The white chickens have been putting themselves to bed lately – now that it is cooler – so I have not been closing their big door.
With the latest run of late nights in town I let this stand. Focused on other priorities. It did not occur to me to think of eagles and hawks. Or Bastard Mink. It being Autumn and all.
Bad move.
I found a dead, beheaded and gutted fat white chicken in the brooder house yesterday morning.
Bastard Mink is Back. So they are in lock down each night going forward.
But that’s not all folks – oh no that is not all.
After disposing of the gory chicken body, I was standing outside watching the flock for a few minutes. I was standing very still (I was a life drawing model many years ago and I can stand totally still for a very long time). (A very important skill for a farmer). A huge hawk (I thought it was a hawk) flew right past my face and swooped into the flock. They (the fat little white birds) scattered fast and he was up and out without catching any breakfast and with my feed bowl flying through the trees after him.
He was dark brown with flashes of white. It was all very fast.
I was so angry.
Spitting mad.
I can go from very still – to full movement; snake-fast. And I have been holding onto this calm stillness for days now. And as that feed bowl rattled pathetically into the tree after that incredibly fast bird I only felt madder. I sent Ton in to collect the bowl and sat on a concrete block to think.
It is not uncommon for birds to fly close past me. Usually sparrows or cardinals or finches but I felt the roar of air from this enormous birds wings as he passed me. The audacity of that bird I thought.
To note that I am reaching to the end of my tether would be an understatement.
I watched my fat little birds as Ton laid the bowl at my feet hoping for another throw, they were all tucked away, shaking in fear under weeds and bushes and planks of wood. I have a lot of hiding places scattered about and the chicks were totally still – they were not coming out. This big bird may have been hunting in here for a few days while Boo was inside, and me away from the farm.
I called the farm hand on the phone and asked him to grab me a roll of that orchard netting we had from the grapes while the dogs and I stood guard.
This is what John saw in the field as he drove out to the farm.
Here is a close up.
Yes. A bloody bollocksy bald headed eagle. The biggest and scariest hunter from the air. And here I was worrying about coyotes.
I am not convinced that this is what flew past me. Unless it was a juvenile. Maybe spread your arms out wide, as though you were going to pretend-fly, then fold your arms in at the elbows. Keep your elbows high. That was the wingspan.
A full grown bald eagle can have a wingspan of 7 feet. Generally they hunt from the sky – and the one who flew past me came out of the trees.
Probably a really big hawk.
But – hmm. Up went the net. I have tied brightly coloured baling twine about so a raptor does not get caught. The cover has holes and twists so that little song birds can enter and exit and it is more visible.
You remember my old saying. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it is probably a duck. Mink plus hawk plus bloody bollacksy bald eagle equals trouble.
Two or possibly three predators at the same time and all their families.
It is hard to farm with nature. But I try. I like everyone to have plenty of space to move. I don’t think walls work. I cannot fight change I have to move with it. Which is why I prefer a smoke and mirror approach to avoid as much harm as possible. But glory be!
I was majorly pissed off when that big bird tried to lift one of my birds out. I used a plethora of bad words.
The barn birds (the wild hens) have been warning me too – that there was a big bird about. I just did not realize they were talking about that particular big bird.
Good morning! Have a great day!
I just let the white chicks out and they are all accounted for – though impossible to count!
Talk soon.
Celi
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23 responses to “The chickens meet Bald Eagle and Bastard Mink”
That would have raised the hair on the back of my neck!
It raised my throwing arm! And yes. Out of the blue as they say.
Well there’s just more piling on that no one needs. I’m so sorry C. It is life of course, but definitely not needed right now.
That’s terrible – a whole load of stress you can do without! No doubt they’ve all noticed that the farmy is quiet and the lovely fat chicks.
Hells’ fire, c.
What a bummer? It just seems to go on and on at the moment. Well done for saving all those little fat chicks. Nothing like a deluge of filthy language to help let off some rage in such a horrible situation.
Nasty old mink. I believe you need a new mink hand warmer for winter.
I certainly may do PLUS a hat!
The hawks are migrating south now. I’ve seen quite a few the last month hunting the small birds and squirrels here. They swoop through the tree branches and one sat on the wood fence between here and the school for autistic kids behind us. That is a mature bald eagle, they don’t get the white head and tail until they’re mature. They also are mainly fish eaters and prefer to have a waterway or lake nearby but will eat almost anything they can catch or scavenge. I’ve seen video of golden eagles trying to take deer or sheep. Bastard mink can be a year round problem. More stress right now is certainly not necessary.
Yup! All of that. Though spring is the worst here for mink. I find the change of seasons often being challenges. These eagles will hunt ground birds – for sure. And we have the creek down the back. I am fairly sure this bird has been here before.
Hubby was out milking a few years back, found himself listening to an odd ruckus outside. Finally went to investigate – yes, an eagle had hold of a chicken – he managed to scare him off. And yes, bird netting over the pen was the answer. We also have a very large pond (maybe 100 feet by 30 feet), for our geese – and a semi resident (in the summer) mallard duck pair that hatch out between eight a twelve ducklings. One year we had a juvenile bald simply park himself in an old dead lightening strike tree, still as a statue, and wait for them to come down to the water. One by one those ducklings became hors-d’oeurves.
As you said – it’s hard to farm with nature…we’ve dealt with bear, coyote, fox, lynx, moose…thankfully no bastard mink up here 👍🏻
That bird! And yes. My little barn chicks are disappearing one by one now too. It is as though he waited until they were a tasty size.
Though I did say to myself – at least we don’t have bears!!
Oh! Boy! Good thing you were there—still or not, it gave you a chance to SEE what is happening so you can make plans. Plans are a good thing.
Yes! Plans are a good big thing and so far so good!
Hawks zoom around here through the trees. I hear their cries daily & the noisy blue jay posse that chases after them. My son has a studio-workshop down the road by the French Broad River where he sees bald eagles often. They dive for fish & nest along the banks in giant tree tops & bluffs. Audubon Society says Asheville has about 40 individuals within the city & environs. They are a grand sight but deadly to little chicks & other small creatures. In my former backyard before the bears arrived, I used to feed the birds, squirrels & an occasional possum on a flat topped wall. A small flock of pigeons from a nearby business district, flew over & discovered the banquet wall. One day when I was standing stock still watching the busy scene at the wall, a peregrine falcon whooshed right by head -I had to duck! I felt & heard the whoosh of air right by my ear as the falcon dove down & nabbed a fat pigeon for its lunch. The rush of wind was mighty just as you say (peregrines dive at 60 mph). They are not as large as your hawk or an eagle but they have a terrible force & it was way too close for comfort. The pigeon imploded right before my eyes & was lifted off with lightening speed. I was shaken to the core but I was able to zoom pictures of of the feasting, beak & talons ripping, down by our back fence. Before me beneath the wall scattered feathers told the bloody tale. The birds had all disappeared but for months after a solitary pigeon returned to peck around the wall. I’ve heard they mate for life like doves. The natural world needs eagles & hawks & peregrine falcons, they have their important place & role to play, much more than pigeons I suppose. But their gory ways are ghastly to witness up close.
That is an extraordinary story!! Merciful heaven! Carnage. We are not a true part of the natural world – not us farmers anyway.
I can just imagine how shaken you must have been seeing it carry off a pigeon at close quarters like that!
Lordy
The Bastard Mink…..and raptors…..protected and beautiful and after YOUR food. Such a conundrum
I resonated with your caregiver account on so many levels. In the trenches is real and exhaustion waits in the wings disguised as anger, hunger and trauma. My daughter in a coma for 3 months, clients in hospice, parents and animals needing choices made for them. All part of the fabric of my life and my call as a healer. When the time comes to rest and restore the most obvious choice is to rest. There are still daily chores and life beckons. My routine must be resumed and my restoration comes from simplicity. Please do breathe 🧘🏻♀️
Such a wonderful comment. So balanced and true. How is your daughter now? You have a full plate as a healer.
In Madagascar, the meat chickens they raise are strictly what my husband and I call “Malay Ass-kickers.” They are long on leg, and big on attitude. They are too aggressive for American farmers, except for show. But in the wilds, they are just the thing. They can protect their chicks like nobody’s business. It was funny how the chickens had enormous long legs, and their ducks had itty-bitty short ones. Freakishly short. AND they didn’t need to be anywhere around water. I’ve never seen a duck so content to wander around on a volcanic mountain.
Huh! They did not need water? Did they store it like a camel?
What a story Cecilia! It would have given me such a scare. I hope you catch the bastard mink. Those poor chickens are just too attractive to predators. The netting was a good idea.
Oh dear me … hawks have got 3 of my chickens over the past couple of years. And they were full grown birds too. I was spitting as well!
They are brazen killers!