On owlkeeping (WAS: Re: [HPFGU-OTChatter] HP merchandise I'd like to see)

[Andrew MacIan]

Greetings from Andrew!

A short comment in re raptor care....

--- Catherine Keegan <keegan at mcn.org> wrote:
{snip}

> >Pet owls.  Real ones.
> 
> You don't want to keep an owl as a pet.  Really. 
> "Magic" owls as JKR 
> writes of might be ok but real owls are not cuddly
> creatures.  If you 
> hand-raised them (thereby making them un releaseable
> and forcing them to 
> lead lives inside of an aviary), they might be ok
> but I wouldn't count on 
> it.  Make sure you're willing to feed them
> rats/mice/chicks.  They need a 
> complete animal to keep healthy.  I've seen a few
> that were fed hamburger 
> meat and, if they were chicks at the time, their
> bones degenerate and they 
> shake.  Adults also have degeneration but I can't
> recall if they shake, too.

Descending into mundane reality for a moment:

Owls being raptors, here in CA you must have your
General or Master falconer's license to keep them. 
The CA Dept of Fish and Game does *NOT*  mess about
with this; the penalties can include both a large fine
and prison.  Also, depending on the species/breed of
the owl, they can be considered protected/endangered
and thus require a Federal permit, just as any species
of eagle does.

As to the keeping of raptors, state and Federal law
require a mews of a given cubic (based on the number
of birds and their species) as well as a regimen of
care and feeding.

The birds themselves will, after both manning and
training with creance, lure, hood &c. just, -just- 
tolerate their particular human(s), since we're the
principle source of food.  They are NOT cuddly, they
are NOT house pets.

So...want to take the four to six years of pretty
constant work to get to that General license?  {grin}
I'll stick with Rowling's version for the nonce.

Cheers,

Drieux

=====
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'Each game of chess means there's one less
      Variation left to be played;
 Each day got through means one or two less
      Mistakes remain to be made.'
      --'Chess' by Sir Tim Rice

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