special spray for the damaged foot.
Finally, the owl was released free and given a second chance at life! Hopefully, its claw will recover properly. Watch the video below:
Based on the dialogue in the video it was apparent that both the husband and the wife were fairly knowledgeable of how to treat “bumblefoot” which occurs in poultry as well as raptors. Although the wife was concerned about her husband possibly being injured, she was not reluctant to treat the great horned owl, which was a commendable attitude, considering the owl had apparently injured, or killed, one of their chicks. Great horned owls are a formidable raptor and the couple are to be commended for treating and releasing the owl.