If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that we once owned a farm where we raised pastured, soy-free, corn-free chickens, hens for eggs, a few dairy cows, pigs, geese, ducks, turkeys & a pretty big garden. We worked really hard, and made some stupid, newbie mistakes along the way. Jumping … Read more
We just sent out our first e-mail, offering to raise chickens with soy and corn and even GMO’s, only because we are not finding many customers who are willing to pay the price point for our chicken. It feels like we’re going against our own standards–buying a conventional type of feed, with soy and corn, and whatever … Read more
When we first purchased our farm, we bought “about 1 year old” chickens off of Craigslist. They were adorable, and it was a fun experience, but we have learned a lot since then. If you’re thinking about buying chickens, you might want to consider the advantages and disadvantages of buying day old chicks and the … Read more
photo credit Let’s say you’re convinced. You want chickens. You think they’re super cute, fun, and you’re up for this new project. And maybe you’re married to someone who does not feel the same as you when it comes to the idea of getting chickens. How do you convince this person that getting chickens would … Read more
I recently asked y’all on Facebook how much you spend on raw milk. The prices ranged from $3 per gallon up to $20. The break down is like this: 43% pay $7 or less per gallon 45% pay between $8 and $13 per gallon 12% pay over $14 per gallon We have 2 dairy cows, … Read more
When we first bought our property, I wanted to create a chicken feed that would not include soy or corn. I was not able to find a ready-made feed that worked for us, so I researched (a lot!) and came up with this ration. It works great for layers, but it does not have enough … Read more
In lieu of sharing Farm Photos this week, I want to introduce our newest Jersey, who we have chosen to name BUTTERCUP! 🙂 I showed her photo on Facebook and she went VIRAL! You guys loved her! I got more comments than I have ever had on any post-1,255!!! So let me introduce you to … Read more
Buying a dairy cow for the first time is a big deal! We bought 2 cows from trusted friends (thankfully!). Had we purchased from any stranger off of Craigslist, we might have purchased a dud cow. There are so many things to know about a dairy cow and keep the milk safe! Keeping a dairy … Read more
We just purchased a second Jersey. My husband met the previous owner at the vet, where he had testing done, and where he was able to ask a lot of questions. One particularly big concern in buying a dairy cow is Johne’s Disease (pronounced Yo-nees). It’s a disease that is identical to the human … Read more
So, you want to get a dairy cow, but you have no clue what kind to get. There are some things you need to think about when choosing a cow: do you plan to sell the milk? (Is it legal in your state?) If not, you probably don’t need a cow that produces large quantities … Read more