Predators as partners

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Farmers have been fighting a variety of predators throughout history. It is part of farming life. So the story I am about to tell you is a story as old as time. 

As a regenerative farm we do our best to keep the peace and balance of our livestock with the environment and nearby animal populations. We are not joined in that purpose by the predators that live among us, of course. They make farming hard, challenging us with the endless death loop of a fox eating a chicken and the farmer being forced to kill the fox. This week I believe we may have changed the narrative of that story. 

Earlier this week, Analisa and I started chores like any other day: We first visited the brooder which is an enclosed space for our young chicks to grow before moving them to the field. We made sure they had food, water and a clean space.

Then we headed down to Owens field where we keep our “teenage” meat birds. Our meat birds are kept in what we call a schooner, which is like a greenhouse with netting on the sides, no flooring and a thick tarp on the roof that provides constant shade. Every day we move the schooner to fresh grass to ensure our chickens can scratch and forage on new ground, and then make sure they have water and feed. 

But this day there was a surprise: Half of the birds had escaped the schooner, and we soon saw why. There were two very large, eagle-like wings inside the schooner! We hit the gas and jumped out of the Chevy to find a great horned owl inside the enclosed schooner! 

The chickens were panicked and as we headed inside the schooner the owl kept trying to find an escape route. Initially we left the doors open to see if it would find the exit by itself, but the owl kept flying into the fence and the chicks ran frantically from one side of the schooner to the other in reaction.

We decided to change our approach and attempted to catch it instead. I took off my jacket and waited to throw it over the owl as it flew, and crashed into the net. All of the sudden the owl abruptly turned to look directly at me with the biggest brightest yellow eyes I have ever seen. There was little to no expression so it seemed to be staring right through me. I could not help but freeze, trying to understand whether it would attack or if it was frozen in fear.

I threw my jacket towards him, failing to cover his head. He flew back towards the wall, bouncing off and falling on the ground again. I worried he was injured but I seized the opportunity to throw my jacket over his head and grab him like a football. I slowly wrapped him up tightly with the jacket, and carried him outside of the schooner. 

Now what… Do we kill it? I placed the tightly wrapped burrito in the tall grass ensuring the owl could not escape, and helped Analisa, while I tried to think of what to do next. We wrangled all the chicks back inside the schooner, cleaned up the fallen soldiers, moved the schooner to new grass, and fed the chicks before going back to check on the owl.

I slowly picked it up and checked to see if its feet and wings were ok while still covering its face. The size of its sharp talons still amaze me. After seeing no evident injury I put it back on the ground, and slowly unwrapped its body and face. To my surprise the poor owl was in such a daze it just stayed belly up staring at the bright sky. It blinked one eye, and then the other adjusting to the light before looking right through my soul again, frozen in place. 

I slowly nudged it with my foot and it tumbled inside my jacket before I uncovered its face once again. It looked at me, looked towards the tree line and took flight. In just a moment it was across the field and into the trees, finally safe and sound.

Just before it flew away.

At many other farms, that owl would have been killed on sight. At Deck Family Farm though, we not only understand the value of predators like the great horned owl, but rely on them to ensure we succeed as a farm. Owls hunt most of the small rodents that make our job difficult, like squirrels who eat our animal feed, dig tunnels under buildings, eat wires and electrical components, and dig out building insulation. They also help control insect and snake populations that could potentially put our garden, animals, and fields at risk. 

So while this incident cost us two chickens, it was a smarter long-term decision to fix the holes in the schooners and reinforce it, rather than take the life of our “frenemy,” the owl. At the end of the day, everyone has to eat. And given the opportunity, who wouldn't want Deck Family Farm organic chicken!