Feeding

I am so frequently asked "what do you feed your animals?" that I thought it would be appropriate to include the information here for everyone to see.

CHICKENS

Our chickens are true free range chickens. Rather than living in a large aviary type cage that is moved every couple of days to a new patch of grass, they have the run of the farm. Our chickens are free to go out in the pastures, gardens (though some areas must be fenced off to keep them from damaging the crops), yard around the house, and paddocks. This is possible because of our livestock guardian dog, Murphy. She protects them from predators both on the ground and in the air. They eat grass, herbs, bugs, worms, mice, and anything else they can catch. Chickens are opportunistic eaters and will scavenge, kill, graze, and eat treats. Additionally, we feed them all of our table scraps and cull food from the garden and supplement their diets with a certified organic chicken feed that contains corn, rye, wheat, and minerals which we purchase from Soaring Eagle Farm, a local certified organic farm.

GOATS

My goats have access to browse (they are not grazers, but browsers and prefer wild herbs, trees, brush, thistles, poison ivy, and bark to grass) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are fed free choice alfalfa hay, and recieve a grain mixture of barley, oats, wheat bran, molasses and sunflower seeds (whole in their hull). They have goat minerals, sea salt, thorvin kelp and baking soda free choice, they recieve vitamin C weekly, and every 6 months they are given a copper sulfate bolus (I use "copasure").

TREATS

I grow a "milk garden" of treats for the goats here on the farm. The goats are fed treats of whole sunflower plants, apples, carrots, corn, cucumbers, strawberries, grapes, raisins, bananas/banana peels, roses, fruit tree trimmings and herbs. The herb comfrey is a favorite of the goats and they have it fresh every day when in season.

WATER

All of the animals have clean, fresh water from the well. We do not have rural or city water. Our only source of water is our 140 year old hand dug well. There is no chlorine or other chemical that the water treatment plant uses in our water supply. And because these things are not in our water supply, none of them are in the milk either. Once a week appple cider vinegar is added to the water at a ratio of 1/2 cup for every 5 gallons of warm water.

INTERNAL PARASITE CONTROL

The other thing that the animals ingest, though not actually considered a food, is an herbal de-wormer. Parasite control is handled through multi species co-habitation, free ranging chickens, rotation of living areas, keeping their living quarters as clean as possible, and use of an herbal de-wormer. I do not have enough land to know that the parasite load is kept in check naturally, by having it dispersed over a large area. (I was told that would require 5 acres per goat, and 10 acres per horse in our region).

NOTE

Whenever possible I use certified organic grains that are grown by Lee Quaintance, a local certified organic farmer just 15 minutes from my house. I personally am not certified organic as it is cost prohibitive. I have been here 6 years and in that time no chemicals have been used on this property. I also do not use antibiotics, growth hormones, or vaccinations.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

To the best of my knowledge, the modern dairy goat can not be kept without feeding a minimal amount of concentrated feed (grain). This is because humans have used selective breeding to create a very high producing animal and browse diet devoid of concentrated feed does not have enough calories for them to maintain proper condition. If I do not supplement with concentrated feeds, the girls will literally starve to death. (In 2007 I was witness to the condition of 2 dairy goats that were kept on pasture while producing milk. It was very sad, and yes, they were starving.) The milk will only be as healthy as the animal is, and a starving animal is not a healthy animal. But what about cows? They can be kept on grass quite successfully. They also produce far less milk per pound of body weight than a dairy goat, and I believe that this is part of the reason why they can be kept on a grass only diet.

A personal note from Pamela

I was inspired to write this after a phone call from a prospective new client. This is not meant to insult, demean, reprimand, or ridicule. It is not motivated by the need for attention or pity. It is motivated by the desire to share some insight with others. I am hoping that this will simply help other people understand the position that I, and many other small producers, are in.

Running a small farm is a financial burden. Small producers must have a second income; be independently wealthy; own all of their property, equipment, and livestock outright; or have a significant other who works in order to survive. (This would be the appropriate place for me to pause and give thanks for-and to- my husband who so willingly works many long, hard hours at his job to support my habits!) The food prices in our country are so artificially low that the best a small producer can usually hope for is to cover the cost of feeding the animals. This does not cover the cost of the land, purchasing the animals, shelter, fencing, bedding, veterinary care, health care, minerals, supplements, de-wormers, equipment, electricity to run refrigerators, water (running a dairy requires unbelievable amounts of water), or any of the work I do. I do this because it is my passion and I love what I do. I can not imagine doing anything else, this is my life, and I choose this life. It can be a very limited and restricted life.....there is a great deal of physical work, it takes a lot of time, and you must be there at the farm everyday, twice a day, at the same time of day. No exceptions!! If you can not be there, you must find someone to take your place. Most people can not even comprehend this amount of work or this restrictive a lifestyle. It requires undying dedication, determination, and a passion for what you are doing. I love my life and would not trade it for anything. I can not imagine not doing this, and instead of being frustrated that I work so hard for no pay, I see my work as a gift to my family and the people who purchase from me.

Are there other options? Yes. Could I grow and at some point be large enough to show a profit? Quite possible. Are there government programs that could help me? Definitely. I have made a conscious choice not to take these other paths because there is always a trade-off. None of the trade-offs of the other paths are acceptable to me, and I would no longer be producing the same products that I now produce. I will not go into a long winded explanation on the pro's and con's of the different options I have right now, but suffice to say that what I do is because I want to know that my animals are all individually cared for, loved, and looked after. I insist on there being a mutually beneficial relationship for each and every one of the members of this farm. My animals are members of my family and I respect them as such. To choose any of the other paths available to me, I would sacrifice the very things that make all of the work I do, worthwhile to me.

One of the greatest benefits of being a small producer, is that I can be very selective about my clientele. I am very fortunate to have honest, friendly, kind, and considerate clients. Being small I am able to form personal relationships with my clients and have the pleasure of knowing each and every one of them. When I first started my farm I had no intention of ever selling to the public. Then a friend heard about my goats and wanted to buy some extra milk if I had it....a person from my husband's work was interested in eggs....a neighbor wanted some produce from the garden....and before I knew it, I had clients. What could be better I thought....I get to stay home and do what I love to do (and I am going to do anyway), and other people will come to my home and pay me their hard earned money for any extra I have. The hardest part has been finding the balance. It would be all too easy to loose myself completely in my work and not have a personal life or time for my family. Striking the balance, where I work a little extra, milk a couple more goats, make up a bit more cheese, keep a few more chickens, and plant a bit more in the garden so that I have some extra is the key to success for me. I truly love what I do, and enjoy the beautiful people that are now in my life. What a joy it is to have clients who are searching for a better, healthier way. Clients who believe in me and in what I am trying to do. I am privileged to help others find a better way and achieve a healthier life for them, their families, the animals, the environment and the earth.

Most Sincerely, Pamela

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