The New Chicken Coop 09/04/2009
Even with Thor's help we are still loosing the odd bird. Time to stop putting off building the chicken coop! Using only items we could find on the old farm we put together a coop that should do the job.  Straw Bales plus...  a Roof...  Some Supervision...  and Anticipation, creates.... A Cozy Straw Bale Chicken Coop!          Thor 08/27/2009
 Thor is our young Akbash Livestock Guardian Dog. After loosing our turkey hen and some chickens to coyotes we decided we had better 'hire' a livestock guardian. There are a few options available when it comes to guarding livestock, such as llamas, donkeys, and dogs. Llamas were a definate no as they hate Neil (so he says). I would love a donkey but with close neighbors and the very close proximity of the sheep pen to our bedroom window that was out as well. So it came down to finding the right Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD). We spent time researching the different breeds that have been bred for hundreds, and some cases thousands, of years for this specialized job. It was a tough decision but from the information available online we choose the Akbash. Now even tougher was finding one! By happenchance there was an old ad online for Akbash pups in the Kootenays. We called the number and although they had sold the pups long ago they did have an 8 month old male pup that the breeder had kept for himself. Thor was born in a chicken barn and raised with poultry and sheep, as well as children and other dogs. To our great luck and fortune he decided to let us purchase Thor...and he just happened to be coming over to Creston in a few days! We have had Thor for a couple of months now and he is just perfect for us. He is very friendly to people, but raises all heck if a coyote comes near. Every day he gets better at his job, and we are amazed at his intelligence. Thor knows his job, needs minimal guidance from us, and has a pure gold heart. He spends his nights patrolling the field around our farmyard, and sleeps nearly all day.  Today is Freezercamp Day 07/05/2009
Our fryer rabbits are already 12 weeks old and ready to be processed. We are still new to this part of farming and find it emotionally challenging though it is something that must be dealt with in order to provide ethically raised healthy food for ourselves.  Our friend Tom is an apprenticed meatcutter. We are very fortunate to have his help on these days. If fact we have a few great friends who are willing to come out and help. The day goes by so much smoother with so many hands. Thank you.  Some of our chicks are now reaching fryer size as well, I think we may do the cockrels today along with a couple of old hens that are no longer laying. I just have to try to catch them! | Empty Cup Ranch
The trials and tribulations of learning to live simply on a small farm. One day at a time. ArchivesSeptember 2009 CategoriesAll |
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