If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it crash, does it still fluster the chickens? That’s how the saying goes, right?

I’m a huge proponent of proactive forestry management. When we moved into our new property this year, there was far more work to be done with the trees than I knew I’d be able to get to before the winter came, so I tried my best to focus on the priorities. First and foremost, I wanted to be sure the house was clear of any trees that might fall on it or be difficult to remove once the house was built. The driveway was also cleared, so that any and all large vehicles could make their swing without scraping up their sides or hitting any low-hanging branches. Then too there were some outstanding dead trees and dangerous trees that I tried to get to, but was not a hundred percent with as they got further from the house. 

One tree in particular, however, was a split-Y cherry tree that grew on the edge of my property near where I now keep my chickens. There was a large and aged hole that you could look straight through near the crux of the split in the main trunks. I knew that the tree would eventually need to be dealt with, but seeing as we were out of the windy part of the farm, I decided I could get away with not doing anything for the summer at least.

But whether or not I decide a thing, the thing itself might have other ideas. In this instance, I was reminded very bluntly that if I don’t take control of the falling of the tree, then the falling of the tree would take control of me and my assets. 

If you have a chainsaw and the time, this is your official reminder to go cut the limb or tree that you’ve been putting off before the snow flies. It’s a lot easier when the weather is nicer.

Along my driveway, the tree sits on one side and my chicken houses sit on the other. When the wind kicked up this past week in an abnormal gust for our little corner, it managed to take half of the big Y tree down across my driveway, just catching the corner of my chicken hut and completely crushing my gate.

I have been scolded by the forces that be. My chainsaw has not been functioning all summer, nor have I had the time to rectify that. So in the wake of this minor calamity, I did as I have been doing and borrowed the in-laws’ tools. Upon arriving at the scene, I was surprised to find that Grandpa had cut up the main portion of tree in the road, but still left the crushed gate and top of the tree for me to contend with. My chickens were scattered, but not scared into going very far. 

After pulling the cord on the chainsaw enough times to strain my shoulder with not even so much as a chuckle from the motor, I gave up on the “convenience” and began wrestling the top of the tree from out of the gateway. It was hooked around the back of the building and weighed a few hundred pounds. After a bit of negotiation, however, I managed to skid it out of the entrance and drag it across the driveway where it still sits, wrapped in the mangled remains of my late gate. 

With the tree itself handled, I set to herding my chickens back in and shutting them in for the night. While I was doing this, I noticed my dog Winnie attempting to pounce on something in the rocks nearby. I shooed her away and looked down, seeing nothing in the evening twilight. As I finished collecting birds, however, she continued nosing the area with keen interest. I returned and got down on my knees to look under the rocks that barred her from whatever it was that had her attention. 

Peering back at me in the dim lamplight was a fluffed-up hen sitting on a clutch of nearly 30 eggs. It was clearly not her first time getting out of the pen…

The way out here we deal with as many problems as we can foresee in advance, but no one is infallible. Fortunately for me, I avoided the worse damage that could have occurred if the tree had landed just a few inches more to the right. And what’s more, I found a secret stash of eggs that I blocked access to in order to get my birds to lay where they ought. 

Overall, despite the trials, no chickens were harmed in the felling of the tree and life as we know it goes on at the farm. In a world going crazy over the election and more, it’s nice to have a small degree of control over the things that affect me most on a day-to-day. Chickens 2024!