Amaral Farms

Raising Sheep for Milk

2013-05-20T22:57:00.000-04:00

Raising sheep for milk is not something new. It has been done for thousands of years. This practices was common in Europe near Mediterranean Sea but has now spread far. In the US, the industry is still new and mostly in the New England and Upper Midwest. Sheep milk is highly nutritious as compared to cow or goak milk. It is richer in calcium, vitamins A, B, and E , potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. The major health benefit that comes with the short- and medium-chain fatty acids from sheep milk is that it makes it easier for the human body to digest the milk.

Something I learned a few years ago was that the raw milk my sheep produce can be stored for weeks at a time. Making it much easier to make cheese in larger batches. Freezing the milk does not alter its ability to make cheese in any way. In fact, the world’s most famous cheese comes from sheep milk. The high solid content found in sheep milk, averaging around 7.5%, gives it the ability to produce more cheese per pound of milk when compared to cow or goat milk. More than a dozen sheep breeds exist worldwide for milk production. The specialized dairy breeds produce 400 to 1100 pounds of milk per lactation while the conventional breeds produce from 100 to 200 pounds of milk per lactation.

Though many breeds might be used for milk production only a few really stand out. The most common and most productive dairy sheep breed is the East Friesian. On Average they produce 990 to 1100 pounds per 220 to 240 day lactation. The other productive dairy breeds are Assaf and fat-tailed Awassi that have their origin from Israel. Why would you want to raise sheep for milk? Cos do produce a lot of milk but are really large animals, they also don’t do well on hills or rocky land. And as previously mentioned, their butterfat content is low in comparison. What has always made sheep a valuable small farm animal is its versatility. Certain breeds can produce milk, wool, meat, and even hides. Much of the world does not have large swaths of flatland that the US has, making goats and sheep a more prefered animal. Even in the US, because of the large amounts of land needed for cows sheep and goats can provide a great alternative. You can easily start raising dairy sheep on your farm and when you are not sure of the care you need to give them, doing research and asking always helps.

Raising Ducks at Home

2013-03-13T21:22:00.000-04:00

Khaki Campbell Duck

For those who have never tried duck, it is a most delicious meat. What makes it most appealing to me is that it does have a more rich taste when compared to the very bland taste of chicken breast. If you like the darker meat on chicken and turkey, you will probably like duck. The breast of a duck actually looks like red meat. It has a somewhat similar rich iron like taste. I find it very peculiar that this wonderful bird has not caught on more in the US. Most ducks are not raised in large production like chickens. I would imagine because they don’t do nearly as well in tight quarters. In comparison 8 billion chickens a year are processed, only 25 million ducks a year are processed. A whopping 320 to 1 ratio. On a per person basis that is only ⅓ of a pound per year. Duck in my estimation is highly underrated.

I have found raising ducks to be much easier and less costly than chicken. Now again if you're talking about large scale production, i guess nothing beats chicken. However if the purpose is a family farm, than duck is an easy replacement. There are ducks that lay eggs equal to most chickens. Also most duck breeds are larger than chickens. So when i comes time to eat them, slaughtering them will produce more meat on an animal by animal basis. There are other reasons ducks should be looked into for a family farm. Some of the very productive breeds are also good sitters & mothers. Ducks are much better foragers than chickens. Even the good foraging chickens don’t compare to a duck. They scour the land eating grass, leaves, weeds, bugs you name it. The few ducks I have survive mostly of pasture and haven’t lost much weight since they switched. If your into hobbies, down from a duck can provide another resource to use. It can work even if you are a novice as stuffing for pillows.

There are other traits that make them a great animal to have around. Most ducks are very cute and soft to hold. Generally they can't run that fast which makes them easier to catch and hold. Ducks run together in a small packed in bunch unlike chickens who scatter to the wind. You can easily walk behind them and get all 15 or whatever to go right where you want them. Just a joy to have around and in many ways can see how they could be a real pet. Many have stories of ducks who follow them around everywhere, and we have a similar story as well with our youngest boy. So even the pet sense, a average duck is easier keep than your average chicken. If your considering a small family farm, take my word for it, start with ducks you'll be glad you did.

Choosing the Right Breed of Goat

2013-02-07T22:06:00.002-05:00

Angora Goats

Goats are incredible creatures and fun to keep in your farm or backyard. If you are able to keep them, the offer a great “green” solution to weed and lawn cutting. If you never used goats for milk or meat, and just kept these easy to keep animals for the lawn cutting benefit, if would be a win. It would take 5 goats per acre to keep you grass cut for the whole year. Depending on where you live, you may not ever need to feed them. Saving yourself many hours of cutting, not to mention the gas and maintenance. If this is your aim, then you can get just about any type of goat. My neighbor sells goats for $50 each that I would say fit this purpose. They are mixed breeds and they rarely ever give them anything else to eat.

When choosing the right breed of goats for other than grass cutting, analyzing your needs is very important to determine whether you need breeds that are best in meat, milk, or fiber production. Doing some research and consultation before getting any goats is a good idea. The knowledge that can be easily gotten from the internet is amazing. Breeders and goat enthusiasts share many issues and tips in many different places. Storey Books has a couple of really great books as well on milk goats and meat goats. Breeds of goat are increasing in America due to the increasing demand of goat meat and therefore breeds that never existed here are being imported to helping in supplying the demand.

A number of breeds are available for meat, milk, and fiber production. Among the breeds of goat is the Alpine, also referred to as French Alpine. This breed originated from the Alps and has upright ears ranging from medium to large in size. Although this breed is a seasonal breeder, the goats are hardy, have variety of colors, and adaptable. The milk produced by the breed has approximately 3.5% butterfat. The other more common breeds that produce milk are The LaMancha, Nubian or Anglo-Nubians, Oberhasli, Saanen, Toggenburg, and Nigerian Dwarf. With the latter said to have the highest butterfat content of all of them. The average weight obtained, from these breeds is about 2000 pounds per year. The Spanish & Boer breeds are known to be the best for meat production. However, extra meat can be found from dairy goats when culls and their unwanted kids are butchered.

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There is even yet another reason for goat rearing, and that is for fiber. Of all the goats only one breed really makes the cut. That is the Angora goat, originating from Turkey, it produces mohair. A fiber most commonly known to be used in carpet, but it has many uses. The picture I used is of an Angora goat, it is a beautiful goat. Cashmere also comes from goats, but it is the hair under the main coat of just about any goat other than an Angora. If you sold the unfinished mohair from an Angora, you could expect about $37 per year from each of them. Though that would require two clippings per year and does take a bit of time.

The backyard goat requires much less room or equipment as compared to a cow. Their small size makes them easier to manage, although having a higher fence is recommended. With many seeking ways to be more self sustaining, goats are a very economical way to go. If you are thinking of raising goats for meat I would suggest finding a place that serves goat first as the American palette is not used to the taste. Not to worry, as many foreigners are used to eating goat. You can always market the one’s you don’t want, especially during religious holidays. If you bought some milk goats, and used them for cheese and other by products, then sold off the extra while getting them to cut your grass, you would have a very economical animal indeed.

Why Sheep Should Be On The List For Your Family Farm

2013-01-10T21:56:00.001-05:00

Sheep Grazing

Sheep are gentle and docile. Looking at the reasons why raising sheep on a small homestead farm made sense to me, I figured I would detail them out. Although I am currently raising my sheep for meat, sheep can be raised for wool, milk, and even for their hide, making them a very versatile animal. After reading about a number of different types of livestock I concluded that raising sheep is relatively simple. There are a couple of reasons why I say this. Sheep don’t require fancy or expensive housing, good tree cover would do but a simple wooden structure with hay would do. You can get more on a smaller piece of land than cows, bison, or deer. The space that a cow and its calf occupy is the same space that six ewes with their offspring would occupy comfortably. They don’t require as rugged fencing as do cows, mainly just because of the cows sheer size. Also as a homesteader, butchering a cow will require special equipment. You’ll need a pretty hefty hoist and every time you butcher one, you better have a large place to store all that meat.

Sheep are active grazers. They feed on grass, brush, and weeds growing on poor soil. Sheep can feed on weeds that cows would never eat, eating on pasture well into the fall and winter. Cows are known as luxury grazers. However, feeding them at times is still wise, especially during mating and lambing season or when the pasture is on the ground level. Sheep are less susceptible to diseases but are known to be more susceptible to parasites. So keeping their housing in a hygienic condition is beneficial.

Raising sheep for meat is a start really for me. At some point I would like to add milk sheep to my farm but that would require far more time than I currently have to devote. Wool stocks are very high, primarily coming from Australia and New Zealand. I don’t have a desire to craft items out of wool, so I stick with hair breeds to avoid having to sheer then. If needed I could use the manure produced in my garden but right now I have more space than sheep, so I let the nutrients seep back into the pasture. I will at some point love to try my hand at making leather from the sheep skin, when I do start butchering my sheep.

In closing, sheep are small enough that they are manageable; don’t require much in the way of special equipment. And they are certainly versatile on a small family farm. With all that said you should however enjoy the taste of lamb for it to make sense. Hard for me to imagine people don’t if you like red meat but there are those that do not. If you’re considering a livestock animal, sheep are worth considering.

Choosing from Different Breeds of Chickens

2013-01-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

Brown Leghorn Rooster

Understanding the traits of the breed of animal, in this case chickens are really important to keep in mind. Having the right breeds to accomplish what your end goal is, increases your chances of being successful and happy with your selection. Chickens are mainly kept for their meat or for their eggs. However some people simply enjoy the beauty and personal enjoyment of keeping the and may even show their chickens in competition.

Choosing the right breed of chicken can be overwhelming and this is because of their variety. Some would find going with one type of breed quite easy but I decided to choose a variety of breeds when starting out. Using various books and internet sources I looked into the abilities and purposes of each breed. I considered a number of things before choosing the right breeds of chicken like the climate pattern of the area I live in, whether they were known for egg laying or meat, the ability of the breed to forage, it’s temperament, and the amount of space I have. Having the right weather for the chickens is crucial for success when raising chicken, because stress can make them more susceptible to disease or reduce the egg laying ability.

When you have a small backyard, it is logical for you to choose the right breed of chicken based on practicality. You may also choose to have a small quantity of great egg layers. It may also be a good reason why you find people with chickens kept solely for appearances. Such breeds have colorful feathers, silly head plumage, and fluffy bottoms. The things that I urge you to consider when choosing the right breed of chicken include purchasing variety of breeds. You need to take note of the breed personality and this is because some are assertive, docile, better forgers, and some like interacting with humans. You need not buy many chicks because they grow big very fast and will need a lot of space to move around. Considering your management style, facilities, and climate is crucial. This helps in preparation of the care given to different breeds of chicken as some are high maintenance.

As I set out I determined that egg laying chickens are what I wanted. I also wanted to make sure, living in Florida, that the breeds I choose would be well adapted to the very hot climate. Lastly I wanted to have a chicken that might be able to forage well on its own, in order to keep the feed cost lower. Three breeds I chose to start off were:

Brown Leghorn – Leghorns are legendary for their egg production and are the basis for many cross breed production chickens. The brown leghorn as opposed to the traditional white is known to be a better forager but produces fewer eggs. The last quality is its tolerance for heat, which again being in Florida is important.

Egyptian Fayoumi – These are a rare breed of chicken coming from Egypt as the name implies, so it’s heat tolerance is high. It is said to be able to survive on forage alone, of course you need a good amount of space for them to find food. They are a good producer of eggs although small eggs. Another quality I found very useful is that they are known to be highly disease resistant. The deal breaker for me on the Egyptian Fayoumi was that the it matures fast! At only 4 to 4 ½ months they start laying.

Ameraucana – They do well in many climates, lay around 250 light blue eggs a year. The Ameraucana is also a docile bird that is easily managed. Unlike the Brown Leghorn and Egyptian Fayoumis, these chickens are not flighty. They are easy to catch and can be held and enjoyed.

Since the original three breed we have expanded to add a number of others. All beautiful in their own way but for me the Leghorn and Fayoumis will always be part of my flock.

I am considering raising geese in the New Year

2012-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pilgrim Geese

In addition to a garden, chicken, ducks, and some fruit trees, raising geese is something I am considering in the New Year. After taking some time the last few weeks to sort out the chicken coop, I started thinking if it might be a good time to consider adding another animal into the mix. There is of course some preparation that I will need to take in before I get them but it is definitely on the radar for 2013. One of my friends +Jimmy Cooper bought a number of them but ended up losing them to predators. If you are at all considering raising birds for meat, I think goose has to be a strong contender. Not because it is the most prolific, it isn't no it is simply about its size. If you are going to kill an animal to eat, it is always nice when you can kill one animal and have enough for a few meals. Not so much that you would have to prepare it for longer term storage. Although geese have been raised for meat as far back as 2000 BC, they have never adapted to being intensively is farmed. Probably one reason there are few large geese farms.

From what I have read raising geese seems very easy. I have ducks so it sounds like they are very similar in many ways. Having eaten both on numerous occasions, I know that they taste the same. #Geese are known to be equally if not better forager than ducks. That is always a good thing when you have lots of land for them to run on. This helps keep food cost down, as I have seen with my ducks who many days eat off the land entirely. Some say that geese can serve as guard animals to the farm, and given their large size and sometimes grumpy disposition I can see why.

Among the poultry kept on a farm, geese seem to be the easiest and cheapest to keep. A few reasons other than foraging ability are that insects, pests, or diseases rarely affect them. When geese are two weeks old, their food becomes simple. All you need to give them is plenty of water and quality grass for them to add one pound weekly until they are 12 weeks old. At this stage, they are called green geese and their meat is ready for making meals. Geese do not require fancy housing as they prefer staying in the open even during the night. A three sided shed is however necessary during severe weather for them to keep dry. A fence of up to 36 inches is enough to hold them. Another item of note is that unlike chickens, they prepare their own nests and hatch their own eggs. Seems strange to me that the seemingly high economic benefits have never translated into more being grown and eaten.

Have you Ever Considered Raising Meat Rabbits?

2012-12-18T00:56:00.002-05:00

Rabbits are fun to raise when you are properly prepared. However, ways of making sure rabbits remain comfortable and safe can be a challenge during the winter given the cold temperatures and predators. There are different reasons why rabbits are raised, fun, education, for showing, meat, fur, and even for laboratory use. As a commercial enterprise, many have found it that it is not very profitable. The market for human consumption in the US is low, but many have found raising rabbits can be very meaningful for reducing personal meat consumption and when your business is dog breeding.
I don’t currently nor do I plan on breeding dogs, but I do have an interest in having rabbits for meat. I know many people don’t look at rabbits as a food. And after all they are extremely cute, but who decided that only ugly animals should be eaten? I personally have eaten rabbit before and find it very tasty. As a matter of fact, rabbit meat is more healthy on a number of levels when compared to other meat. Rabbit is lower in cholesterol and higher in protein. If your objective in a more sustainable lifestyle, than rabbits are probably the best animal to choose. For example; a rabbit can produce 6 pounds of meat on the same amount of food and water it would take for a cow to produce one. This number is staggering. I might not suggest going at it today if you have never eaten rabbit before or are very skittish about slaughtering animals. Though if your desire might be to preserve some semblance of food control, I would suggest finding a restaurant that serves rabbit and at least trying it out. That would be a good way to determine if it might even make sense for you to start.

A few items to consider if you go down that road; choosing the right rabbit breed, having the right facilities for them to live in (called a hutch), and knowing what to feed them. The first item is really pretty easy, there a numerous meat rabbit breed. So named because they grow larger and are efficient at putting on weight with less feed. Most people do not realize that rabbits eat grass, and lots of it. Here in Florida you can grow alfalfa in the summer and rye grass in the winter to feed them. The rabbit hutch is very easy to construct and can be made of either metal, wood or a combination of both. The cost for a few rabbits will run about $120 in material or $300 if you buy it. I believe a world with a growing population and grazing land that is ever scarcer, meat rabbits make for an excellent solution for providing a cheaper alternative as a healthy protein source.

Thanksgiving At Amaral Farms

2012-12-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

Wild Pig

The second Thanksgiving at Amaral Farms was one to remember. Since we moved in we had been speaking about having a pig roast but just never worked out having an event. This year my friend Jimmy and I on a whim decided to change that and took action to ensure that we didn't miss this opportunity. Jimmy had sent me a few wild pig ads to look over and on the weekend before Thanksgiving we decide that we were going to make this happen. The next day Jimmy had found someone selling a 125-150 lb wild pig. After a quick call and a discussion, we made a plan to pick up the pig on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The people selling it were great outdoors country folk who seemed to be very honest. They claimed that they found the pig in there neighborhood and had been raising it for a few months on feed. They actually had another wild pig they captured as a baby, they has some really cute pictures they shared with us, they kept that one as a pet.

We loaded the pig up an off to Going Green Family Farm we went. We kept it at Jimmy's for the night since his neighbor was going to help us slaughter it. This was a first for both Jimmy and I, so we need the butchering experience. The plan was to both be there in the late afternoon to assist his neighbor do the butchering but he ended up needing to do it earlier. So unfortunately I wasn't able to make it and Jimmy had to do it himself. I still wish I got the opportunity to get the experience in, since this is something I really want to do myself on Amaral Farm at some point.

Butchering a Pig

I imagine Jimmy will at some point make a post on the "how to" aspects but since I wasn't there I can't share that aspect of the experience. But he iced it and put it in a cooler for a few days before the day.

Since again we had never done before as previously mentioned, we needed to set up a location to roast the pig. Again his very kind neighbor helped us by letting us use his grate to roast it on. We decide to dig a hole and build a fire pit into the ground and surround it with cinder blocks creating about 30" structure around the pit to keep in heat. We used simple charcoal to cook the pig, about 3 bags worth over about 8 hours.

Fire Pit

Pig Roast

One think we did that we would definitely is that we cooked it too fast. We should have used a half a bog or so at a time rather than two bags to start. The first couple of hours we were battling fire from the fat burning off the pig. After we had that situated it went a lot better. In the end is was the best tasting pig I have ever eaten in my life an a great experience. We had about 50 pounds of meat or so from the wild pig and ate probably 10 pounds that day between all the people there. I even used some of the leg bones for soup the next day and it was great. Looking forward to another one real soon. This time we have plans to possibly trap our own pig.

Florida Cracker Cattle

2012-11-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Florida Cracker Cattle

The Florida Cracker cattle is a strong, resilient, and dependable breed descending from the cattle first brought into the state by the Spaniards way back during the colonial period. One of the characteristic physical traits of the cracker cattle is its noticeably smaller stature as compared to other breeds such as Brahman, Angus, and Hereford. Full grown cracker cattle can weigh between 600lbs to as much as 1,200lbs depending on its gender, breeding, and the quality of care it receives. Aside from its smaller frame, there isn’t a lot different from other cattle.

Due to the harsh conditions in which the Cracker cattle were exposed to, they developed certain traits that would allow them to flourish in spite of these obstacles. Firstly, it being Florida, they became more tolerant of the blazing heat as well as more resistant to insects and disease. Their sturdier nature makes them more appealing to farmers as they require less maintenance and are less likely to fall to illness.

Another advantage of the Cracker cattle is its hastened maturity; it comes to full growth before having to leave its mother’s teat. It is also a breed well-known for its fertility so much so that scientists use this species when crossbreeding as a base to ensure strong, successful and healthy birthing.

The rapid growth and reliable fertility makes it easy to raise, breed, farm, and profit from the Cracker cattle. Because of its hardiness its meat contains significantly less fat than the regular cattle although the portions are smaller.

During the influx of multiple various other cattle breeds with similar traits from different parts of the world, the Florida Cracker cattle was faced with near extinction. Luckily measures were taken to ensure the longevity of this defining breed.

Raising Cracker cattle might be a beneficial species and you.

Why Choose St Croix Sheep?

2012-10-25T20:35:00.002-04:00

The St Croix sheep breed comes from the island of St Croix, one of the Virgin Islands and can be found on most of the islands. Originally used to breed their white coloring into other breeds, they are considered a meat breed. They are known, however, to be black or brown as well. They are thought to have come to the islands on slave ships from Africa, where one could imagine they were brought along for food. So they at one time were an African sheep that must have developed form a cross of some sort. As many other African sheep they are a hair sheep. Meaning they do not produce wool. The hair falls off during the summer and returns in time for winter. One trait that you hear most often about the St Croix breed is that it has strong parasite resistance. Making it a perfect breed for tropical climates where warm wet weather is common. This breed is also polled, meaning they naturally have no horns. Solving the problem of injury or having to use a hot iron to burn out the horns while young.

The great majority of St. Croix sheep are white, a smaller amount range in colors of brown, brown, tan, black or white with brown or black spots. The averages most raising St Croix sheep experience are: Ewes average 150 pounds, while the Rams average 200 pounds. Lambs weigh at birth tend to be between 6-7 pounds. Another great aspect of this type of sheep is its quick turn around after lambing, which is only one month. Meaning in good years you can expect 2 lamb births. Each lambing one can expect 2-3 lambs. In some case more lambs are birthed.

The meat of St Croix has a mild flavor and higher than average carcass weight due to its lower bone to meat ration. They tend to take longer than other breed to reach typical slaughter weights, since they have not been improved through selective breeding processes many other sheep have gone through. Across the globe, the hair sheep classification only comprises 10% of the entire population of sheep. Most sheep are breed for both meat and wool production. There are a number of sheep that are raised for meat, wool, and milk. These are rare, but are a homesteaders dream. A farm animal that can provide a number of outputs. These sheep thus far have not been available readily in the US. Most are in Europe and they milk of these sheep is highly valued. Since the subsidy for wool has been canceled, the desire to raise hair sheep has risen considerably.

The ALBC has the St Croix listed as a threatened breed. A classification reserved for those sheep that have fewer than one thousand registered in any given year. I would suspect that the combination of the subsidy lapse and the increased focus on self sufficiency, this breed with all its wonderful qualities will be more prominent in future years.

Designs for Chicken Coops

2012-09-09T12:34:00.000-04:00

Getting Started

As I was mentioning in my last post but never really go into it, my friend and I Jimmy, from Going Green Family Farm have been flirting with a new design for constructing chicken coops. Nothing revolutionary here just new in the sense that it is new to us. We are looking to build something that is visually appealing, can accommodate a decent number of chickens an average family might want, and still stay affordable. This is not an easy task. You need to think long and hard about the coop design. Many considerations need to be thought out. One of the most important we believe is being able to have it be moved if necessary. Since most people may want the ability to pick new spots or just so the chickens have some new grass. Which leads to the second point, that it contain a run for the chickens. Also important so they have a safe area to be outside and get some sun. While overlooked by some this reduces the chance of them getting sick. Nothing better than fresh air and some sun. We came up with a chicken coop design that while needs some modification, fits the needs of most. Here are a few pictures of it.

There are 3 hen boxes located in the back, which are 12x16 inches and can be accessed through the back. It has a door that folds down for easy egg gathering. The chicken run is located underneath the house, it is 24 square feet. There is a door in the front to gain access onto the chicken coop and another door on the hen house that is large enough to reach in for easy cleaning.

Front Door

Framing It In

Hen Boxes

To Free Range or Not

2012-09-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

Fayoumi Rooster

My friend Jimmy and I have been thinking about a number of different chicken coop designs lately. Most sparked by the fact that our wives and us have been looking at buying more chickens. Both of our flocks have been growing and we of course need the added space to house them. Raising chickens free range has been a challenge in that we both have lost quite a number due to predators. Mostly of the flying variety but I suspect a few may have been eaten by weasels, skunks, or another similar type animal. This is very disturbing since for the first few months this wasn't much of an issue. My guess would be the warm weather has made them more prevalent. Probably since their numbers have increased coming out of the mating season. Which leads me to the chicken coops.

I have been considering my obligation to my birds of late. Not something many people I suspect think much about but given I have read some really great books by some intensely dedicated homesteaders, something I have been introduced to. If you really think about it, I have become there caretaker. My responsibility, in buying them and spurring the demand for them to be incubated in the first place, is to take make sure I consider not only my desire for what I can get from them but what is best for them. I need to consider that if they could talk to me, would they say that they would rather be more safe than have 16 hours of free range time? I don't particularly like that train of thought so having them cooped up all day isn't exactly the best solution either. So in consideration of those things, I have come to the belief that what I need to do is build them a large aviary. One large enough to provide them adequate space to be outside for as long as they want and when night comes go in the coop. In this way most of the free range experience will still be there, but they can't wander off to an area where a predator can get them. Now when I say free range I mean something completely different than what the farming industry considers free range. My definition is that they have the freedom to go where they want for as long as they want.
My goal is obviously to get meat and eggs from our chickens, and do it in an economical way. Having 20% of your flock lost every few months simply is not smart. I will start the construction of my aviary within the next few weeks. It has become a bigger need since we just bought another 30 more recently, though they were day old chicks and have a few weeks before they can be let out anyway. I will need to, in my next post, discuss some of the coop designs and other ideas since I never really go to it here.

Raising Guinea Fowl

2012-08-04T18:01:00.002-04:00

Guinea Fowl

A few weeks ago now we went to farm swap and got four guinea fowl which are really fun birds to have. Unfortunately one died after getting wet one night, they are very susceptible to illness when they get wet. If you wanted some pretty care free birds and were not going to eat them, though they can be eaten or not concerned about getting eggs than these are great birds to get. They come from Africa so they they are used to the heat being in Florida this is obviously important. Guineas are monogamous most of they time, so I guess a good idea would be to make sure you get an equal amount of males and females.

They will chase snakes and other critters. What do guinea fowl eat? They are said to be bug eating machines, which that and seeds make up most of their diets. They even make good tick control, many birds won't eat ticks but guinea fowl will. They tend to be pretty vocal. The sounds they make resemble a wild bird rather than a typical farm yard bird. If you have chicken or ducks, this will come in handy. Being very alert they will probably see danger before the others. They can survive almost entirely on free range, that keeps the costs of raising them low. They come in a wide variety of colors. I find them very beautiful and exotic looking. They fly really well so having a tall fence is almost a must if they are confined in a smaller area. You need to keep them penned up to six weeks so they know where home is. I made a 4x2x2 box to hold them so they get used to where they should be.

Guinea Fowl Housing

I plan on raising them and incubating the eggs till i have about 24 or so. So i have a while to go. As with any new adventure you learn as you go. Most places I have read say they will roost in trees at night. My brown leghorns and Egyptian Fayoumis sometimes do the same. But again, then you have to worry about predators. From what I have read they will create a nest on the ground, but I don't think I will let them do that. Eventually I will build them a hen house for them as well. Another great thing about them that may come in handy at some point is that they work great in gardens. They eat the bugs but don't eat the crops. Someone saw it as important enough to write a book about it "Gardening with Guineas". Stay tuned as with my other animals I will post updates on how we actually do raising them. Oh one more thing for those who have never really heard of or seen one, I have a good shot of one at the top of this post.

Our Welsh Harlequin Ducks

2012-07-26T23:29:00.003-04:00

Welsh Harlequin Ducks

A few months ago we bought 15 Welsh Harlequin Ducks as day olds and have been raising them up. They are beautiful and are really getting big. This breed of duck weights up to 6 pounds when fully grown, while not quite there, they are getting pretty close. Originally they were in a smaller rabbit hutch I made when they were round. Then I tried to make a pen for them with a mostly open covering, and letting them out in the yard during the day. That proved to be an unworkable plan. They hated being penned up and every opportunity they had they looked for a way to escape. We have found raising them very easy except for that. I think ducks in general like being kept out doors and being able to freely move around. Similar to our chicken who are seen moving around over an acre or so all day. A few ducks were lost to predators and now we only have 9 left. That is sad but the ones that remain are the survivors. These have really figured a way to survive and now live almost entirely self sufficient. We have a large pond on our yard and they eat and sleep there, only coming up for food, usually every day for a few hours. It is really amazing how independent they are. Also our Welsh Harlequins, unlike our chickens stay very close to one another, literally feet from each other. They have been producing eggs throughout the winter. Raising ducks has really proven to be a very enjoyable experience. They are vocal, beautiful, friendly, and when you can catch one they are extremely soft. Other breeds of duck are more suited for meat since Welsh Harlequins are a smaller breed, but you could obviously eat them. You would get about the same amount of meat as you would from an average chicken, so you efforts wouldn't be a complete loss. For those considering selling to local markets, both duck eggs and duck meat fetch a much higher price than chickens. As long as you are not dealing in large quantities I am sure you would be able to find buys. The issue would be that there may not be enough duck meat lovers to justify production of a large quantity without a high amount of marketing. Generally speaking I would consider duck to be a better all around small farm animal than chickens if you enjoy duck meat.

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Let me give you some other information about Welsh Harlequin ducks. They originate from Wales and are a fairly new breed. They came from Khaki Campbell only about 60 years ago and were introduced in the US about 35 years ago. All male ducks are called drakes, and the Welsh Harlequin drakes have a very distinctive black neck with a yellow bill. The female has a greenish black bill and the head is white, like pretty much its entire body. They are said to be good foragers, which we have experienced first hand, and can produce 250 eggs per year. Given that they are much larger on average than a chicken egg, that means it really produces more egg by weight than even the most prolific chickens can produce. As we have also found, given that they are white they can be more easily spotted by birds of prey.

Farm Swap Trip

2012-07-21T22:36:00.001-04:00

Rooster

We went to a great little farm swap in Lakeland on Saturday with family and friends. There were a decent number of animals available for sale and the people were really friendly. We were able to pick up a few new additions to the farm. More chickens of course, 2 Delaware chickens and a speckled Murans. We also bought a few guinea fowl which are really cool. The are a bit loud, which is not an issue being where we are. They are very self sufficient and are supposed to be insect eating machines. In Africa they have been eaten as food for a long time. More to come on our guinea fowl in a future post.

Going Green Family Farm: The Dream

2012-06-26T21:59:00.005-04:00

Going Green Family Farm: The Dream: So we started our Commercial Landscape Brokerage, Going Green Landscape Partners, about four years ago and ever since we have dreamed of the...

Going Green Family Farm: Where did all the gardens go?

2012-06-26T21:59:00.003-04:00

Going Green Family Farm: Where did all the gardens go?: So I heard a on a radio talk show today that a new study is out showing that by the year 2030 the obesity rate in america will be approach...

Going Green Family Farm: Garden Calendar for Central Florida

2012-06-26T21:59:00.001-04:00

Going Green Family Farm: Garden Calendar for Central Florida: So planting a garden may sound extremely simple to you unless you've had a little experience and then it may seem extremely complex. What w...

Going Green Family Farm: I just wanted to quickly share with you my fresh c...

2012-06-26T21:58:00.001-04:00

Going Green Family Farm: I just wanted to quickly share with you my fresh c...: I just wanted to quickly share with you my fresh cut Okra. It took 45 minutes with three people to pick a single 300 foot run. Right now w...

Our old chickens

2012-05-10T23:18:00.002-04:00

I found some really cool photos of our old chickens that we had when we lived at our previous home. It was pretty good for a while given that we were the first people to buy a home in the community. As a matter of fact there were only 2 homes built in the community, our being one, for more than a year. Since it wasn't zoned "A" or "AG" we couldn't end up keeping them. They were great fun to have. In total we had 2 barred rocks, 2 Rhode Island reds, 1 Red Sex link, and 1 white leghorn. All but the leghorn were brown egg laying chickens. I found it pretty cool to still have given the were just chicks at the time.

What did i do to take care of them? I used what i had around, which started as a wooden car table that the boys really weren't using. They actually destroyed the top of it so it wasn't much usable anymore as a car table. So i framed it in with ply wood, added some 2X4's for support just to get going. I eventually ended up putting a top on it and it served as my hen house. Now we have 20 egg laying chickens, as apposed to chickens that are primarily used as meat.

Our New St Croix Sheep

2012-03-29T21:30:00.001-04:00

Finally getting around to a post on our St Croix meat sheep. It took a couple of weeks longer than originally anticipated. On the day we were to pick them up, the owner of the girls got sick and couldn't make it. So we picked up Jacob the male ram by himself. He was very sad and made a ton of noise that first day looking for another sheep to be around. He ended up hiding in the back of our property to sleep by himself. Jacob did however have no problem getting comfortable, eating and drinking. The next day we got Jael and Jubilee to join him. Immediately they bonded and you never see them more than 10 feet from one another.
Picture ubove of them probably day 2 or three on the farm.
They have taken to our land very well and know where everything is at this point. Had a bit of a problem the first few days. The sheep seemed to want to crawl into the chicken coop fairly regularly. Not as much of an issue now as they are starting to get bigger and can't fit in the opening anymore.
The next step is getting our sheep comfortable enough with us so that they will not get scared and run away if you get more than 10 feet from the. Making progress little by little. Having some feed in hand helps as well. The girls stay further away than Jacob, never getting between him and us. Jacob yesterday actually starting jumping up and down when I approached with the feed. Even eating out of my hand and letting me pet him.

Our Chicks Have Arrived!

2012-02-09T23:25:00.005-05:00

Today our chicken arrived. We ended up getting 16 in total. Yes this is a lot, we will probably end up with way more eggs that we can hope to eat, but family & friends I am sure will take the extra. We ended up getting 6 Egyptian Fayoumis, 9 Brown Leghorns, & 1 White Leghorn. Which my wife picked up when she went back to get something else. They are only a couple days old and are extremely beutiful. I still need to build the hen boxes & a roost for them, but they are still young and probably won't need it for a number of weeks. Though this week i plan on finishing that up. I plan on raising them as free range chickens, utilizing my pasture in the back to do so. The question comes up with friends who are interested, as to why we chose the chickens we chose. So I will explain a bit why for those who may also be considering raising free range chickens.

Brown Leghorns - being in the leghorn family are good egg layers although not as good as the white variety. They are heat tolerant, being in Florida this is important. Lastly in my decision making was that they are good foragers. These birds not only have a good feed to egg ration but as free range chickens they should be able to get a pretty decent amount of their food on there own.

Egyptian Fayoumis - theses produce smaller eggs & less than the legorns but are also extremly heat tolerant. They are extremly good foragers. I have read that they can, with enough space actually feed 100% free range.

I won't depend on more than maybe 30% - 40% of their food coming from the pasture but none the less they will definately be free range chickens. The standard I am setting, which is much differnet than the governments standard will be 6 hours outside per day. In general they will probably get more like 10, but 6 hours is my goal per day. With the 30% - 40% of food coming from pasture.

If your interested in what actually qualifies as "free range" visit. As you might expect it is way below what you or I may expect it be.

Chicken Coop Design

2012-02-02T23:02:00.004-05:00

After having had chickens, then having to give them up, i have really been excited that we are finally in a place where we can keep them. We ordered our chickens from the great folks at Irish Trails who are also owners of some great St Croix Sheep. So last weekend I decided to tackle building a chicken coop that would accommodate the 12 or so leghorns we will be getting. A buddy of mine decided he was brave enough to assist, so he came over for a few hours on both Saturday & Sunday to help. He happens to be a business owner of a company the provides coupons for restaurants. The following is a material list i used for my chicken coop design and a few helpful hints. My coop is 8X10 ft and about 7 1/2ft high in the back and 6 1/2 ft in the front. A pretty good lean to angle that should ensure good rain run off.

Now some of the material used to complete your chicken coop design can come from material you have left over from other projects, which can help hold down the cost. I had 20 cinder blocks that i used to keep it off the ground & the 2" x 6" wood for the base.

20 cinder blocks
9 2x6x8
2 2x6x10
40 2x4x8
2 2x4x10
12 sheets of 4x8 1/2" plywood
6 sheets red corrugated roof panels

In total for all material if you had to buy all of it would be about $575 & would give you a pretty sturdy structure.
I 1st decided i need four rows of five blocks up. Place a block at each corner, rows are about 2 1/2 feet apart. I built the base with 2x6's the 10 foot on the longest sides with 8 foot along the other. It took 9 2x6x8's to fill in the base with 16" between the rows. I used 2 1/2 sheets of plywood for the floor, then built the walls using the 2x4's again 16 inches on center. It takes 6 for each of the chicken coop sides, and 8 for the walls running along the front and back. Plus the ones that are used to anchor to the floor. I used one 2x4x8 and ran it at the angle from front to back this gave me the angle i wanted and it served as part of the roof structure. The 2x4x10's fan along the front and back of the chicken coop to help support the roof, then we used 6 more 2x4x8's to frame in the roof. These ran fron to back along the chicken coop and we used 4 more plywood pieces for the roof. We used the remainder of the plywood for the sides and a door which i made from the plywood & extra 2x6's i had. The red corrugated roof panels went on very easy, although i will say they generally need longer screws than you might think, about 2-2 1/2". Now when you are building a chicken coop design, remember it is for chickens. So you don't need to worry as much about the little details but of course your hoping it will stand the test of time or weather. The rest is up to you, windows, perch, & hen boxes which can be put in just about any spot. What i chose suited best for my application.

Does iran have nuclear weapons?

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Are there really any Americans left that don't believe that a. the media tries to manufacture news b. generally works with government to push certain ideas. This comes to mind today when i see a blatantly misleading headline on Fox News with the most outrageous picture. Click here Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
to see them trying to portray the Iranian president as the new Scarface. He is most definitely going to come after you, your family, your dog whomever he can get his dirty hands on an kill them. Here is the Fox News Article. This is just stupid and ridiculous. They are going to, and yes there will be a large amount of brain dead Americans who will undoubtedly be fooled into believing that they are about to announce a nuclear strike. Of course this comes on Saturday morning, just in time for people who really don't know anything about US politics or geopolitics to get some meat. So get ready this will obviously be the topic of the weekend on Fox. Will they announce that they have built a bomb & will nuke us. The Americans who watch, & go on the rest of this weekend talking about how we have to do something blah blah blah really don't understand that they are being brainwashed.
I am NO expert either but I will absolutely guarantee, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, that all the crap they will talk about this weekend has nothing to do with the announcement. Let me say that again, I WILL GUARANTEE YOU the announcement will not be that they have a nuclear weapon & certainly not that they will engage in any military action against anyone. What it WILL be is that they have made progress on their civilian nuclear energy program. This is all a shame to drum up more violence against another country who does not threaten us in the least. During the week of 2/13/2012 the actually announcement will come out with little fan fair. But the war mongers will still have created the illusion that the announcement could just as easily been that a nuke was set to launch on Washington & it doesn't matter that they didn't say it, it was what they wanted to say. Make sure not get caught up in the media frenzy this weekend. If you need to find out more on the subject read some reference material on wikipedia, like Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or Nuclear Program of Iran