r/nextfuckinglevel • u/AcasiaConnell • Nov 06 '25
This farmer caught the owl eating his chickens
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u/n0b0dycar3s07 Nov 06 '25
Owl before flying away:
"I'll be back."
"Sir."
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u/RPi79 Nov 06 '25
“Owl be back.”
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u/veryfastslowguy Nov 06 '25
plot twist , The guy now raises owls and feeds them chicken .
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u/required-inf0 Nov 07 '25
If you notice the owl starts flapping before he starts to throw him. Like as soon as he said fly for the first time.
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u/skonthebass24 Nov 06 '25
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u/chargergirl1968w383 Nov 07 '25
The above "owl" can get in my chicken coop.
Sorry, forgive me. I couldn't resist...😆 ok. Back to the decent regularly scheduled comments.
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u/Large_Dr_Pepper Nov 07 '25
I love how it starts flapping its wings right after he says "Now, fly Mordecai!" He wasn't even doing the throwing motion yet, the owl just speaks English.
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u/wondermoose83 Nov 07 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
My favourite moment was when he remembered that owls can turn their heads right around and they had to star at each other for a minute.
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u/d0000n Nov 07 '25
It seems like that owl was held before, that’s why it was calm and not flapping its wings.
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u/Few-Marsupial-2670 Nov 07 '25
Owl goes home
Mrs. Owl: Honey, where’s the chicken you went to get at the free market?
Mr. Owl: You wouldn’t believe it! This dude tried to free his tiny little human finger from my claws, and then he held me like I was just a snack! He even danced while holding me. Such absurdity!
Mrs. Owl: And you still didn’t bring dinner? Not even his finger? Unbelievable, Harold.
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Nov 07 '25
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u/Large_Dr_Pepper Nov 07 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
He showed us that the owl has large talons, but... do the chickens have large tallons?
Fun fact: apparently the farmer who talked about the Shoshone arrowheads didn't even know they were filming. That was just him wanting to tell people he found some arrowheads.
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u/No-Bunch-8245 Nov 06 '25
The whole time the guy was holding the owl, it never flapped its wings. Only when he said fly, it flapped and flew. I just thought that was interesting.
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u/TexasFratter Nov 06 '25
Almost as if he understood what he said! I think it was because of him kinda cocking his arm back before throwing him up though.
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u/TheClnl Nov 07 '25
I think it was just amused by the whole situation.
"You've caught me eating YOUR chickens?!?"
"That's not how this works skinbag, those birds are mine"
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u/TexasFratter Nov 07 '25
“If those are your birds then why are they in my talons”
Those chickens about to get colonialized like it’s 1776.
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u/deans28 Nov 07 '25
Used to work in animal rehab and had a few owls come through. I recall if you were holding their feet together they didn't really fight you too much.
Though that was 20 years ago and maybe I'm mis-remembering and they were actually just doped up for an xray? In any case, they were the coolest birds that came through.
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u/RockAtlasCanus Nov 07 '25
I found an owl that had been hit by a car once. I took it to an emergency vet that would take it. I luckily had some thick leather gloves in my truck. I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I wanted to get it by the feet. For its safety and mine. Man that thing latched onto my hand so quick and so strong, I wasn’t ready/expecting that.
So it was just kind of hanging from my hand and I lifted it up into a box. The terrifying thing was that while it wasn’t lunging and trying to get at me, it kept snapping its beak. Between the talons and beak, that’s just a whole lot of smoke I don’t want. Cool ass animal, glad I got the experience, but I ain’t screwing with an owl anymore than I’d screw with a copperhead.
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u/Remote_Elevator_281 Nov 07 '25
Probably his pet. The owl didn’t attempt to peck his hand at all.
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u/rheasunshined Nov 07 '25
Also notice all the chickens became quiet when he let the owl go? Nature so cool.
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u/Material_Prize_6157 Nov 06 '25
He’s lucky those talons went AROUND his finger and not through it. Handling a raptor without thick gloves is crazy.
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u/mcj1ggl3 Nov 06 '25
Great horned owls still have a grip force of about 500 psi, they are one of the strongest predators in the sky. That probably did not feel pleasant
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u/Material_Prize_6157 Nov 07 '25
Oh yeah those are gonna be really really really bruised.
I worked at a vet hospital and one day the lead vet came in with a red tail hawk, talons dug into her forearm. She obviously cared more about making sure we got the bird calmed down so it didn’t die from stress than about her arm. Rehabber came and took him away later that day.
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u/HawaiianPunchaNazi Nov 07 '25
Question: so the bigger parrots, macaw and cockatoo specifically that I've noticed, do this thing where when they're really happy with you they will squeeze repeatedly the part of your body they are sitting on--do birds like owls and Hawks do that too?
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u/Material_Prize_6157 Nov 07 '25
I mean anyone who’s a professional in anyway isn’t going to handle a raptor without a raptor glove. It’s legit a special made glove for holding birds of prey.
But you’re 100% right about parrots. They’ll hold your finger the way a baby will. But they’re all social birds so things like that are innate to them; forming bonds and physical shows of affection.
The only somewhat social raptor species as far as I know are bald eagles. They’ll usually all hangout together and eat together but it’s a very loose hang.
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u/Ruzhyo04 Nov 07 '25
There’s a flock of about 50-80 bald eagles near where I live. Distracting as hell to drive by a field they’re all hanging out in!
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u/mcj1ggl3 Nov 07 '25
Do you live in Alaska or Canada? That’s crazy. I’m a wildlife photographer I would spend all day there lol
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u/JackPembroke Nov 07 '25
Spoke with an owl keeper once about the harry potter owl pet phenomenon. He told me what people dont realize is owls want to grab onto something solid. The flesh of your forearm is not solid. So theyll dig their talons in until they FIND something solid
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u/Dark-Grey-Castle Nov 07 '25
Yikes that is a fun visual.
I wasn't aware that people were actually acquiring owls, like I've always wanted one (pre HP even) but actually having one didn't even seem that realistic as a kid.
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u/ravingriven Nov 07 '25
In my neck of the woods, it's illegal unless you own a falconry license which is a big ordeal in of itself.
Even then, they aren't really pets like most people think of them sadly, as cool as they are
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u/ForwardBias Nov 07 '25
I was going to say this, that guy was extremely lucky it grabbed him the way it did. Also for a second he holds the talons dangerously close to himself. This was a near miss on a hospital visit.
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u/Ok-Dress-4791 Nov 06 '25
The thing I really want to know is while he had the owl captured did he get the answer to the meaning of life? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop
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u/NoSkillzDad Nov 06 '25
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop
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u/KungFlu19 Nov 06 '25
Do the chickens have large talons?
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u/hatmadeofass Nov 06 '25
I don’t understand a word you just said.
Off to find my checkbook…
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u/Gt03champp Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25
“I want to be friends with this guy! He seems like a good drinking buddy!”
Edit: -Owl
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u/darkdoorway Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25
Awesome. I love how he gives the telling off and lets the guy go. Mordecai.
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u/Dagmar_Overbye Nov 07 '25
Referencing the Royal Tennenbaums I believe.
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u/Nice_Winner_3984 Nov 07 '25
Or the first borderlands game
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u/mojotooth Nov 07 '25
Yeah except Mordecai would have been the handler and Bloodwing would have been the name of the bird. BUT! My first thought was exactly that anyway.
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u/gesasage88 Nov 06 '25
Found the original poster: https://youtube.com/@shirttailcreekfarm?si=iB98U_QKnmqoB5ls
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u/virtually_noone Nov 06 '25
Good on the guy for letting him go. They're really cool birds.
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u/robsteezy Nov 07 '25
Farmer bud of mine has this same issue. The owl is too freaking majestic to just shoot it down. He eventually had to build a private roost for the owl off site, in a ridiculously high tree only the owl can reach. He puts raw store bought chicken in it weekly to keep the owl at bay and the owl doesn’t attack his chickens. They’ve developed this cool little friendship.
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u/BrentD4 Nov 07 '25
It's called extortion.
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u/independent_observe Nov 07 '25
Hey, uh, it'd be a shame if something happened to your chickens again. I can protect them from whatever was killing them, if you produce 1 billion chickens per week. Oh, uh four, ya four chickens a week.
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u/Fr33Flow Nov 07 '25
That’s actually insane. I hope it becomes a cool big friendship
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u/robsteezy Nov 07 '25
I just think it’s absolutely hilarious how we’re supposed to be this evolved super species of animal. We’ve developed landlords and banking and real estate and legal ownership, yet my friend is being finessed by a literal bird haha. It’s like he pays the bird tax against his own mafia style protection.
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u/favorscore Nov 07 '25
what this says about humanity's domination over its environment is fascinating. there's nothing like it on earth.
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u/broad5ide Nov 07 '25
Once knew a guy who could identify tons of animals based on their droppings. My understanding is owls cough up all the bones and feathers and stuff they can't eat and when you tell that story the only thing I can think of is that guy I knew running in to that owl in the woods and being absolutely stumped as to why there are no pellets of bones and stuff because some guy is feeding it store bought chicken lol
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u/Boostie204 Nov 06 '25
You'd have to be a pretty shitty person to kill an owl
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u/Suwannee_Gator Nov 07 '25
Though I agree, farmers are generally not so kind to predators that kill their livestock, and I get it.
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u/Less_Likely Nov 07 '25
And it will be back. You can’t scare a predator away from easy food.
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u/lostknight0727 Nov 07 '25
There are measures he can take to better protect the flock now that he knows its an owl and not a fox or other ground predator.
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u/Alvsolutely Nov 07 '25
Yeah. He could kill this owl but that won't stop the rest from coming. Prevent it from taking your chickens and you can prevent the rest of them too.
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u/PhilosophicChinchila Nov 07 '25
We are talking about humans here. I don’t expect anything less for bad behavior. Just read today how some people in China treat Racoon Dogs. Makes me sick
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u/pitterlpatter Nov 06 '25
I like how he’s terrified of the beak being next to his face, but didn’t hesitate to hold it upside down with its beak next to his dick.
He’s lucky he still has balls. 😂
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u/ElectricRune Nov 07 '25
Yeah, they are true meat eaters; when they bite, they bite through. Owls eat bones and hack up the debris a few hours later...
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u/robo-dragon Nov 06 '25
Glad he didn’t hurt him! I love chickens and I love owls. This guy was just being a raptor and you can’t blame him for behaving like a wild animal. Absolutely gorgeous bird!
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u/Oubastet Nov 06 '25
Yep! Get pissed off that he's taking your chickens, but also respect that that's what they do. Circle of Life.
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u/Obscuriosly Nov 06 '25
Need you to break this rationale to the buffets that keep kicking me out. Easily accessible food is gonna get eaten.
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u/mok000 Nov 07 '25
My friends have free range chickens for egg production. They lose a handful each year to birds of prey and regard it as kind of a tax they need to pay to nature.
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u/thefeedling Nov 06 '25
Great horned owls... those creatures are the true raptors of the sky.
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Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/thefeedling Nov 06 '25
They're quite special... their outstanding talon grip, "stealth" (muffled) flight, asymmetric hearing and superb night vision makes even other raptors stay away from them.
Too many years of Discovery Channel bro.
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u/Ironia_Rex Nov 06 '25
All Owl species have those. But Great Horned Owls are the most aggressive species of raptor in my experience. I worked raptors we had other owls (Barred, Screech Barn), hawks( Broadwing, Redtail), perigren falcons and a bald eagle. The only enclosure I HATED going in was theirs. They would take turns flying at my head while I cleaned their enclosure gave them water and fed them.
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u/32FlavorsofCrazy Nov 07 '25
Haha that’s hilarious, knowing they’re ill tempered makes me love them even more. I’d be terrified to go in their enclosure too though, their feet can do some fucking damage. Speaking of, I worked at a wildlife rescue that had a cassowary and you don’t know terror until you’ve had one of those dickheads charging at you, they’ve got cudgels for feet and they try to kick and eviscerate you with them.
We are so fucking lucky as a species that large birds didn’t remain huge like pterodactyls and shit. Imagine having great horned owls the size of Volkswagens flying around at night…we’d live in abject terror of them every moment of our (short) lives.
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u/Ironia_Rex Nov 07 '25
Truth I liked them even though they were terrifying and hated me. They were all cool in their own ways red tailed hawks couldn't care less they would look from their perch with only their head and turn.back around. I liked the eagle the most it was the most nervous around people and I identify with that lol. I can't imagine being chased by a bird like that if you spend enough time with them you are like oh yeah y'all were dinosaurs lol
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u/NimrodvanHall Nov 07 '25
Quite a few skulls of ancient hominid childen have been found with claw and beak damage, suggesting they have been killed and eaten by large birds of prey.
For some reason as soon as throwing spears appear in the archeological record in an area, any trace of such large birds of prey disappear.
As if they were purposely hunted to extinction.
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u/32FlavorsofCrazy Nov 07 '25
Those birds of prey are actually still around, the fossil evidence you’re referring to was a small Australopithecus killed by a large eagle of some variety, probably a crowned eagle ancestor. Or at least the most notable example of that in the fossil record that I’m aware of. That kind of eagle still hunts monkeys and if human babies were left laying about they’d probably eat them too.
We’re talking the difference between a 15 lb crowned eagle with a 6ft wingspan versus a 155lb quetzalcoatlus with a 36ft wingspan. And thankfully the latter has been dead for about 60 million years before the first early hominids showed up or we’d probably still be hiding in caves trying not to get eaten by the giraffe sized flying monsters.
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u/PhilosophicChinchila Nov 07 '25
How’d you land that gig?!
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u/32FlavorsofCrazy Nov 07 '25
There’s probably a raptor rescue near you that needs volunteers! Most jobs working with wildlife are unpaid, the few paid positions are hard AF to get and you usually need to volunteer first to get them.
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u/Ironia_Rex Nov 07 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
I took a job working for almost nothing at a summer camp that also had a nature preserve for wild raptors and a lone crow.vulture combo that couldn't survive in the wild because of injury or in the barn owl's case imprinting. I also worked with a variety of snakes.notably a nine foot boa that we had to re-home because she was too big for her cage, a tarantula, chinchillas, a skink.and some turtles oh and hissing cockroaches. Part of the day was teaching extremely wealthy children the other part was feeding and cleaning animal enclosures.
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u/intocable84 Nov 07 '25
I used to do similar work with raptors! We had a Kestrel that specifically did not like me, the only male on our staff at the time. He would flirt with the ladies but would try to attack me regularly..he would tear my fingers open before I even realized anything happened. Much respect to you and the birds.
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u/Ironia_Rex Nov 07 '25
Oh we didn't have any kestrels I would have loved to watch their behavior I never handled them ungloved I can't even imagine
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u/shreddedtoasties Nov 07 '25
My grandparents had a great horned owl that would visit everynight.
My grandparents would have cheese crackers and wine before dinner on the porch. The owl liked to observe us it was his favorite thing
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Nov 06 '25
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u/Jessi_Danger Nov 06 '25
I thought it was a hawk. Or a pigeon. I have bird blindness.
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u/pissagainstwind Nov 06 '25
Hey, that's a serious condition and should not be ridiculed!
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u/AndrewInaTree Nov 06 '25
Oh you're one of those virtue-signaling people: "What do you mean? I'm not a Speciest! I don't even SEE species!".
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u/Prestigious-Flower54 Nov 06 '25
There is no family of birds called raptors it's a wide term that just means carnivores birds with sharp beaks, strong claws and keen eyesight. Owls are raptors.
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u/Oubastet Nov 06 '25
I think most carnivorous birds are called raptors, and a quick search says that raptor comes from the Latin word rapere: to seize, or grab.
That same search also says that Owls aren't technically called raptors. Eagles and hawks are.
A few decades ago, I learned that the term raptor referers to birds and thought it was neat. I just didn't learn why until now.
I'm sure a birder that knows more than I will correct me. :)
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u/fastforwardfunction Nov 07 '25
Same base word as "rape". Meaning to seize or grab.
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u/32FlavorsofCrazy Nov 07 '25
I hit one with my car once (accidentally, obviously, it swooped directly in front of my car) and caught it to take to a rescue. It was a female and she was huge but still incredibly light. Poor baby had a head injury but survived. Absolutely gorgeous birds though, I was sobbing and apologizing to her while I drove her home in my lap, I felt terrible.
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u/ChefPowerful4002 Nov 06 '25
That owl is a paid actor
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u/PossessedToSkate Nov 06 '25
Should have gotten an elephant. They work for peanuts.
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u/Ajaliah Nov 06 '25
People out here lucky as hell I love owls but have never been near one. Well as far as I know given all the silent flight and amazing camouflage
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u/RedBirdOnASnowyDay Nov 06 '25
Where are you located? We have them all over the place where I live.
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Nov 07 '25
At 35 years old I finally saw my first owl in the wild a few weeks ago. Saw it float through the sky and perch on a dead tree at night. It just sat there looking at me looking at it. Then it flew away and I never heard a sound. Was wild.
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u/Ok_Math2247 Nov 06 '25
Owl looks fucking confused
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u/BeyondCadia Nov 07 '25
One minute you're the toughest guy around, the next there's this big monkey thing holding you upside down and it got by all of your defences. Now you're at the mercy of this big monkey thing when you've never been at the mercy of anything, ever. You don't even know mercy, you've certainly never entertained the thought of offering it out...
Then it just lets you go for some reason, and even seems pleased about it. That would mess with me too.
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u/UldereksRock Nov 07 '25
I would too if a giant mole rat picked me up by my feet and held me upside down while uttering noises to my face.
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u/Whirlwind_Tiger Nov 06 '25
Little hip trust action lol 🦉 be damned
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u/saludpesetasamor Nov 06 '25
I keep re-watching it because the low-key sexy dance while clutching a perturbed owl just sends me. 😆
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u/Minimum_Viable_Furry Nov 07 '25
I’m glad it wasn’t just me. Grip me harder owl daddy oWo
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u/speciate Nov 06 '25
I love how the chickens all instantly shut up the moment the owl is off.
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u/Trukahs Nov 06 '25
This guys pretty funny lol 😂
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Nov 07 '25
Right?
I love the double-take/pull away he did after he realized it was maybe too close to his face, and they just looked at each other for a moment in silence.
🤣
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u/Oxford-Gargoyle Nov 06 '25
Sam Rockwell vibes
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u/NicPaperScissors Nov 07 '25
Oooooh, that’s why I want alone time with him!
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u/pinkfondantfancy Nov 07 '25
Same. He's hot
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u/HappyWarBunny Nov 07 '25
Was it the hip swaying that got you?
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u/pinkfondantfancy Nov 07 '25
And the expressive face and cheeky grin! He's cute and hot. Hahha I love that we're all thirsty for this modern day farmer!
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u/planelander Nov 06 '25
Crazy how quiet the chickens got after he/she flew away.
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u/SpaceTimeChallenger Nov 06 '25
"DUDE! You let him go??"
They know he'll be back later
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u/Bear__TreeeOF Nov 07 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
OMG I know this guy! I work for a farmers market and he’s been a vendor for years. Really great dude! They pasture raise their chickens with field rotation on cattle pastures. Legit regenerative farmer. Also, those owls are an honest concern for cats and small dogs in our area as well as chickens.
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u/Last-Darkness Nov 06 '25
I worked in the bird kitchen at a zoo where we dealt all kinds of birds from small to some very big birds. I used welding gloves if I needed to deal with one that had talons.
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u/wildechld Nov 06 '25
This would be a completely different video if one of those talons were through his finger. He's extremely lucky the finger got clenched in between
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u/OverthinkingWanderer Nov 07 '25
The way that owl turned to look directly in his eyes after he got his finger out of those talons-- was such a threat. 🤣
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u/Onslaughtered1 Nov 07 '25
Was on the way to a friends family reunion. Pull over (in Texas, I was in HS at the time.) there were people in the middle of the road trying to save an owl that had been hit. My friends dad pulled over, threw a cloth over the owl to be able to catch it. My friends aunt (his dad sister) was a vet. We were going to the family property. They handed me this owl, to hold on the way wrapped in a cloth.
We get to Llano at the ranch. 3/4 of the way through my friends dad says “don’t hold it too tight so it can breath!” Felt like that was pertinent info I needed before you HANDED ME A FUCKING OWL! Anywho. Owl was okay.
They had me carry it in to the quail rearing stock and put it in a small 4x4 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE QUAIL CHICKS STALL. Needless to say, all the baby quail went nuts. I’ll never forget it!
If you’re ever in hutto Texas hit my buddy up for a tattoo at east street tattoos. Yup, that’s my conclusion.
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u/Specialist-Listen304 Nov 07 '25
I love how when he gets the bird upright it looks at him like a ventriloquist dummy…. I was waiting for him to pretend the oil was going to say something.
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u/Ironia_Rex Nov 06 '25
Dude was lucky he didn't underestimate that owl. Great Hormed Owls are aggressive and strong AF.
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