“I’m done with organic.”

“I’m done with organic,” said my dear friend Clarissa when she and I were talking on the phone this week about our chickens. We were comparing what we feed them. The cost of organic grain, at $23 a bag, makes me clean out the fridge more often to feed the chickens. There is great pleasure in watching the chickens enthusiastically explore variety in their diet as a result as well!

“Perhaps next time you could consider one of the older hens or better, a rabbit!”, I proposed to the hawk.

But, the conversation originally started because I was complaining about this big bold hawk that was in my valley. It had snatched a chicken and was proudly dismembering it in plain view from my kitchen window. When I went out to yell at it, it simply flew 24 feet above my head and sat on a branch watching me.  After I tried unsuccessfully to shoo it away, I initiated a discussion with the hawk - to no avail.

It seemed pointless, but I wanted to state my case to the hawk.

What case?

We have such a high mortality rate, is it fair to the chickens?

I want chickens that run around the yard, come running when I call, and give me eggs with pumpkin colored yolks.

Unfortunately, the chickens don’t usually last more than 2 years given that lifestyle.

To be fair, the hawk must want all of these things, too.

The thoughts went back and forth between Clarissa and me:

• “I think we should lock our chickens up in the hen house and leave them there.”
• “I am sick of fighting with the raccoons and the hawks all for a ‘free range’ egg.”
• “And let’s get rid of the organic grain while we’re at it!”
• “Heck, we might as well put them in cages with egg chutes so we don’t need to open the coop to collect the eggs.”
• “And let’s really stress ‘em out and force more egg production by keeping a light on at night.”

We’ll end up having a nursing home coop of non producing hens that live to a ripe old age of four years.

I think we should just give in to the hawks… All the while being grateful that we are able to pause and have these highbrow conversations with each other.