The following segment is feeding.

Everybody can relate to eating and there's no exception with owlets.

It's one of their favorite and much occupied time thing to do.

And I'm going to use two words that just assume they're interchangeable, eating and feeding.

I'll use both of those words and I will be specific if I'm talking about adult to chick or chick alone.

When the nestlings are on the nest, the first 10 days, remember their eyes are closed, nine to 10 days, the parent bird, specifically the mother, feeds the chicks.

No pellets are produced at this time because this is a period of rapid growth and only prime nutrients are pumped into these little babies.

So when she brings back a rabbit, let's suppose, she will pluck the fur, I'm talking about the mother, she's preparing the food, she will pluck the fur and go to a prime piece of flesh rather than bone or indigestible parts of the rabbit.

And she will take a little piece in her beak, small because we're talking to chicks, nine, 10 days old, and put it at their beak and immediately they got the drift and then they will see that the mom is feeding them and the jaw will be open constantly, wanting more food.

So she will feed them until their crop is full, usually indicative of I'm full, they'll just flop down in the nest and not ask for any more food.

This goes on for about nine or 10 days.

I wanna emphasize that.

After day 10, the birds are going to start and peck around the bottom of the nest if any food remains there.

It's not that they get a lot of food, the mother is still feeding them, but at least they're getting the drift.

Food, put the beak to it, maybe try and stand on it, and that is how the operation of eating occurs.

The feeding will continue by the mother until the birds fledge, but at about day 12 to 15, they're experimenting with food, the chicks are experimenting with food in the bottom of the nest.

And about day 15, they have the strength to be able to tear a piece of flesh from the prey item and begin to feed themselves.

And then as they age, nearing fledging, they are primarily feeding themselves full time.

The mother will supplement them, but they're capable of standing on their food, tearing a piece with the beak, swallowing it, etc..

And probably somewhere around day 12, and it depends on the prey item, that's why I'm giving the range here, 12 to 15, they start producing pellets.

The pellets are loose in the beginning because they're still getting soft parts, but then as they become more voracious in their feeding activity, they take anything.

They'll take bones in.

If she brings a mouse, they'll swallow the mouse whole.

So they're capable until they fledge of feeding themselves at that point.

Not capable of hunting, but they're capable of eating, attacking a piece of prey that the parent brings to them, and they're capable of feeding themselves.