“We are never without food or something to snuggle and love around here,” says Allison Tolpa, founder of Sweet Cheeks Farm And Apiary in Chester, New Jersey.
The family farm originally developed from just “a garden and some chickens.” Then Tolpa rescued a mini-horse named Minimus. Next came a miniature donkey called Otis and then a pig known as Boris.
Now the venture has expanded to include a strong focus on bees and beeswax products.
We spoke to Tolpa about the positive lessons that children can learn from farming and becoming fascinated with bees. We also got the scoop on salted honey butter.
The meaning behind the name Sweet Cheeks Farm And Apiary comes from Tolpa’s children.
“At the time all three of my kids had the most adorable chubby cheeks,” she recalls. “The inspiration has always come from wanting to teach my children that they were capable of growing, creating and making their own food while instilling compassion in them with the love and care of animals.”
When Tolpa’s son Benjamin showed an interest in bees, she went along to a class with him. They subsequently purchased their first hives.
“Our passion grew from there, and we have now expanded from selling honey from a farm stand on our property to having seven bee yards in New Jersey and selling both wholesale and retail,” she explains.
“Benjamin was also accepted into the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell for this fall. We are very proud of him and know he will continue to do great things for this Earth.”
“The most interesting thing about bees to us is their complex social relationships and communication,” says Tolpa when asked about the fascinating nature of bees.
“They are able to communicate with each other with ease through pheromones and vibrations in order to keep everything in the hive running smoothly, from nectar and honey collection to building comb.”
When it comes to the role of the queen bee, Tolpa says that “even though she is called the queen, she does not really have the same authority that we think about when talking about human society.”
Instead, Tolpa says, queen bees fulfill a function as the “brood layer.” This in turn helps ensure the hive runs efficiently.
Sweet Cheeks Farm And Apiary recently posted to their Instagram account about a little something called salted honey butter. Tolpa says that honey should be “respected like a fine bourbon or wine.”
She adds, “We just love to enhance it and bring out the complex botanical qualities the bees already create with things like sea salt. It turns the honey into something slightly different but allows it to pair beautifully with an aged fine cheese or simply with a piece of dark chocolate.
“[It’s] two simple ingredients that can be integrated, leaving you with a healthier more complex option to salted caramel.”
“The most rewarding part is seeing the impact it has had on my children, as well as the children and families who come visit,” says Tolpa, reflecting on the joys of pursuing a family farming lifestyle.
“We teach a beekeeping class with a farm tour, and it’s so nice to see everyone amazed about the magic of honey bees. They leave here with a love and appreciation of them and the wonder of nature itself.”
Your local garden center may have plenty of yarrow and coneflowers, but what if you want something really different? Sometimes what’s old-fashioned feels altogether new. As it happens, many of the flowers our grandparents and great-grandparents grew are worth inviting back to our own gardens.
Less common, old-fashioned varieties of flowers naturally turn heads. Some add serious flair to bouquets. Some really pack a punch for pollinators. And others are irresistible to hummingbirds. Here’s a roundup of five old-timey types to consider.
Bells of Ireland
Sometimes called “shell flower,” bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) produces 3-foot-tall stalks covered top-to-bottom with striking, pale green cups. Buried deep within each cup is a tiny-but-fragrant white flower.
Susan Brackney
Bells of Ireland has a roughly 1-foot-wide spread, making it a well-behaved border plant. Because Moluccella laevis is so structurally interesting and delicately hued, it’s a nice addition to both cut and dried flower arrangements.
While you aren’t likely to find a six-pack of these bedding plants in stores, you can find bells of Ireland seeds. Keep in mind that they need cool soil temperatures and light to germinate. Also, germination can take up to four weeks, so be patient.
Once seedlings emerge, avoid overwatering. They’re susceptible to damping off.
Native to the Mediterranean region, bells of Ireland thrives in full sun and moist, well-draining soil. It may act like a perennial in parts of the southern U.S., but, for the most part, it’s a self-seeding annual.
Cleome
Cleome (Cleome hassleriana) likewise could be considered a perennial in warm climates. For the most part, though, it’s an annual with the potential to reseed. Cleome or “spider flower” grows up to 5 feet tall or more, and its leaves look a lot like those of cannabis.
Cleome produces a series of floral sprays in purples, pinks and whites that bumblebees, butterflies and other pollinators love. It also forms scores of narrow seed pods that arch away from the plant on threadlike filaments.
Cleome foliage is slightly sticky and pungent-smelling, but don’t hold that against it. It is, after all, a prolific and long-term bloomer. What’s more, Cleome hassleriana tolerates heat and drought conditions like a champ.
Cleome grows best in full sun and rich, well-draining soil. I’ve found that sowing seeds 2 to 3 feet apart directly in the garden is the easiest way to start cleome.
With bright, brain-like flowers perched atop sturdy, 3-foot-tall stalks, cockscomb (Celosia cristata) is another standout among old-fashioned flowers. (Incidentally, you may have seen “celosia” or Celosia spicata for sale at your local garden center, but this usually refers to a slightly different kind.)
Susan Brackney
Available in deep burgundies, pinks and even oranges, cockscomb is attention-getting in fresh and dried bouquets. (But, while dried cockscomb retains its shape and structure well, its color will fade.) Cockscomb is a reseeding annual, but it may work as a perennial in warmer climates. It tolerates high heat well.
Planning to grow cockscomb? You can direct sow seeds about 1 foot apart or germinate seedlings in warm growing medium. Germination usually takes about 10 days.
Four O’clocks
Native to Peru, four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) are a bushy, tender perennial covered in trumpet-shaped flowers that hummingbirds adore. Four o’clocks are so named because the flowers don’t open until late in the day. Once open, they release their heady fragrance, remain open all night, and close up at dawn.
Once established, Mirabilis jalapa likes to spread out. A single plant can grow to be 2 feet wide and a few feet high. It also can withstand a fair amount of heat and drought.
Four o’clock flowers are usually pink, red, white or yellow. Some individual plants may include multiple colors. There are also variegated color combinations.
Still, the closer you stick to open-pollinated, heirloom varieties, the better. (The quality or amount of a variety’s nectar can be negatively affected by too much manipulation.)
You may know hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) when you see them, but have you considered growing these old-fashioned flowers yourself? Reaching up to 8 feet with a profusion of saucer-like flowers, they’re another hummingbird—and pollinator—favorite.
But they’re technically biennials. That means they usually won’t flower until the second year of their life cycle. But once they do? Hollyhocks are head-to-toe with 4-inch blossoms in a range of shades, including creams, yellows, reds, pinks and even a glossy black.
Can’t find plants for the variety you want? Simply press seeds onto warm, moist growing medium. (Hollyhocks require light to germinate.) In two weeks, you should have seedlings, and next year, you should have blooms.
Alcea rosea can self sow. However, so you’ll have plenty of simultaneous bloomers, you might want to set out additional, new plants annually.
Chickens, like humans, experience the stress response, an amazing phenomena for survival. The brain encounters a threat, and the body goes into fight-or-flight mode, releasing stress hormones.
Blood pressure goes up, heart rate and breathing increase, muscles tighten, senses sharpen and digestive activity decreases.
While this is good in the short term, it’s unhealthy in the long term and can cause health issues. Keeping stress at bay is a must for a long, healthy life, even for a chicken flock.
Protection from Predators
Predators are a huge stressor to chickens and for good reason. Predators mean possible death. Fortunately, there are things to do to keep them at bay.
First, make sure all fencing and housing is secure. Despite its name, chicken wire isn’t the best option. It keeps chickens in but doesn’t keep predators out. Opt for something stronger such as hardware cloth.
Fencing should be securely fastened with no gaps where a predator could slip through. For protection from digging predators, bury fencing underground a few inches, and for protection from climbers and aerial predators, fence the top.
The chicken coop should be secure with any windows lined with hardware cloth and a secure coop door. A raccoon or the like can easily open a latch, so add carabiners instead. If using a house on the ground, make sure predators can’t dig under it.
Chickens with hatchlings will also be on high alert. Have a proper enclosure where they feel safe from predators and other nosy chickens.
Give chickens places to retreat if they see a predator. Provide things they can perch on and hiding places such as bushes or a wooden pallet propped against the fence. To lessen visual stimuli, create high, solid walls such as corrugated tin that block chickens from seeing predators.
Alternatively, hang an old curtain or tarp on part of the coop or grow a chicken-safe plant outside the coop that can grow over the side. Chickens will feel less exposed and more at ease.
Mike2479/Shutterstock
Know Your Chickens
Simply knowing your birds is an easy way to decrease chicken stress. Lily Starling, a farmer in Northern California, has been able to spend a lot of time getting to know her 25 birds’ individual personalities.
“It cues me much earlier as to when something is wrong, like illness or a larger predator sniffing around the perimeter of my place,” she says. Each evening, she sits outside the coop and reads while her hens go to bed.
Getting to know your chickens helps you know when something is wrong, and it also makes them more familiar with their caregiver, thus less stressed. Plus, it’s mutually beneficial: Many chicken-keepers find that watching their chickens is a relaxing pastime!
Good Nutrition
Good nutrition is a must for stress-free chickens. An improper diet can lead to malnutrition and health problems. Your flocks’ main food should be a well-balanced feed, along with some grit and oyster shell available free-choice.
Additionally, they can have some healthy scraps such as fresh greens, fruits or a small handful of chicken scratch to warm them up before bed. Avoid feeding junk food, too much scratch or treats, or frequent diet changes, as this can upset their systems.
Get the freshest feed possible. Also, check labels to be sure it’s appropriate for your chickens’ life stages. If feeling adventurous, make fermented feed for even more nutrition.
Always have food and water available. For busy lifestyles, automatic feeders and waterers may be a good choice, as they don’t need to be filled so often. Check periodically that they’re working properly.
Chickens have a higher body temperature than humans and at higher weather temperatures may experience heat stress. To prevent this, have a steady supply of water available. Electrolytes can be added to the water, if needed.
If you’re feeling fancy, make them frozen treats or add ice cubes to a water dish. Always have shade available, and keep the coop well-ventilated. Some chicken-keepers even provide fans or misters.
Chickens can also experience cold stress. In cold weather, they use up more energy and may even shiver. Make sure they have plenty of feed because they may eat more. Drinking water may need a heater to prevent freezing.
The coop should have protection from the elements such as rain, wind and snow. Have good ventilation in the henhouse, but there shouldn’t be any drafts blowing on the chickens. Use a good bedding to increase heat and keep up with cleanliness. The deep-litter method works well if managed properly. Part of the run can also be covered to keep it dry or to block wind and snow.
Consider picking breeds that are more adapted to your climate. Lists of cold-hardy as well as heat-tolerant breeds are widely available. For more at-risk chickens in harsh weather, consider bringing them indoors for a time.
CHATAMEE SURIYA/Shutterstock
Spacious Surroundings
A spacious coop or yard is a great way to keep chickens at ease because they naturally roam in the wild. Overcrowding increases stress, and chickens may become bored, aggressive and agitated. If the coop is too small, there’s no room to escape from bullying.
Furthermore, a small crowded coop gets dirty faster.
For a permanent nonmoving coop, the run should provide a minimum of 10 square feet per bird. For inside, try for at least 3 to 4 square feet per bird. People using chicken tractors get away with less as they move the enclosure often.
If chickens can safely free-range, just be sure they’re safe. Free-ranging provides them with exercise and extra variety in their diet.
Mental Stimulation
Boredom can be an issue for chickens and humans alike, so have some variety and toys available. This goes a long way to keeping chickens stress-free instead of cooped up with nothing to do.
There are so many options for entertaining chickens. Some easy ones are offering material they can scratch in, such as leaves, and offering some healthy food scraps now and again. Some people even do a compost pile in the chicken run with old vegetable scraps. Others have fenced gardens where their chickens can explore.
Ideally, all chickens know their place and get along, but sometimes certain chickens don’t. Multiple chickens may pick on one chicken and attack it, leading to injury or even death.
Some roosters may be overly aggressive with hens or each other.
Have an action plan for social issues within the flock. For serious issues, such as a chicken getting pinned down and brutally pecked by others, the flock may need to be split up. Leaving them together is dangerous and potentially fatal for the bullied bird.
Some people let their chicken become a house pet or have another coop to use as needed. Others get rid of certain birds altogether. Rehoming aggressive birds often works, as they come in at the bottom of the pecking order at their new home.
For less serious issues, simple coop adjustments may help. Have places where lower status chickens can escape such as perches or things to hide behind. Have multiple feed and water stations so chickens lower on the pecking order aren’t kept from eating and/or drinking.
Give chickens enough room in the house and run, and prevent boredom. Go slow with introducing any new chickens, and don’t add them to the coop right away.
For rooster issues, there are chicken saddles/aprons that can protect hens’ bare backs from roosters mounting them. Don’t have too many roosters for the number of hens. A commonly recommended ratio is 10 hens per rooster, but it can vary.
Elena Masiutkina/Shutterstock
Easy on the Egg-Laying
Egg-laying can be a huge stressor for chickens, so make the process easier. First of all, have a safe place where hens can lay in privacy and safety such as a nesting box. Make it comfortable with soft material—straw or pine shavings—and protected from the elements.
Make sure there are enough nest boxes. One nesting box for every four hens is a common guideline.
Consider letting chickens take their natural break from laying. Many stop laying in the colder months, but some people use artificial lighting to trick their bodies into laying. Consider letting your hens take that natural break so their bodies have time to restore.
If you want year-round eggs naturally, pick breeds known to lay through the cold months such as Brahmas and Canada’s Chantecler.
Make sure chickens have all the nutrients they need for egg-laying. Opt for a good layer feed, or for a mixed flock, a mixed-flock feed, with plenty of oyster shell or crushed eggshell available free-choice for the layers.
Water should always be available, as chickens need the hydration for proper egg production and laying.
Good Health
For stress-free fowl, make sure they’re in good health. Monitor them daily, and practice good habits such as cleanliness, a healthy diet and other preventative measures.
Research common illnesses and chicken health and prevention tips. Ill chickens are best safely quarantined from the rest of the flock. Have a place they can quarantine safely.
Be sure to quarantine new flock members for a few weeks, too.
Do chicken health checkups often. Check feathers for parasites. Signs of ill health include:
not eating or drinking
weight loss
abnormal droppings
coughing
sneezing
standing differently
abnormal behavior
Along with good care and prevention, have access to a vet who is knowledgeable about poultry. This may take some searching and calling around, but it’s worth it. Some vets will even visit on site, although it can be pricey.
Fecal testing of birds is an easy practice among chicken-keepers and can be done through a vet or through the mail.
Minimal Moves & Noise
One thing that sets chickens off like no other is moving large items. “If you lift a sheet of corrugated roofing or try to shift a small chicken coop with chickens around, they scatter far and wide,” says chicken-keeper Daniel Morris.
Afterward they take a long time to settle down. Morris recommends moving things when they aren’t around.
Additionally, sometimes people make the mistake of running around trying to catch a chicken, which just freaks it out and increases stress. Try to catch chickens in a more confined area or when they’re easy to get, such as while they’re relaxing in their coop.
Crouch down if possible instead of hovering over them like a hawk.
Another thing to do is minimize moving chickens in general. Chickens do well with a familiar routine. A move to a new place changes things up and chickens don’t know what to expect. Try to move chickens at least when the weather is not extreme, and give them time to adjust to their new surroundings.
Minimize additional changes like adding new flock members for a while after the move.
In addition to movement, noise can trigger the stress response in chickens. This can include things such as weed eating, lawn mowing or tree cutting. At my previous home, the city came to trim a tree by my coop and the noise and commotion really scared the chickens.
Have a plan for events like these, such as having an alternate place your chickens can go.
Although chickens will always have some stress just like everyone, keeping their stress levels low will help keep them alive and well for years to come. Hopefully, these tips resulted in some eggcellent insights on how to have more relaxed chickens!
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2021 issue of Chickens magazine.
One of the saddest feelings you can ever experience is to carefully plan and prepare for a party for months, only to have nobody come. Selling your first dozens to the public may not exactly be a blowout bash but, after all your hard work over these past few months, you’d be crushed if no one bought your—and your girls’—efforts.
Promoting your homegrown business is crucial to both avoiding being overrun with eggs and to provide you with a practical purpose for keeping your flock. Here are four ways to help you get the word out.
Streetside Sign
Your neighbors are your first and best target market, as they live close by and can easily become repeat customers. They may even be looking forward to buying your farm-fresh eggs. Let them know you are open for business with a streetside sign.
Signs come in so many varieties and range, from simple and straightforward to an expression of your personality. Many feed shops and farm-supply stores sell ready-made “Fresh Eggs” signs that you can hang from a hook on your mailbox or mount or suspend from a mini garden-flag pole.
Another option is a white-board or chalkboard easel that you can set out on egg-sale days. This will allow you to customize your sales messages. Let everyone know that Clara is proud to present her eggs, that you’re having a two-for-one sale, or that you’re open an extra hour.
If you choose a customizable sign, make sure to write your messages in large, easily read letters. Be aware, however, that just because your town or HOA allows for egg sales does not necessarily mean they permit streetside signs. A quick call will clarify whether you can set our your sign temporarily on selling days or at all.
Many public spaces, including markets, churches and gyms, feature community boards on which you can post flyers promoting your eggs. The advantage of posting on a community board is that many more people in your town will learn about your egg sales than simply those who live on your street.
The drawback is that your flyer will be competing with others hawking garage sales, puppies and car-wash fundraisers. A simple yet colorful flyer design will draw the attention of passersby. Keep their gaze by imparting all of your crucial facts in a glance.
You’ll be more apt to gain new customers by stating a quick phrase such as “Fresh Eggs $3/Dozen Every Thursday 10A – 3P 14 Main Street” than if you go into details about the breeds you raise, what you feed them, and why fresh eggs are better than storebought.
Make certain you create a detachable fringe of contact-info slips along the bottom of your flyer with “Fresh Eggs” and your phone number and street address.
In this digital age, it’s absolutely vital that you’re promoting your eggs on social-media. Many platforms exist, the best known being Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Opening an account only requires a verifiable email address.
Facebook allows you to post your photographs and videos, create recurring events, and create a group that customers can join to receive updates and announcements.
Instagram is a more visual platform, focused on photographs, quick visual “Stories” and 30-second video “Reels.”You can show behind-the scenes footage of your hens foraging, of eggs being packed for sale and much more.
Twitter is popular with businesses wanting to get messages out swiftly to their clientele. Food trucks and pop-up restaurants rely on Twitter to let customers know they’re open and where they are located. You can similarly use Twitter to let customers know you’re open for business, that you’ll be open for one more hour or that you’re offering specific specials that day.
The key factor to success in social media is that you need an existing client base to follow you and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. Relying on social media alone when you are starting out is like shouting into an enormous, noisy crowd. You’ll be lucky if anyone acknowledges you.
Business Cards
The modern business card goes far beyond simply conveying your business name and contact information. It’s a vivid collage of your best images on a 2-inch by 3-inch rectangle.
Not only can you entice customers with beautiful photos of your eggs and hens. You can use the reverse of the card as a frequent-buyer tracker or as a discount coupon. You may treat it as a referral your customers can pass along to their friends or whatever promotion you can devise.
Print your own cards at home using pre-cut card stock. Or have them printed for you by office-supply stores such as Staples or online printing services such as Vistaprint. Hand your cards out with each dozen you sell, and they’ll start promoting your delicious eggs on your behalf.
A lot of folks assume that we decided to adopt chickens because we were suffering from pandemic cabin fever. Our poultry plans actually began in the spring of 2019. But family travel and work schedules put it all on hold.
When things got locked down in 2020, our time was at hand!
Fortunately, we researched chickens in preparation for their eventual arrival and even had a “chicken tutor”—a friend with a farm, 200-plus birds and years of experience.
We just had to figure out where to house our birds.
Swinging into Action
We spent hours pouring over plans, blogs and farm-supply catalogs. We had long family discussions about where to put the chicken coop, how much to spend on it and where to get free supplies. None of us possessed carpentry skills, so we had to figure out how to build a chicken coop with a sturdy foundation to withstand winter in Vermont.
That’s when it hit us. We already had a sturdy foundation in the form of my son’s old swing set. It had been the perfect attraction for a tot. But for a blossoming sixth grader, the luster wore off, and he gladly donated it to the cause.
Elizabeth Craib
Chicken Coop Building Day
With the frame ready to go, we swung into construction. We used plywood to construct the floor of the chicken coop, which hung 3 feet off the ground in the place where the swings once were. We lined it with heavy hardware cloth to keep out unwanted guests.
A removable trap door was built in the floor with a ramp to give the girls access to their fenced-in yard below. The roof was made from plywood and two clear roof panels to let in extra light.
Leftover asphalt shingles gave our chicken coop a professional look.
To finish it off, we built two triangle-shaped doors—one at each end. The larger main door allows us to access the interior for daily feeding and water changes. At the opposite end, just next to the slide, we installed a smaller egg door that gives us access to the nesting boxes.
Downstairs, we added protective fencing all around to allow the flock to get some fresh air and sunshine.
At the end of May, our chickens arrived: three Wyandottes and two Ameraucanas, hatched in April and hand-raised on my friend’s farm.
We’re still in the first year of our chicken-keeping adventure. But so far our chicken coop has held up well.
Despite frigid winter temperatures, our ladies stayed snug in their chicken coop, nestled deep in their bedding. They gazed out of their skylight, dreaming of hot summer days ahead. Of course, we’d change a few things. But we embrace what has become our family’s work-in-progress.
Maybe this summer they’ll learn to use the slide?!
This article was contributed by Elizabeth Craib (and family) of Hartland, Vermont, and originally appeared in the May/June 2021 issue of Chickens magazine.
Garden hoses are a common sight on any hobby farm. They’re perfect for watering gardens, and some hoses can be put to use dispensing water for livestock.
But shopping for a garden hose isn’t as simple as it seems. There are many options and features to consider. Before buying a garden hose, here are six questions you should ask and answer.
Just how long a hose do you need? That depends on the distance you’re trying to span. Longer hoses naturally weigh more than shorter ones and are harder to move around and reel up. But extra length can come in handy.
For example, I water young fruit trees in my orchard using a 35-gallon leg tank in the back of a wagon. With a 50-foot hose on the end, I can reach more trees from a single parked location than when using a 25-foot hose.
Before settling on a length, consider where and how you intend to use the hose. Measure the distance you need to cover and buy accordingly. Remember, having a little extra length for wiggle room never hurts.
What is the diameter of the hose?
In this case, we’re less concerned with the overall diameter of the hose and more concerned with its internal diameter. Is water traveling through a 1/2-inch, 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch opening? The wider the diameter, the more water can flow through the hose at once.
But increasing the diameter makes the hose bulkier and heavier. So there’s a tradeoff in the ease-of-use department.
What material is the garden hose made of?
Vinyl, rubber, metal … hoses can be made from a wide variety of materials, with vinyl and rubber two of the most common. Vinyl hoses have plenty of positives in their corner, including low cost and easy maneuverability due to their lightweight nature.
Rubber hoses can be pricier and heavier. But they also last longer and tolerate temperature swings better than vinyl.
Are the couplings/fittings made of metal or plastic?
You should also consider the material used for the couplings/fittings at either end of the hose. Metal fittings (brass or aluminum, for example) are tougher and less likely to suffer damage than plastic fittings.
On the other hand, plastic fittings are widely considered easier to tighten, so that’s a factor to consider if you’re going to be frequently attaching and removing the hose from spigots.
Is the garden hose safe for drinking water?
Not all hoses are meant for dispensing drinking water. If you or your livestock intend to quench your thirst from the hose, make sure to purchase a hose rated as safe for drinking.
Some hoses up the ante with extra features to enhance their capabilities and ease of use. There isn’t much more annoying than a hose that kinks. So a kink-resistant hose is a good choice if you’ll be constantly dragging it this way and that around your garden.
Along similar lines, a memoryless hose is easier to maneuver (and wind up on a reel) than one that remembers (and refuses to abandon) its favorite twists and turns.
Others hoses are expandable and deflate to a compact size when not filled with water. Then there are soaker hoses, riddled with tiny holes to automatically dispense water throughout a lawn or garden bed.
Compare options and analyze which features might come in handy for your needs.
Consider all of these questions before buying a hose, and you’re bound to wind up with the perfect choice.
Last month was pretty much a whirlwind for us. We had 13 lambs in six days from seven ewes!
All the births went well. No problems arose that needed intervention. I have read that about 20 percent of all lamb deaths happen in the first 10 days of life, so I think this is such a crucial time in the lamb’s life.
We did have one case of a ewe having triplets and rejected one of her lambs for the most part. This little ewe lamb was smaller than her two brothers. But she was (and is) pretty scrappy.
She nursed a little the first few days, and I supplemented with colostrum and then with lamb milk replacer.
Family Time
After each of the ewes gave birth, I gave them some bonding time with their new lambs before checking each teat to make sure that milk/colostrum was flowing.
In most cases, a shepherd can expect everything to go smoothly. But sometimes, a waxy plug (that has prevented bacteria from getting into the udder during pregnancy) isn’t dislodged by the lamb nursing after birth.
In that case, you’ll need to help. Just milk the teat to remove the plug so the lamb can nurse.
Colostrum is very important to the health of a newborn lamb. According to Sheep 101, colostrum contains a high level of antibodies against a variety of infectious agents.
When a lamb is born, it doesn’t have its own antibodies. The colostrum provides those important protections.
This little lamb has become a definite “bottle baby. It comes running up to see me whenever I walk out in the pasture (or near the pasture) and cries very loudly. It’s a clear “feed me” sign, even when it’s not time for feeding!
Jana Wilson
Vaccination
Our little bottle lamb has already had a couple of CD&T shots to give her the protection that she did not get from mother’s milk.
I was lucky to be able to leave her out with the rest of the ewes and lambs so that she could have their company as she grew up. I also saw her sneak a few sips here and there from various ewes!
The rest of the lambs will get their first vaccine next week.
As for the ewes, they need some extra TLC after giving birth as well. Birthing makes ewes very thirsty, so I ensure they have plenty of water right after birth.
I don’t usually feed them hay or grain right away so that they can focus on bonding with their lamb(s). But in the days after, I make sure each ewe has plenty of grain and high-quality hay. This way, she can produce a good amount of milk for her lambs.
It’s really fun watching the lambs grow and change. In just a few short weeks they have gone from only needing milk from the ewes to becoming great foragers on the hay, grass and feed that their mothers also eat.
Summer Cut
We also finished shearing the ewes now that their lambs are about a month old. My husband and I do our own shearing–which isn’t easy, and the results are not as beautiful as a professional shearer.
However, with temperatures predicted to be in the high 80s this week, I’m really glad we were able to get everyone shorn. You don’t realize how hot that wool is until you are shearing and can pull away the shorn fleece. It’s quite warm next to the skin!!
We’re ready for the upcoming warm months of summer and looking forward to the changes in our ever-growing flock!
Highland cattle are an old heritage breed known to have grazed the rugged Scottish landscape since the 6th century. They played a significant part in the development and civilization of the Highlands of Scotland.
The Highland Cattle Herd Book lists pedigrees since its first publication in 1885, making Highland the oldest registered breed of cattle. The Scottish Highland Cattle Society, formed in 1884, lists most of the registered cattle as black.
Variety
Originally, two subgroups of Highland cattle existed, which today are merged into one. Ranchers raised the smaller, mostly black or brindled cattle, known as Kyloes, on the western island. The larger red animals lived on the Scottish mainland.
Today, you’ll find seven colors:
black
red
brindle
dun
silver
yellow
white
Highlands, a smaller-framed breed, tend to be docile and calm. They use their horns primarily for knocking down brush to graze on, predator control and scratching.
They are also excellent browsers, able to clear a brush lot with speed and efficiency. And they will eat what other cattle pass by.
The Highland breed contributed in a great way to the success of the American cattle industry. American cattlemen from the Western states recognized the natural qualities of this hardy breed. They imported them to improve the bloodlines of their own herds.
The first recorded importation into the U.S. occurred in the late 1890s. Many were brought to North Dakota in the early 1920s. Other breeds couldn’t survive the cold winters.
Highlands can adapt to change with the area, putting on a thicker hair coat in colder climates in winter or growing a less heavy hair coat in warmer regions and shedding it in summer.
The breed is a low-maintenance. Nevertheless, you must treat them like a bovine. With their thick hide and hair coat, they don’t need the extra grain to put on the back fat to help keep them warm in the wintertime.
Highlands can produce excellent beef and thrive with grass and hay, minerals and protein blocks to help balance their intake. They meat displays a vein-type marbling, and their milk is higher in butterfat, too.
Keeping your garden ready for planting is key to gardening success, as timely planting ensures your plants start growing on time in each season.
One of the most useful ways to manage your garden is in plots of multiple parallel garden beds. Below are three great strategies to keep your plots one step ahead of the game, so you stay ready to plant when you need to.
Permabeds (or Raised Garden Beds)
When you use Permabeds (raised garden beds made of earth), your garden is always easier to work in the spring. Why? It dries out sooner.
Also, beds are organized in the plot so that you can see which beds can be available sooner, either because they dry out sooner or because they have no weed pressure relative to other beds.
Cover crops are a great way of “holding” beds over in between your market crops, such as carrots or tomatoes. A cover crop holds the space available for the time when you need it by preventing the land from returning to weeds.
Any garden plot left for more than a few weeks will naturally return to weeds. But cover crops shade out these weeds.
Cover crops also act as a green manure. They fix nitrogen, phosphorous, organic matter and other essential nutrients, too. And they can provide a protective cover for the soil life beneath the Permabeds.
Unlike weeds, it is easy to turn cover crops into fresh garden beds, ready to plant into vegetables or fruit trees. This is because cover crops are a “known” ground cover. They have uniform growth and can be managed by timing a mowing to prevent seed set, followed by a tilling to integrate organic matter.
Tarps are powerful tools, appreciated by marker gardeners and serious home gardeners alike, to help maintain a state of readiness.Not only a poly tarp warm the soil earlier when laid over the Permabeds over the winter, but they also kill perennial weeds such as grasses and thistle.
Additionally, if there are heavy rains in spring, they prevent erosion and keep beds dry. With tarps, a gardener can easily work Permabeds, even the day after heavy rains.
When moving a garden into production, poly tarps can help quicken the decomposition of cover crops like winter rye, red clover and buckwheat. Then you can plant into a “clean” seed bed sooner without the bulky debris of cover crop residue (which makes it hard to seed fine seeds like carrots or arugula). And you maintain the benefits of improved soil organic matter.
These three methods, when used together, help the grower keep beds in a state of readiness for planting.First, we commit to raised beds that drain better and warm earlier. Then we cover crop them whenever possible to keep them out of weed and improve the soil. And finally, we can use poly tarps to further prepare and hold the beds in a state of readinedd for quick action in the field.
Listen in as farmer-chef-storytellers Amy Dawson and Mike Costello talk with host Lisa Munniksma about using food and farming to reverse the narratives we’ve all learned about stereotypes of Appalachia. Hear about Amy’s realization that she should look at the ham her family kept in her childhood home (on top of their laundry dryer) with the same pride afforded to world-renowned Iberico hams hanging in homes, restaurants and storefronts across Spain.
Amy and Mike talk about elevating Appalachian food traditions, which were born from a time of poverty and necessity, through the Farm & Forage Supper Club at their Lost Creek Farm and the traveling kitchen food and education events. You’ll also learn the devastating story of how the salt trout tradition and culture disappeared in West Virginia. And if you don’t know about salt-rising bread, listen to the end to hear Amy’s own story of a delicious bread with a stinky distinction.
