Late summer laze is on for all animals on the farm- including people! When it gets hot, we all take a siesta, and when it’s cool, we’re out working for our food. Sheep are grazing, cats are chasing, and the pups are on guard night and day with a little play. The birds are scratching, clucking, and some are even hatching out end of summer chicks. It’s the best time for fresh eating so all are at their most well fed and rested.
Valentine and Mogs are buddies on the porch and around the house as our newest member of the farm settles in and keeps mice away. Her dog friend Val is enjoying the escape to cool indoor floors when the heat is at it’s worst outside. She shed the last of her winter coat in early August, just in time for the new one to grow in.
Valley is also working better an better at her herding talent. The geese have been her toughest challenge yet, but she adapts and learns well. She blew me away the other morning when I asked her to gather the geese. The mated pair fled to the pond. I then stood at one end and asked Val to come from my right to pressure the geese back towards the coop and barn area where they are fed. The birds swam around avoiding the dog on the bank, then I asked Val to swim and take direction in the water. She had done that to find sticks, but never to move the geese- and she did it flawlessly. It was a humbling moment and felt amazing. That dog is so smart, and driven- and that’s a blessing in that she will self teach and try new things, but a curse when she ignores human direction for her own ideas, and lets her drive become chase. The geese can stand their ground, but I don’t like Valentine ever chasing just to run after the animals. Her work is herding- and with the birds, gathering. She can do both, but likes to just run at if left to her own way.
Gill’s presence puts a calm vibe on us all. It’s when the sheep move in, trusting the huge K9 protector who has known most of them since their birth here at EEC. Gill’s tendon was injured at the start of the summer, putting him on a 60 day rest with short walks but no running. He was off his leg for the first two weeks, then slowly began to stretch and rebuild his muscle with limited walking and standing exercise. What is standing exercise? Cutting nails- he can stand on a certain leg I ask him to put wait on by lifting the other to cut the nail. It’s like a farrier with a horse, he has to take the weight off the leg, and his injured leg needs support when he has to put weight on it, so I usually ask him to lay down for that cutting. I could do all his nails while he lays down, but asking him to stand gives him that balance and strength training. You can see in the picture below, Gill still takes his weight off the back right leg when he needs to for comfort. He’s tethered frequently to keep him from running on that injured leg and re-injuring himself, but he gets good movement engagement in these more limited physical therapies, and the leg is getting better. At the end of August, he began walking on a long line and trotting with his orthotic on for stability. I think by the end of fall, he’ll be back in free movement with his brace under careful observation.
The dogs have given much alert barks to keep active predators at bay. Nighttime birds have been the only challenge, with goslings taken in late spring by an owl family who was feeding their own juvenile chicks. All young birds are now kept in covered coops or inside. The goose setup is being rebuilt this fall, with an old “I” beam and recently harvested holly posts. Our single pair of cottonpatch geese are settles into the farm routine now, and folded in with the other animals. We hope to retain this pair and sell the goslings and help perpetuate this breed in small livestock systems. A late summer clutch from a smart broody hen is settled in the hay barn. I usually let them have a “wild” hatch to build up the flock before a cull. Young roosters are put in the pot and older plump hens are taken for winter feasts and good stock. We got a lot more roosters in our winter hatches this year, and are hoping to pick one out for breeding in future. The Ayam Cemani genes are still alive in the flock, but new blood will be needed soon to keep things healthy. This chicken system has seen a lot of fun evolutionary changes over the decade. Dark meat birds with a more duel purpose focus has made our fowl larger and more productive egg layers in most cases. We’ll continue to overwinter about 30 birds in the flock and try to keep hatching out 2-3 winter clutches each year.
The chicken coop continues to provide great sources of calcium, nitrogen, and other essential minerals for the gardens, orchard, and surrounding landscape. The birds also free roam the land, distributing organic poop to the pastures and native plantings around the property. The meat and eggs are an additional bonus to all the restoration work these animals put in daily. Manure from non-chemical sources provides the soil with a great balance of nutrients and conditions the animals in what they eat from the land. The inputs we feed the animals in addition, especially in winter months, are sources from local in state producers and all grain is certified organic. This ensures the cycle of nutrients on the landscape remain chemical and synthetic free. All research shows organic is the healthiest choice for long term abundance on earth. Go deeper on this research for personal health here. Though it does cost more, organic ensures we stop many of the toxic cycles in our food systems and protect our personal health. The land here at EEC Forest Stewardship continues to grow and expand in diversity and lushness with smart livestock systems folded into good water management, the right plantings of native and non-native plants to provide a mix of food and medicine, along with adaptation as climate extremes continue.
The ultimate goal for our animal’s diet is as much native brows and grazing the animals can do- so we condition the pastures with a mix of forbs and grasses, as well as diverse hedge plantings for optimal browsing choice. We can also harvest for personal use from these mixes of herbs and medicinal vegetation. The sheep are the best connoisseur of the landscape buffet, and right now, it’s blackberries all the way. Lupita shows off her purple stained nose after a long chow down on our invasive berry bramble’s best asset- an abundance of fruit in late summer. So much lush opportunity when the land is in harmony with the animals.
EEC Forest Stewardship 