A sad day on the farm.

From the country…

This morning, as I was bringing the chickens their feed I noticed something was astir in the turkey pen. As I stepped closer I could see a pile of red feathers and blood. Tom and the Black Spanish turkey hen were frantic and my Red Bourbon hen lay dead on a newly laid egg. She had just started to brood.

It took me the better part of the day to work up the motivation to make my way back to the barn. I had the unfortunate job of cutting up her lifeless body and packing parts into live traps with hopes that tonight the culprit will be caught. I assume it was something big, like a racoon, making such a horrid mess.

Just a shitty reality of farm living...

"We got a big male..."

From the country…

Sometimes you need to protect the herd (or in my case the future rafter of turkeys). Every year a group of hunters come and flush our bush in search of coyotes. They chase these wild dogs (often with hounds) until they can get a good shot. I realize that this may be considered cruel but when you loose a percentage of your livestock to a wild animal, you want the varmint dead. After all is said and done livestock equals part of a farmer’s livelihood.

Last year I lost all my new chicks to a weasel. The gut wrenching feeling of going into a quiet chicken coop haunts me to this day. A weasel is a vicious animal that loves the kill and in my experience rarely eats the remains. When that bugger was shot, I jumped for joy and I haven’t had a weasel since. Knock on wood.

Anyway the hunters were around today, and they shot a big male coyote. They wanted to know if we would like to see it. I usually don’t. I usually turn a blind eye. When we kill chickens here, I wait in the house until the deed is done and only then I will venture outside to do the plucking. I hate to see death and often avoid it at all costs. But I forced myself to take a look at this coyote, to document this because I think that this is a very real part of farm living. On a farm there is death, whether it is for the table, the loss of livestock to disease or from a predator, or if a farmer is forced to kill for the sake of their livestock. Death is a part of farm life.

Honestly, the coyote was beautiful and reminded me of my dog, Arlo. He had a beautiful coat and looked like he was thriving in our bush. He resembled a wild vicious animal but was peaceful and silent. If he had of been alive he would have been thrashing and gnashing his teeth. But he lay there silent. His life was over. New life will now have a better chance at survival.

He's back!

From the country...

My little Screech Owl was back last night! I guess he found some rodent treats the previous night and decided to come back for more! I was so surprised to see that little gaffer again. He did'nt seem so frantic to see me this time. Maybe we will become fast friends and I can feed him mice right from the palm of my hand!

My Little Screech Owl

From the Country...

Last night as I was heading into the barn to close down the chickens and turkeys I saw a magnificent sight. At first I assumed it was a barn pigeon lost in the bottom floor of the barn but by they way it silently soared through the barn, I took a second look. After finishing up with the chores, I ventured toward the southeast corner of the barn. As I slowly approached I could vaguely make the silhouette of the masked intruder. What I could see was two perky ears and two large eyes watching my every move. It was a little Screech Owl.

We have been hearing him screech through the night in search of a mate but I never anticipated that I would meet him one day face to face. He didn’t like the look of me as I crept closer and as I stepped too close he took of again, this time not as graceful. He took off first slamming into the rabbit wire of the chicken coop and then back and forth looking for some place to hide. He was frantic. I was literally stressing out this little winged wonder.

My amazement slightly turned to fear as I lowered myself to the ground and put my barn coat hood up as the owl soared back and forth above. Not knowing what he would do next I slowly walked toward the door, turned off the light, and latched the barn door shut behind me.

I wanted to go back in and watch him, get closer and wonder at his eyes and his tiny frame. But I knew he wouldn’t let me and that he would just continue his destructive behaviour and so I went back to the house. From my experience with livestock, when an animal gets that frantic, you have to leave and come back later. When dealing with animals it is mandatory to have a calm disposition.

I get excited when I come across a wild animal, something I come across once in a blue moon. Like the winter we had two Grey Owls perch on top of the barn or the summer I found a tree frog sitting Buddha like on a milkweed pod. I felt as though I had found treasure.

As I went back into the house I told the boys, who of course wanted to go and see. Beans and I dreamed up an idea that our little owl would stay with us and clean up all the rodents in the barn, something that has been plaguing our barn for years. Our feedbags would once again be safe.

I wonder whether our little feathered friend will be there tonight.