When we received the owls, I figured the biggest hurdle would be to keep them alive. What do you feed baby owls?
Fortunately, my friend had that all figured out. She had asked a mutual friend, who has easier access to the Internet than she does, to do a little online research on feeding baby owls. It was he who said that raw beef was a suitable choice for baby owls.
Having an abundance of raw buffalo heart (because her family will eat most of the other cuts of buffalo from their farm, but not the heart), my friend decided this would be a readily available alternative to beef.
So that’s what the little red-skinned birds with white tufts of fluff are eating. Cut into tiny squares and offered at the end of a toothpick, the sustenance is eagerly consumed by the screeching critters.
What I find amazing is how a baby owl’s beak is designed, from birth, with a descending slope and a sharp tipped end that almost has a clawing affect. Once the meat is lodged in the beak properly (and sometimes it takes them a few tries) the owl’s pointed tongue swoops down the beak and manipulates the morsel down its skinny throat which is so narrow and almost translucent that you can see the food going down.
Here’s a video so you can take a peek at feeding time:
Fortunately, my friend had that all figured out. She had asked a mutual friend, who has easier access to the Internet than she does, to do a little online research on feeding baby owls. It was he who said that raw beef was a suitable choice for baby owls.
Having an abundance of raw buffalo heart (because her family will eat most of the other cuts of buffalo from their farm, but not the heart), my friend decided this would be a readily available alternative to beef.
So that’s what the little red-skinned birds with white tufts of fluff are eating. Cut into tiny squares and offered at the end of a toothpick, the sustenance is eagerly consumed by the screeching critters.
What I find amazing is how a baby owl’s beak is designed, from birth, with a descending slope and a sharp tipped end that almost has a clawing affect. Once the meat is lodged in the beak properly (and sometimes it takes them a few tries) the owl’s pointed tongue swoops down the beak and manipulates the morsel down its skinny throat which is so narrow and almost translucent that you can see the food going down.
Here’s a video so you can take a peek at feeding time:
Disclaimer: I am only following instructions given to me by the owner of the owls. I am not a bird expert nor do I have expertise in caring for birds.
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