Friday, March 22, 2013

Dandelion's Acre Farm Welcomes its First Babies

And I've just accidentally deleted all my pictures! Boo.
This post will have to be photo-less. How boring for you.

Amelia, one of our Saanen/Alpine mix does kidded effortlessly on 3/16. Two bucklings. The first kids birthed on Dandelion's Acre Farm. We were so hoping for at least one doe so that we could add to our herd, but such is the way of nature. And Farming. These two little guys are so cute and playful, and I am happy to say will be going to a dairy farm to be raised as pets. One is black and white like his father and the other, pure white with the face of a little lamb like his "maaa". The kids have all loved bottlefeeding these brothers. Good practice- because two more of our does will be kidding in the next few weeks. Maybe twin girls next! (?)

Our first order of day-old chicks arrived. These are the laying hens, not the broilers yet. We ordered an egg-laying assortment because I like variety. I can't wait to collect the brown, green, blue, and white eggs. 20 weeks to go! It's always so much fun when the chicks first arrive. Little fluffy peeping balls of cuteness. I'm hopeful they'll survive the baby, toddler, dog and cat who have all taken an immense interest in them.
Joel Salatin instructs in his books to always be very calm and whisper around the chicks from day one. And NO carrying around! Sorry Joel, we seem to have some trouble maintaining that level of control around here.
Well, this is our 4th batch of baby chicks since we started chicken-ing. And we've not lost a one yet. I'd like to think it will make them hardier.

Kids and chicks, and kids. There's not much cuter.

I stopped in a neat little herb shop to pick up some organic dried comfrey for our comfrey salve yesterday. And I made a friend. Andrea Reisen is eclectic and a little eccentric, and I loved her immediately. Her and her husband Matthias have been farming their 30 acres for 30 some years. And they have the cutest little shop filled with dried herbs grown on their land. They also make tinctures, and teas, salves, raw honey from their bees (got me some of this too), and hold classes on sustainability at their farm. We hit it off immediately. I was there for an hour. And Dandelion's Acre Goat's milk soap will now be carried in their shop. www.healingspiritsherbfarm.com.

Our first craft show of the season is tomorrow. Excited for this. We'll be at the Campbell/Savona high school from 10-3. Come on out and visit!

Elizabeth
ps- I promise cute pics of the babies next time. If I can manage not to delete them in the process.


2 comments:

  1. Oh the places you'll go and the folks you'll meet. Enjoy your adventure!

    Love you,
    Mama

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  2. I laugh when I hear that you should not handle your chicks. hmmm....our batch from last year are the funniest girls and totally love to be held! I always hear they are the friendliest chickens ever seen. I think holding them and letting the kids love them up when they are chicks is a great thing!

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