In a battle between a Bald Eagle and a chicken...
September 26, 2016 3:25 PM Subscribe
What did I just say about MementoMoriOctober? Dang, you guys.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:50 PM on September 26, 2016
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:50 PM on September 26, 2016
Oh, this is great. What an inspiring guy. I hope he finds a solution to his problem.
posted by suelac at 3:58 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by suelac at 3:58 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
If everyone farmed in the nature-first way he does, he says, eagles wouldn’t concentrate on his farm. Flocks of chickens scattered across the Georgia countryside would naturally cause eagles to disperse into smaller, healthier populations.
How would that work? If one large-scalefree-range pasture-raised organic chicken farm can feed a hundred hungry raptors, why wouldn't ten thousand such farms feed a million and cover the land with a veritable plague of bald eagles? It's not as if it would be anything like the equilibrium that existed back in the days before most chickens moved indoors. People would eventually need to start eating eagles as well as chickens, until balance was restored.
posted by sfenders at 4:16 PM on September 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
How would that work? If one large-scale
posted by sfenders at 4:16 PM on September 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
This guy can't make a mesh-covered fenced area?
posted by northtwilight at 4:18 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by northtwilight at 4:18 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
This guy can't make a mesh-covered fenced area?
Sure he could, but as it says in TFA, he moves his chickens regularly to feed them on the fields his cattle were just grazing. So no, he cannot install mesh over his entire cattle operation.
posted by suelac at 4:34 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sure he could, but as it says in TFA, he moves his chickens regularly to feed them on the fields his cattle were just grazing. So no, he cannot install mesh over his entire cattle operation.
posted by suelac at 4:34 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
This guy can't make a mesh-covered fenced area?
You can't read the article?
The farmer in question follows a farming method where cows are kept in pastures, and as they move to new pastures, chickens move in where the cows have been. The cows' presence preps the pasture for the chickens; among other things, the chickens eat bugs from cow dung. The land is kept healthy by being used in various ways over time.
posted by not that girl at 4:36 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
You can't read the article?
The farmer in question follows a farming method where cows are kept in pastures, and as they move to new pastures, chickens move in where the cows have been. The cows' presence preps the pasture for the chickens; among other things, the chickens eat bugs from cow dung. The land is kept healthy by being used in various ways over time.
posted by not that girl at 4:36 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
what are the natural predators of bald eagles? i bet it's tigers or something right? so obvsly he needs some tigers on drones.
posted by poffin boffin at 4:44 PM on September 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 4:44 PM on September 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
This is a metaphor for America and FYI you're a chicken.
posted by GuyZero at 4:52 PM on September 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 4:52 PM on September 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Very interesting article!
Also, for once, the comments weren't too terrible either. In fact, one of the commenters suggested an interesting solution: Using livestock guardian dogs. Something like a Great Pyrenees that's big enough not to become eagle food, but also the kind of dog that doesn't have a high prey drive (or a herding drive). It would take some initial money and time to get started, but it seems like it could be a promising solution, especially since it is hard to imagine any other solutions that don't involve fundamental changes to the current system (like putting wire ups, thereby preventing the rotations of the chickens and cattle, which is a great idea).
I guess one concern would be that the chickens might get stressed out by a large dog hanging around them, but since they don't seem to give a shit about the eagles that keep swooping down and eating their fellow chickens, I have a feeling the dog won't bother them.
posted by litera scripta manet at 5:12 PM on September 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
Also, for once, the comments weren't too terrible either. In fact, one of the commenters suggested an interesting solution: Using livestock guardian dogs. Something like a Great Pyrenees that's big enough not to become eagle food, but also the kind of dog that doesn't have a high prey drive (or a herding drive). It would take some initial money and time to get started, but it seems like it could be a promising solution, especially since it is hard to imagine any other solutions that don't involve fundamental changes to the current system (like putting wire ups, thereby preventing the rotations of the chickens and cattle, which is a great idea).
I guess one concern would be that the chickens might get stressed out by a large dog hanging around them, but since they don't seem to give a shit about the eagles that keep swooping down and eating their fellow chickens, I have a feeling the dog won't bother them.
posted by litera scripta manet at 5:12 PM on September 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
Could you use Golden Eagles? Fight fire with fire (eagles with eagles)?
posted by zakur at 5:20 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by zakur at 5:20 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I understand that it's illegal to kill bald eagles in the USA, or even possess their feathers unless you're "of certifiable American Indian ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe".
That's a shame, because he could probably make a nice thing out of eagle farming.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:24 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
That's a shame, because he could probably make a nice thing out of eagle farming.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:24 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
If the eagles are taking turkeys now too, just go for broke and get some emus then some ostriches and see if you can create super eagles that can actually manage to get a smaller cow. Like a weightlifting program for birds of prey
posted by mattamatic at 5:28 PM on September 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by mattamatic at 5:28 PM on September 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
I understand that it's illegal to kill bald eagles in the USA
No it isn't. You just need a permit.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:32 PM on September 26, 2016
No it isn't. You just need a permit.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:32 PM on September 26, 2016
They use chook dogs in Australia to protect chickens from eagles, dogs, and feral cats!
posted by rockindata at 5:36 PM on September 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by rockindata at 5:36 PM on September 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
There was also a great thing posted here about using the dogs to protect penguins- aka "chooks in dinner suits."
posted by rockindata at 5:37 PM on September 26, 2016
posted by rockindata at 5:37 PM on September 26, 2016
Here is the FPP about the penguin dogs
posted by rockindata at 5:39 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by rockindata at 5:39 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
"White Oak, where the trees rain guts" was as far as I got.
posted by tommasz at 5:44 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 5:44 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have a feeling the dog won't bother them.
My high energy spastic red heeler leaves my chickens alone, and they reciprocate by walking over her when she's laying on the lawn. She does love to chase magpies, though. We have red tailed hawks, owls, and occasionally a big golden we see frequently, and I've not lost a chicken yet.
Perhaps the dog really is useful!
posted by BlueHorse at 6:31 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
My high energy spastic red heeler leaves my chickens alone, and they reciprocate by walking over her when she's laying on the lawn. She does love to chase magpies, though. We have red tailed hawks, owls, and occasionally a big golden we see frequently, and I've not lost a chicken yet.
Perhaps the dog really is useful!
posted by BlueHorse at 6:31 PM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Bald Eagles have no natural predators. They are themselves apex predators. Like us.
While it might be theoretically possible to legally kill a Bald Eagle with a permit, good luck getting one. It will not happen.
posted by Bringer Tom at 6:56 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
While it might be theoretically possible to legally kill a Bald Eagle with a permit, good luck getting one. It will not happen.
posted by Bringer Tom at 6:56 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's good to see the baldies making a strong comeback, but also, it's sad about the chickens, especially considering these are chickens being farmed the right way.
posted by turbid dahlia at 9:08 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 9:08 PM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
It is so hard to get a bald eagle hunting permit (sorry, non-purposeful take permit) that the issuing agency says:
The 2009 permit regulations do not provide an optimal framework for authorizing incidental take under these circumstances. There is a general perception that the current permitting framework does not provide enough flexibility to issue eagle take permits in a timely manner. Indeed, few programmatic permits have been issued to date [between 2009 and 2016] When projects go forward without permit authorization, the opportunity to obtain benefits to eagles in the form of required conservation measures is lost and project operators put themselves at risk of violating the law.
posted by zippy at 3:48 AM on September 27, 2016
The 2009 permit regulations do not provide an optimal framework for authorizing incidental take under these circumstances. There is a general perception that the current permitting framework does not provide enough flexibility to issue eagle take permits in a timely manner. Indeed, few programmatic permits have been issued to date [between 2009 and 2016] When projects go forward without permit authorization, the opportunity to obtain benefits to eagles in the form of required conservation measures is lost and project operators put themselves at risk of violating the law.
posted by zippy at 3:48 AM on September 27, 2016
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posted by sammyo at 3:41 PM on September 26, 2016 [22 favorites]