New Adventures
I'm raising an amazing daughter, but at the same time I'm raising a goat herd. It has always been my dream to farm, but on a small scale. My husband is well versed in farming and was actually raised on a small farm here in NC. My daughter will have the opportunity to grow up with a first hand love for animals. We currently have various chickens, turkeys, and goats on our small track of land. This is land that I inherited from my paternal grandfather. It has been in my family for generations. Unfortunately, family members did not have the same opinion of family land as I did. So most of the property was lotted off and sold at a low price. I wish I would have had the money to keep it together. One day this place will be passed down to my daughter in hopes that she will value it as much as I do. Land taxes eats up a chunk of my pay each year, but I think it is more than worth it.
I like the idea of taking on this new adventure. It gives me yet an additional purpose. My child instantly quietens down when approaching the lower fields. She seems to love to hear the animals as I am feeding. I strap her in the harness and take her along. It just feels right to have her be a part of this.
I always get asked if we eat our chickens.
The answer is yes and no. We eat and gather the eggs, and if we need the meat my husband harvests the chicken. There are some of the chickens that are kept as pets only. They have names and personalities of their own. Others are solely kept for consumption. My favorite hen doesn't lay eggs, but she becomes broody and will sit and hatch other hen's eggs. Her name is Happy Feet and she is the best mama chicken that we own. She adopts all babies and is super protective. She also adopted our turkeys to show them how to use the roost and waterer. Now that the turkeys are grown they live in their own coop. As for the goats... No. We do NOT eat them. We do trade them and they are then processed. They keep the field clean and are wonderful companion pets.
I also get asked about the turkeys.
My turkeys have names and are super friendly. They love to be petted and will follow you like a puppy, so NO they are NOT food. I collect their eggs for food.
It is so rewarding to see the animals flourish. Although right now it looks like a chaotic mess down there, everything will eventually be finished. I'm awaiting the cooler weather and planning ahead to have feed during the winter months.
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