A couple of days ago, I took the kids out to feed the chickens. We do this every day. It’s fun. We play with our birds and have fun.
Instead of running to the gate, the kids started screaming: There’s a owl! There’s an owl in the chicken run!
I wasn’t sure if they were joking or playing pretend, but within seconds, I saw it, flying and getting caught in the overhead netting. Our chickens were running away from it, and the younger chicks were secured in one of our coops.
I told my oldest boy to watch the little kids while I grabbed some gloves and a towel. I’ve worked with birds enough to know that wrapping a towel over their wings is helpful. Honestly, any time I’ve had to remove a wild animal (like opossums and whatnot), a towel is usually involved. Towels are a magical tool in the animal world haha
But this owl was pretty spooked. I told the kids to stay out and get back in the yard and went to work slowly easing my way to the big bird.
I had to earn some trust. I’d get closer and closer, and then it would fly up and get caught in the netting. I wasn’t even sure how it got in at first, but I was mainly focused on getting it out.
After about 10 or 15 minutes, this owl realized I was trying to help it. It let me slowly put the towel over it and pick it up to get it to the gate and let it fly off. The wind rushed as it took flight, and I stood with the kids watching for a moment before we turned back to go on and feed the chickens.
They were eager to eat and stay close. It wasn’t until my son started walking around that he spotted one of our chickens lying dead. Feathers everywhere.
I wrapped it in a towel and took it out to the fire pit for cremation. The poor thing was headless and cleaned out inside. I was mad, but not at the owl. You can’t be mad at an animal for being what it is. I realized the gate latch had been down, and the netting was weak in that spot. It was something I noticed the day before and thought about fixing the next day. Well, there is no tomorrow in backyard farming. I should have double-secured that spot when I noticed the issue instead of waiting.
The gate has since been reinforced, and our gate lock is being maximized to not only secure the door and latch but also the extra netting.
There is no hiding from life and death when you’re farming, even out of your backyard. It’s a tough lesson, but an important one. The kids have been through this. They all process it differently. My toddler is growing old enough to understand and express sadness. I was most worried about her. But she spent a great deal of time holding the baby chicks and saying: It’s okay. I protect you.
My four-year-old stormed away and needed alone time. When I sat with him and told him it was okay to be mad or sad or anything, he had a good cry and then wanted a cookie. My seven-year-old did what my older kids do. He helped me with the funeral pyre and wrote our dead chicken a note and drew her a picture to put in the fire.
Meditating by the fire and asking the Gods to look out for our dear bird was a big deal. These little rituals matter so much. They help us cope, live, and face the fear of death head-on to find comfort in our time here.
I’m sad we lost a chicken (I think it was Betty, but my tween thinks it was Chika, so there’s a bit of confusion since our Buff Orpingtons look so much alike). Despite this, I was excited to meet the owl up close and happy to see it go free. I’ve heard it living near us for years. I know predators get hungry, especially at the end of summer. This is part of life and raising chickens.
It’s up to us to care for our animals as best we can. I hope the owl doesn’t come back. But I’m not mad at it. My husband said I should have beaten it to death, but I don’t have that in me. It was so scared.
I’m just glad that all the other chickens are okay and the kids handled it so well. I’m also determined to do everything we can to ensure our chicken run stays secure.
Jessica Marie Baumgartner 