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Pasture/Ranch

Along with growing organic vegetables which we have done for many years, we are bringing livestock into our mix. We originally were going to have sheep and goats, but once we tasted goat meat, we were smitten! So we've decided to forgo the sheep and have goats only.

We will be raising meat goats, Boer goats, This link to another web site opens in a new window. The privacy policies and terms of service may be different from ours. in particular. They grow quickly and their carcasses are meaty and lean. Goat meat is as healthy (read, low in cholesterol and fat) as turkey meat and considerably tastier, IOO (in our opinion).

In addition to meat goats, we will be raising meat rabbits, meat chickens, guinea fowl, and probably some turkeys. We will also have laying chickens for fresh eggs. (If you have never eaten a farm-fresh egg, you have no idea how delicious, creamy, and vibrantly yellow they are. And the shells range from brown, to blue, to green, but never white!)

The goats will be kept in our pasture area that will be divided into several paddocks using portable, electrified fencing. By rotating the goats through the paddocks, they will not overgraze any one area, and the paddocks will have the opportunity to regenerate their growth.

And, just in case you were wondering, goats are not really grazers; they are browsers. They prefer thorny thistles to lucious grass, weeds and brush over hay. Their manure is not "hot" at all and can be immediately used in the garden area.

The chickens will also be pastured, not cooped. They will be in what is called a "chicken tractor." This link to another web site opens in a new window. The privacy policies and terms of service may be different from ours. (Slow site due to the many photos on the page.) This results in better tasting meat and better quality eggs. In both cases, chicken manure is rich in nutrients and will definitely be added to our compost piles.

At this time, the rabbits will be kept in hutches. We are researching ways to enable them to be more "free-ranging" but they can escape so easily that this might not be possible.

Since there are cougars This link to another web site opens in a new window. The privacy policies and terms of service may be different from ours. and coyotes This link to another web site opens in a new window. The privacy policies and terms of service may be different from ours. in our rural area, we will have one or two livestock guardian dogs This link to another web site opens in a new window. The privacy policies and terms of service may be different from ours. (probably Anatolian Shepherds This link to another web site opens in a new window. The privacy policies and terms of service may be different from ours.)

Currently, there is an attempt to kill off as many cougars as possible; Jackson County is actually paying for hunters to kill them. Those that agree with this "policy" are claiming that it's a self-defensive move to prevent attacks.

We feel differently about this. After all, they were here first; we came into their territory, not the other way around. It's our responsibility to protect our animals from the predators. Killing them off is not a good solution.