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Deer Hollow Farm at Rancho San Antonio, Cupertino CA

ebarrows • May 15, 2017

Our mission to photograph the perfect hen brought my husband and I to Deer Hollow Farm in the foothills of Mountain View and Cupertino. After a quick Google Maps consult I found that the farm was only a half hour drive from home and in a park setting that I hadn’t explored yet. A perfect combo for a sunny day outside!

Open Field, Photo by Eva Barrows

The drive into Rancho San Antonio County Park passed several parking lots near the main road already full of cars. Continuing on we parked at the main lot near the bathrooms and trailhead. I stared at the trail system map and became puzzled at not spotting the location of the farm. My husband spoke with a jogger who confirmed that the farm was a mile into the park.

Lizard on Bark, Photo by John Barrows

From my previous light research on the area (I knew there were chickens…somewhere…) I didn’t realize we’d have to walk a mile in and out to visit them! The farm was closing within the hour so we put some speed on our walk.

Prairie Dog, Photo by John Barrows

Soon we walked by a large open field with tall grass. Hawks soared over the expanse with no treetops in their way. A prairie dog popped up in the middle of the field becoming the subject in one of my husband’s many photographs. The open land was the former site of St Joseph’s College which suffered Loma Prieta earthquake damage and was torn down. Abandoned tennis courts overgrown with weeds remain.

Forest walk, Photo by Eva Barrows

The path snakes back into the woods to follow a healthy stream trickling with water from recent rains. Eucalyptus trees shade the path and scent the breeze with their medicinal musk. The leaves of overhead trees swim in the wind current creating swooshing and cracking sounds.

Grant Brothers Cabin, Photo by Eva Barrows

As we walked around a bend in the forested path several small white wood paneled buildings greet us. We had made it to the farm! The Grant Brothers 1853 cabin is preserved and furnished with period items to show what early farm life was like.

With only about a half hour left before the farm closed for the day I spent a few minutes listening to the goats having a “baaa”-off where they all sounded tough and tried to outdo the other. I took a sound recording of them but forgot to take their picture!

Hen with Squirrel, Photo by John Barrows

The chickens are located inside the farm gate and behind the large white maintenance barn. At least thirty hens and a few roosters run around the yard and mostly hang out at the fence where they hope visitors will feed them. The entire group of birds ran inside the hen house thinking they’d get fed but it was a false alarm. So the chickens all ran back out together as a flock.

Huge Bunny! Photo by Eva Barrows

The hen’s next door neighbors are bunnies with one especially large furry brown bunny hopping around!

Large Pig, Photo by John Barrows

Across the farm yard there’s a pig shed with two gigantic tan pigs. The pigs ate at their troughs and from the farmers hand.

Picnic Area, Photo by John Barrows

Deer Hollow Farms is a great destination to enjoy the outdoors and be entertained by wild and farm animals. We came to the right place to accomplish our chicken photographing mission!

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