First aid and initial assessment: When you first find the barn owl you need to assess it to see if it need any fluids.
How to do a health check on the Barn Owl once it’s in your care.
1) Lay the owl on its back, on the palm of one hand, with its feet pointing away, the back of its head resting on your wrist/forearm and with its legs and folded wings encircled by your thumb and index finger. Do this firmly but gently so that the owl cannot escape by wriggling nor injure the handler with its feet. o Tip: if the owl starts to struggle, pull the bottom of your jumper up and over its face, or lay a small towel or cloth over its face. This can reduce stress in the owl and prevent the owl from pecking at you. By facing the owls talons away from you can help prevent any harm from them. By wrapping the wing of the owl, it will help it feel secure and prevent stress.
2) With your other hand, move your fingertips slowly and lightly onto its chest and feel its breastbone – the raised bony ridge running down the middle. Feel the breast (the wing muscles) either side of the breastbone. You should think: How far does the breastbone stick up above the muscles on either side? A few millimetres is normal; more than …show more content…
If the eyes are closed you can gently open each eye in turn; place your index finger against the feathers below one eye, gently rest your thumb on the upper eyelid and gently move it up to open the eye. Initially, the eye may be covered by a nictitating membrane (known as the third eyelid). Simply wait a few moments for this to rise. Both eyes should look the same. If one eye definitely appears different from the other, then a visit to an experienced vet with an ophthalmoscope is needed. Blue eye colouration in some nestling owls is normal (although both eyes should still look the same). Make sure that when you are checking the owls eyes that it doesn’t try to peck you, this can prevent harm from the beak of the
How to do a health check on the Barn Owl once it’s in your care.
1) Lay the owl on its back, on the palm of one hand, with its feet pointing away, the back of its head resting on your wrist/forearm and with its legs and folded wings encircled by your thumb and index finger. Do this firmly but gently so that the owl cannot escape by wriggling nor injure the handler with its feet. o Tip: if the owl starts to struggle, pull the bottom of your jumper up and over its face, or lay a small towel or cloth over its face. This can reduce stress in the owl and prevent the owl from pecking at you. By facing the owls talons away from you can help prevent any harm from them. By wrapping the wing of the owl, it will help it feel secure and prevent stress.
2) With your other hand, move your fingertips slowly and lightly onto its chest and feel its breastbone – the raised bony ridge running down the middle. Feel the breast (the wing muscles) either side of the breastbone. You should think: How far does the breastbone stick up above the muscles on either side? A few millimetres is normal; more than …show more content…
If the eyes are closed you can gently open each eye in turn; place your index finger against the feathers below one eye, gently rest your thumb on the upper eyelid and gently move it up to open the eye. Initially, the eye may be covered by a nictitating membrane (known as the third eyelid). Simply wait a few moments for this to rise. Both eyes should look the same. If one eye definitely appears different from the other, then a visit to an experienced vet with an ophthalmoscope is needed. Blue eye colouration in some nestling owls is normal (although both eyes should still look the same). Make sure that when you are checking the owls eyes that it doesn’t try to peck you, this can prevent harm from the beak of the