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Meet the Farm Animals ... It's true that we grow mostly vegetables, but we know first-hand that farm animals are irresistable. If you come to the farm, you'll see some of these guys hard at work eating, playing, or maybe sleeping. We don't consider our farm animals pets - everyone has to do their share of the farm work - but we do consider them a crucial part of our farm "ecosystem".
Above Left: Our herdsire Wooly Dog Down's Tilsit - chocolate & white pinto Nigerian Dwarf Sired by Clover Springs Serenado out of Caprine Queen Roca Bleu
Above Left: Twin doelings born July 4, 2007, sired by Wooly Dog Down's Tilsit (photo above) out of MNG Mist Minis As Xpected Gem (shown in photo). Above Center and Right: Triplet doelings born November 15, 2006, sired by Wooly Dog Down's Tilsit (photo above) out of MNG Mist Minis As Xpected Gem (shown in photo at left). Occasionally we have purebred, registerable babies for sale. Price: $250 each. We have milked "Gem" (the mom), these babies come from good dairy lines and also make nice pets or farm companions. Please call or email for more sales information (631)523-6608 or farmer@gardenofevefarm.com A lot of people say that Nigerian Dwarfs originally came to the US as food for lions being sent over by ship to American zoos. A few lucky goats were left over and they became the foundation of the breed in the US.
We have a flock of about 500 laying hens on the farm at most times of the season. Sometimes we downsize in the wintertime and the older chickens are bought by neighbors for stew. Does this sound coldhearted? Do you eat chicken? We feel that both the animal and vegetable food webs are an integral part of the farm ecosystem. Our chickens are housed out in our fields where they spend their time eating clover that Chris has planted as a cover crop (to add nitrogen to our soil), bugs, and digging holes in the dirt. Anyone who has tasted eggs from pastured chickens raves about the difference from store-bought eggs - the yolks are very orange and the egg has a lot more flavor. Our eggs are higher in Omega-3's as well (this comes from the chlorophyll in the greens the chickens eat) so they're better for you, too!
We are going into our fourth year raising Bourbon Reds, and our first year of trying to breed our own chicks. They are beautiful birds (as you can see above) and since they fly, it gets pretty crazy around here just before Thanksgiving. Sometimes neighbors call us to tell us our turkeys are headed down the road, and they have ended up at other farmstands. (Human) baby Forest was herding turkeys when he was just four months old! The Bourbon Red turkey is named for Bourbon County in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region where it originated in the late 1800’s. The Bourbon Red was an important commercial variety through the 1930s and 1940s. As time went on, however, the broad breasted varieties were developed - the standard "Butterball" you see in the supermarket today. Commercial turkeys today gain twice as much weight in half the time as these heritage turkeys, and get so fat that they can't fly, can't breed, and can barely walk. These heritage birds, on the other hand, are real birds. They can mate naturally, forage for themselves, and because they grow more slowly their meat tastes fantastic! The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has placed the Bourbon Red on their list of rare breeds to "watch". Find out more at www.albc-usa.org
We have just two ewes, one is white and one is black. Border Leicesters are known for their long, soft wool that is excellent for hand-spinning. They aren't very common in the US compared to many commercial breeds, and are considered a heritage breed. The Border Leicester breed was founded in 1767 in England and were introduced into the United States by George Washington, who kept a small purebred flock of Leicesters and used the rams extensively in his flock of 800 head at Mount Vernon. However, the decline of the wool carpet industry in the 1940's resulted in reduced numbers of all longwool breeds including the English and Border Leicesters. By the 1970's, increased interest in handspinning and other crafts had rekindled interest in these unique sheep with their distinguished heads and long, curly, lustrous wool. Thank goodness!
In Feb 2007 we purchased two Maremma livestock guard dog puppies (sisters) from a breeder in Pennsylvania. This is a breed from the Italian Alps, which was developed mainly to guard sheep. We've been using them to guard our flock of about 500 laying hens and our thanksgiving turkeys from raccoons, weasels, and hawks. So far we've had mixed results. The Maremmas definitely scare away the predators. We know this for sure because the one and only night we didn't have them with the chickens, we lost 30 birds at once to a weasel. On the other hand, they have killed quite a few chickens themselves. It seems like the dogs were just trying to play with some of them, and others have been eaten outright. It doesn't help that the chickens are really really stupid, and no matter how we separate the dogs from the chickens, the chickens jump right in with them (and then get eaten). We're still working on this - if you have any experience to share, please contact us. Maremmas are similar to a Great Pyrennees dog, except - from what we hear - smarter and less aggressive towards people. Also their hair is not quite as thick, so they are more comfortable during the hot summer and hopefully won't pick up as many ticks. They are so rare in the US that they are not even recognized as a breed by the American Kennel Club, so they can't be shown. A lot of people think this is a good thing, because it means they are only bred for their working qualities, not their looks. They need lots of room to roam and live outside year-round. |
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