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My parents and I had pet owls. AMA

66 replies

ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 06:37

I've always fancied doing an AMA, but couldn't think of anything that would be of interest.
Following on from a thread last night about owls in London.
So, yes, when I was young, my family had two tawny owls.

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 08:37

The egg thing didn't work though, sadly.

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EvilPea · 15/05/2020 08:39

Did you have any trouble getting blodwyn and reg to get on?

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 08:39

@doodlejump1980
It was all predates Harry Potter by a long way.
My parents found the owls nearly 50 years ago. My mom was pregnant with me.

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KonTikki · 15/05/2020 08:43

I used to keep aviary birds and breed them. Would like to start again.
There is a really good book by someone who kept a Tawney owl.
"The owl who liked to sit on Caesar"

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 08:44

@evilpea
I don't remember there being any issues with introducing Blodwyn and Reg. Interesting question. I'll have to ask my dad!

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 08:46

@kontiki
That sounds lovely. What birds did you have? My nan and grandad had a fantastic aviary too.
I'd quite like one, but I'd be too worried about foxes.

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TartanHare · 15/05/2020 08:51

I have a barn owl, she lives in a large aviary in the garden. She is trained an can be let free while I am with her, she never goes far though.
I've kept Tawny owls too, they have a slightly different personality, I find them slightly more stubborn but very gentle.

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 08:56

@TartanHare
That's amazing!
Ours sometimes (very rarely) escaped but just flew about for a bit and then came back and sat on the roof waiting to be let back in again.
Out of interest, how long did your owls live for? How old is the barn owl?

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KonTikki · 15/05/2020 08:57

I started with Lovebirds, but they are really noisy, too much for close neighbours.
Then started breeding Kakarikes, a New Zealand parakeet. Lovely birds, very tame, quiet and can be bred in different colours.
Used to hand rear the chicks so they were all tame but lived in the aviary when 2months old
I would sell the youngsters for £25 when 12 weeks old, so purely doing it as a hobby not for the money.

TartanHare · 15/05/2020 09:29

The current owl is 3 years old.
My previous barn owl lived for 15 years she was amazing, she would scare me sometimes as she used to fly further away, she always knew where I was though.
The tawny is currently 10 years old but is with my ex-partner.

My parents and I had pet owls. AMA
Notso · 15/05/2020 11:18

@ElizabethMainwaring
Thanks for replying, poor Owls dumped like that. I'm glad they had a happier life than they would have in the zoo.

RapunzelsBuzzcut · 15/05/2020 11:23

Oh gosh, you inspired me to google “fat owls.”

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-suffolk-51294545

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 11:56

@Rapunzelsbuzzcut
Ha ha! Thank you for that.
Yes, Blodwyn went through a spell when she was too fat to fly.
She would crawl up the chicken wire like a plump moth.
@Notso
Thank you. They had a lovely life (even if Dodo's was short lived). Blodwyn was 20 when she died and Reg was even older.
@TartanHare
Thank you for the beautiful photo. What are your owls names?
I hope that if I had owls, I think of better names than my mom and dad did!

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MrsSpenserGregson · 15/05/2020 12:00

Blodwyn is such a fantastic name!! I haven't heard it since the 1970s.

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 12:06

@MrsSpenserGregson
In retrospect, yes, Blodwyn is a fantastic name and sounds good with Reg.
It was because she was Welsh, and she she a definitely a child of the 70s, being born in 1971.

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 12:08

She was a child of the 70s (Blodwyn that is, and me too).

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TartanHare · 15/05/2020 12:45

Her name is Stardust.
My friend child named her, shes fully hand reared.
The tawny is called Gordon!

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ElizabethMainwaring · 15/05/2020 13:36

I'm sure that Gordon would have put up some serious competition for Reg with Blodwyn!

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SiaPR · 15/05/2020 19:21

Blodwyn and Reg mated I think this is my favourite ever thread. Sad they did not have babies, but were they happy companions?

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ElizabethMainwaring · 16/05/2020 09:53

@SiaPR
Oh thank you! That's very nice of you to say that.
I'll be talking to my dad today and I'll ask him how Blodwyn and Reg were introduced. But yes, they were very happy companions. They were together for about 15 years until Blodwyn died.

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2old4thissite · 17/05/2020 16:02

I've always loved owls. Especially barn owls, they are so beautiful.
How are they as pets though. I mean do they actually seem to bond with you and seek out human company? Do they enjoy a stroke?
Ps don't worry, I'm not going to get a pet owl, the neighbours had enough with the chickens!

MrDarcysMa · 14/07/2020 22:31

This is a great thread.
When I was growing up we had an eagle owl!
Also a pig called Blodwyn.

MrDarcysMa · 14/07/2020 22:31

This is a great thread.
When I was growing up we had an eagle owl!
Also a pig called Blodwyn.

MrDarcysMa · 14/07/2020 22:32

This is a great thread.
When I was growing up we had an eagle owl!
Also a pig.

MrDarcysMa · 14/07/2020 22:32

Obvs didn't mean to post 3x Confused