Our Animals
Our animals are not just pets, they are our the workforce, producers, grounds management, and more. Each animal on the farm has a purpose.
The sheep create graze on the grass and native plants in the spring and summer which they tun into the nitrogen rich manure and deposit for is to collect and use.
The chickens are a source of eggs and meat but also control the bug population, spread manure, and take table and yard scraps and turn them into manure as well.
The dogs protect everyone from the coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, hawks, and other predators in the area.
The worms are the unsung heroes of the farm. They are our fertilizer specialists.
Livestock Guardian Dogs
Our two girls are a mix of two ancient livestock guardian breeds, Great Pyrenees and Anatolian shepherds. In keeping true to a holistic approach, their job is to protect our livestock by deterring predators with their large size and ferocious bark.
It is not our aim to kill local predators, but to create an environment that they want to stay away from. Since having them, the coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, and even the birds of prey, keep their distance.
Lily and Daisy are often found napping with the sheep or hanging out with the chickens. At night, they are on constant patrol watching over their animals and home.
Chickens
On our farm, chickens have many different purposes. While we raise both egg layers and meat birds for our kitchen, the chickens also have jobs to do.
We feed our flocks grains and feed in the morning, but they are on their own to forage the rest of the day. Our flock is 100% free range and have the run of the property. They spend all day eating bugs, turning soil, and turning food and plant scraps into nitrogen rich manure which is aged, mixed, and then added to the soil.
Painted Desert Sheep
We raise a breed of hair sheep called Painted Desert Sheep. They are a unique American breed of sheep known for their flashy colors and large horn growth.
PDS are hair sheep which means they have a double coat that does not need to be sheared. They are well adapted to our climate and are very hardy and disease resistant.
We are in the process of a careful breeding program trying to raise quality, healthy, and strong sheep for hobby and table.
Worms
We keep and raise compost worms. These are very different than their earthworm cousins in that they do not live in the ground.
Compost worms live in the top three layers of soil feeding on organic material from plants, recycled paper materials, and green food scraps. The byproducts of this are called worm castings (worm manure) which is the richest organic fertilizer in nature.
These worm castings can be collected and mixed in with the soil or can be used to make compost tea to spray on the plants and the soil.
