Photo © Flickr user brad.schram

As I was driving down the road this morning, I saw a massive red-shouldered hawk take flight and powerfully flap its wings as it flew along the road ahead of me and just above the treeline. I quickly realized it had just been in a tree within a hundred yards of my chicken coop, scoping out my hens to see which would make a tasty chicken dinner.

It's November, and the time of year that we have often lost a chicken or two to hawks - possibly this very same hawk, as he looked well-fed, mature, and large enough to at least attempt to make off with a full-grown hen. It's also the time of year that everything from fisher cats to raccoons to weasels are starting to get hungry, and looking to fortify themselves with whatever food is handy - and often, poultry look like an easy meal.

I put together some tips on keeping your chickens, turkeys, ducks and other poultry safe from predators. I hope those baby chicks you've nurtured into lovely young pullets begin laying very soon, and that they all stay safe from potential predators.

Do you live out of reach of DSL, cable or cell phones? I do. And as I sit here at the library because I've exceeded my 30-day bandwidth limit on satellite internet, I began to ponder whether I'm not the only ruralite who both needs to make a living on the farm, and lives on a farm out of reach of inexpensive broadband.

As a farmer, getting your business off the ground means having a website. And social networking has become central to getting the word out about your farm (when you're not actually in the field, which presents its own issues). There's even software for taking CSA orders online, which can streamline your workflow and simplify your life.

But none of it matters if you're stuck dialing in on an old, crackly phone line, or wasting valuable hours driving somewhere that has an Internet connection. What are your options if DSL and cable aren't available? From what I've found you have a few:

• Fixed wireless. Fixed wireless is a relatively new technology for Internet connections. It offers high-speed connections using radio transmitters and repeaters to boost signal to rural areas. With fixed wireless, you must have line of sight to another tower. This makes it challenging in hilly or mountainous terrain. This type of service is popping up in more and more places in rural Vermont - sadly, not where I live. My neighbors who live just a bit uphill from me can get it, though.
• Cellular. If you can get a cell signal (I can't), there are many new options for accessing the Internet via a data plan. Verizon offers this snazzy new Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that can connect up to five computers!
• Satellite. This is what I rely on. The two main satellite Internet providers are WildBlue and HughesNet. I've heard mixed reviews about each of them, but HughesNet is the only one with truly business-level options - beware, they come with a business-level pricetag. I have been using WildBlue, but after exhausting all the options by calling every provider I can find, yet again, to see if anything has changed, I may end up switching satellite providers.

That bring me to another tip: things change, and ISPs expand coverage constantly, so make sure you call every 6 months to a year to see if they've expanded coverage to your area yet. And, don't forget about the possibility of mobilizing your community to get Internet. Most small providers serving rural areas will tell you how many people they need on board to bring Internet to your town or area. See if you can whip up a little support for broadband, and things might change for your small farm.

It can be tempting to start farming without realizing what you're getting into. A few chickens, maybe some ducks, even a goat or a couple of sheep - it's all fun until you see that the reality is: you are going to have to kill an animal at some point. Whether it's putting an ailing duck out of its misery, or killing an animal you raised for meat, or culling your older hens that are done with their laying cycle - death is part of life on the farm.

As I've watched the chicken trend take off, I've often wondered about the other side of it: what will all these folks who are enjoying the new idea of having fresh eggs and laying hens do when those hens stop producing eggs in about two years? Feed them grain for the next six years and wait to get new hens because they don't have more coop space? Or will they embrace putting their layers in the stewpot and get a fresh batch of baby chicks?

Novella Carpenter, an urban farmer in Oakland, California, recently taught a class in chicken slaughter and processing in Kansas City, the Kansas City Star reports. Would-be farmers, urban and suburban homesteaders alike got to learn how to humanely end the animal's lives and turn them into food for the table.

Last year we raised our first batch of meat chickens, and I posted an article with step-by-step details on processing them. This year, we repeated the process but with about ten of our spent laying hens who were three years old. Laying hens can be a bit tough - these aren't roasting chickens like the tender, young, seven-week-old meat birds. They're excellent for long-stewing recipes like coq au vin, and make amazing chicken stock (you can then pick the carcass and use it for meat for a soup made with the stock).

My advice? Embrace the cycle of life and death on the farm. It's part of being a farmer. When you connect with where your meat comes from, and make sure to honor the spirit of the animal as it gives its life to nourish you, it doesn't seem as horrifying as it might at first blush.