My Pastured Poultry

Thanks to my Dad's chicken coop, we were finally able to purchase chicks this spring. It's a lovely little coop that he made himself from scrap parts. He had two windows and built from there. Most of the pieces were found in dumpsters. My chickens have a room with a view.

I researched lots of homesteading books when I was deciding what breed of chickens to purchase. I knew I wanted some Buff Orpingtons. They are a dual purpose bird with decent egg and meat production. They are very good foragers. I mostly wanted them because they are so calm. This was important because I have a very loving and enthusiastic almost-two-year-old.

I wanted a rare/heritage breed, so I referenced my beloved American Livestock Breeds Conservancy http://albc-usa.org/. I chose Dominiques. They are considered the original American chicken breed. http://albc-usa.org/cpl/dominique.html They are excellent foragers and are known to hatch their own eggs. This was an important trait, since I want a self-sustaining flock.

Lastly, I wanted colored eggs, so I threw in some Aracaunas. They are often known as The Easter Egg chicken, since they lay many eggs of green and blue tints.

I ordered my birds from Murray McMurray Hatchery and was quite pleased. http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html They were reasonably priced and I received strong, healthy chicks.

Here they are just a few days old. I used a red heat light so they wouldn't harm each other. We all know they peck each other to establish their "pecking order." The order establishes each individual's place in the flock. Each bird can peck all those below him, but none above. But chickens can become cannibals when they are overly crowded. They peck each other, draw blood, then the whole flock is drawn to the red spots and can inadvertently kill one of their own. The red bulb helps prevent this.

And here's a visit to the outdoors on a nice day. I purchased them in March, so they didn't get much time outside until they were feathered. Note the large stock tank I kept them in. I lined it with cardboard to facilitate easier cleaning. When it got too messy, I composted cardboard, pine shavings, and poop all together; I was left with a clean bottom to apply new cardboard and bedding.

And here they are finally in the coop and outside! They were so happy. The coop has two doors on each side, one low for chicken entry/exit and one high for ventilation. Before they were big enough to leave on open pasture, I rotated their fenced area from side to side. When both sides were used, we moved the coop with the skid steer.

These were some boards I had lined up for making a new raised bed. They think I made them a playground.

Here are the Dominiques.

And our king pin.

Why I Chose Shetland Sheep

I have an extremely loving and tolerant black cat, an ornery apricot standard poodle, and pastured poultry, but I have wanted ruminants on our homestead for some time.

I wanted a rare/heritage breed, for reasons I'll share when I'm feeling preachier. Using one of my all-time favorite web sites, The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy http://albc-usa.org/ , I researched different breeds. Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs was an excellent reference.
http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Illustrated-Breed-Guide-Cattle/dp/1603420363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372625134&sr=8-1&keywords=storey%27s+illustrated+guide+to+livestock


Having only a couple acres of our total 12 fenced in for pasture, cows were probably not the best option. Aside from the lack of space, I simply don't like the form cow feces take. Goats or sheep have little pellets that decompose quickly and don't make you feel like showering if you happen to step in a pile. For a final reason, assisting with calving is a terrifying prospect for me.

I considered goats. I visited a Nigerian Dwarf breeder. I have no experience with goats. I know they are notoriously hard to keep in. Dairy goats are apparently quite particular about their shelter; I had no shelter of any kind available for them. I was thrilled with the breeder; she took fabulous care of her animals. I wasn't ready to carry on her quality of care and they deserved someone who would. While I did not purchase any goats, I made a lovely friend and learned a great deal from our visit.

So that left sheep. I grew up around sheep and always swore I would never have any. I thought them stupid, frustrating creatures. I have since learned better. My mother has had sheep for years. My father also spent a large part of his life as a shepherd. I had them to turn to for help. I'm not a fan of mutton, but wool is an astounding fiber and had possibilities for farm income. Finally, sheep are hardy little creatures who prefer being outside, even in harsh weather. I only had to choose a breed.

The aforementioned Storey's Illustrated Guide said Shetlands were docile and easy for the beginning shepherd. That was definitely me! Shetlands have naturally short tails that do not require docking. They are very hardy. They're browsers, like goats, rather than strict grazers (they'll eat vegetation from trees and shrubs instead of just grass). The wool is outstanding for hand spinning. There is an enormous variety of wool colors within the breed. I was sold.

I found the National Shetland Sheep Association, via the ALBC. That led me to a list of breeders. After some time with Google Maps, I chose one who was close and contacted them. I went for a visit and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Fairlie cinched the deal for me. She is a beautiful black lamb with white spots. Her little ears look marbled with the mix of colors. Exhibiting very un-sheep-like behavior, she came right up to me and stood still while I petted her. I petted and petted. My legs eventually got tired, so I sat down. Apparently she felt the same way. She laid down beside me and rested her head in my lap. I was in love.

Fairlie's name means "a rare occurrence." To me, it references her atypical personality. Secondarily it could refer to her lovely spots. Of course she needed a buddy. I chose a little brown beauty, whose name is Bonnie. They're my girls.

Year-Round Gardening

I am in love with the idea of having fresh veggies from the garden all year long. No, I don't think we'll have tomatoes in January without the assistance of a heated building. But there are loads of vegetables that can easily be had in the harshest Ohio winter with some simple season extensions. Vegetables may not grow during the winter, but we can protect them from harsh weather and harvest them all winter. 

There are two wonderful books on this topic. The first is Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman. http://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Harvest-Organic-Vegetables-Edition/dp/1890132276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372622338&sr=8-1&keywords=eliot+coleman+four+season+harvest
Coleman lives in Maine and has an organic farm from which he sells fresh produce year-round without artificial heating. In this indispensable gardening book, Coleman discusses compost and soil care, useful garden tools, the storage of root crops. He gives details on and designs for several season extenders including cold-frames, greenhouses, and hoop tunnels.

One of my favorite parts of this book is an invaluable list of vegetable types. Coleman includes varieties best-suited for winter production, planting details, crop rotation information, growing and storage tips, and very simple serving suggestions.

The second book is The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Nikki Jabbour. http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Round-Vegetable-Gardener-Matter/dp/1603425683/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372623068&sr=8-1&keywords=nikki+jabbour
Jabbour lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia and gardens to supply her family with fresh produce year-round. Like Coleman, Jabbour includes details and designs for cold frames and hoop tunnels. She also discusses several ultra-simple season extenders, such as row covers and straw bales. Jabbour gives many lovely garden layout plans. The book is filled with beautiful photographs. It includes a list of vegetables outlining favored varieties, planting and harvesting tips. My favorite feature of this book is Jabbour's planting calendar she gives with each type of vegetable. It's a simple graph showing when to seed and plant relative to frost dates.

Pasture Rotation and Sheep Worming

My Shetland girls, Fairlie (meaning "a rare occurence") and Bonnie, have been humbly requesting new foraging space. I obliged them this morning. I cleared some space through the wooded area of the pasture and ran the wire. Those plastic step-in fence posts make life so much easier. I simply tied the temporary fencing to the hot wires on the perimeter permanent fence.

I was watching the girls enjoy, nay relish, their new-found forage and thought they might need wormed. I checked the inside of their eyelids and, yes, they were a bit pale, indicating moderate levels of internal parasites. Not wanting to use unnecessary medicine on my natural girls, I mixed some garlic powder and apple cider vinegar, then filled a syringe for each ewe. Knowing they would not appreciate the experience, I picked some wild black raspberries for a post-worming treat.

They were easily caught, wormed, and released with minimum stress to sheep and shepherd.