I love it when John creates something wonderful and useful out of stuff lying around the farm. His latest creation? A 40″ x 40″ dog house constructed from upcycled materials. John tweaked a design he found on the web. A friend gave us the plywood, cedar fencing and louvered door. The roof opens to reveal a secret compartment to store dog food. The project took two days to complete (and a couple of bandaged fingers!). Total cost = […]
Tags: livestock guardian dogs, recycling
The animal kingdom is sometimes harsh but pragmatic. When our pregnant doe, Mocha, had triplets, I was so excited. Not only was this our first set of triplets, but all the kids were girls. Shortly after the birth, I realized that Mocha did not seem to have the desire or capacity to nurse all three kids. In fact, in the first few hours after giving birth, she was only nursing the strongest kid. I had to hold up the two […]
Tags: Goat Chronicles, goats, homesteading
That’s Casper the friendly goat and Jennie, our Livestock Guardian Dog. Livestock Guardian Dogs stay with the herd as full-time members, protecting them from predators.
Tags: Goat Chronicles, goats, homesteading, livestock guardian dogs
Farmer John answers your questions about farm animals at J and J Fish Farm Stay. GOATS What is your favorite animal? My favorite animal is probably our goats because their personality is similar to a Golden Retriever. I also like our Livestock Guardian Dogs because they are friendly like a dog but also do a lot of work on the farm. Why did you make a floating goat house? Goats are vulnerable to predators like coyotes, racoons, bobcats and dogs. […]
Tags: chickens, fish, Goat Chronicles, goats, homesteading, livestock guardian dogs
A chicken tractor is a great solution for mobile and secure housing. It is called a chicken tractor because the birds are constantly pecking and scratching the soil. Soon, the area covered by the run is devoid of vegetation and bugs. We resurrected an old abandoned farm trailer. We had to repack the bearings to get the trailer to even move. We welded together a metal frame to which we secured reclaimed barn wood. Corrugated roofing from […]
Tags: chicken coop, chicken tractor, homesteading, recycling
Little House on the Fish Farm is designed with several energy saving features to reduce its carbon footprint. Six inch walls offer 50% more insulation than the standard wall. Instead of a cold cement slab, a sub-floor was built which allows six more inches of insulation. These two features conserve heat and help maintain the temperature of the house year round. An additional benefit of the sub-floor is the barrier it creates between the dry living space and the perpetually […]
Tags: conserving energy, vacation rental
These cute little guys are Barbados Blackbelly sheep. They are “hair sheep,” meaning they grow coarse hair instead of wool so there is no need to shear them. They are parasite tolerant and disease resistant, making them a favorite of homesteaders: “These exotic-looking sheep are a perfect choice as a homesteader’s sheep because they do relatively well on poorer forage, can be raised with very little grain, and do not require intensive management.” –Wikipedia
Tags: Barbados Blackbelly sheep, homesteading
