Spring has brought many new babies to the farm, but this weeks addition was one brought onto the farm. Laura bought a beautiful 4 day old male lamb for $25 from a friend, who said the baby was rejected by its mom and she brought him to the farm to be raised for meat. He really is the sweetest baby, and being that he was rejected is happy to snuggle and take a bottle from you any time you happen to walk through the barn.
https://www.facebook.com/david.j.gray.1238/videos/10157331029629180/
(there are two videos to watch)
Meat animals, is something I am interested in long term, as I am not overly enthused or feeling led to raise animals for milking and learning how to raise livestock was one of my practical and academic goals to study up and learn more about this semester, to see if I want to incorporate it as part of my studies. Working with Laura has been a great opportunity to learn about milking and all it entails, but I still feel it is not something I will endeavor into in the future. Laura raises livestock that includes, a lot of goats, a few sheep and her cows. She obviously is a milker and has her herdshare program she engages in with her cows and goats, but she also raises animals for meat, she has some goat, two of the beef calfs and 2 lamb now that are destined for the freezer. She has been teaching me a lot about birthing, checking for diseases, pasture management, hoof management and in general just showing me her passion and love for her animals.
One site that she has directed me that she feels is a great resource is https://fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm - this site is mostly about goat rearing, but she says and from what I am reading, it is a wonderful resource for practical information on raising healthy and well bred goats. I have read up a lot on Joel Salatins methods of raising livestock - mostly his beef and pork, as these are two meats I am interested in raising and I really like his principles of farming (just not necessarily his choice of meat chickens, although I understand why he chooses those). His Salad Bar Beef Talk and book is very informative and his principles very much in line with mine, in wanting to raise chickens alongside livestock (http://www.polyfacefarms.com/joels-speaking-topics/).
One thing I am learning, that I know Laura struggles with is the need for good pasture, she has had a heck of time trying to get good green pasture established for her farm, as the cost of hay and feed is high! and can eat into your monthly budget, when there is not good green grass to chew on. Salatin gives great advice on the need for good pasture and of running the meat chickens behind the cattle to keep the ecosystem in check and the pastures well fertilized: "Salatin’s love of simplicity carries through his whole system of cattle raising, which makes it perfect for beginners. Instead of planting specialized forages, he uses the grass already growing in the ditch out front. Instead of building complicated infrastructure, he uses a corral, some portable fencing, and a hay shed" (https://homesteadontherange.com/2014/01/09/salad-bar-beef/).
