Our Animals
Sheep for Sale
See below for more information!
Finn Sheep
One of our customers
recently commented how she loves seeing our sheep because they look
so happy and contented. They know they are loved and have no worries
that someday they might end up on a dinner plate. We raise our sheep
for fleece, and while we have no control over what someone does when
they buy one of our babies, we are striving to have animals that have
very high quality fleece in the hopes they won't be dinner. We have
purebred Finn, a very gentle breed of sheep, that are known to be prolific
breeders. Their fleece is highly sought after by handspinners. As far
as we have been able to determine, there are only two breeders of purebred
Finn in Massachusetts: our farm and the farm we got our sheep from.
Many shepherds cross them with other breeds primarily for meat.
We spend a lot of time with our animals, and while they do serve their purpose on the farm, they are also part of our family. They each have a name that they recognize when called. In fact, Cassie has been known to bleat back when you call her. She will also crawl into your lap while petting her. Her sons are following along in her friendliness and vocal ability.
While
rams have a reputation for becoming aggressive as they age, our ram,
Aries, is still very sweet at two-and-a half. He receives as much attention
as our ewes and wethers and will also try to crawl in your lap when
petting him. Aries and our other sheep spend the warmer months grazing
with our oxen team, Moses and Abraham. Aries can often be found "playing"
with his boys; he also prefers to sleep between the oxen. We've wondered
if he realizes he's not a cow! He seems genuinely sad when the boys
leave the pasture to work.
Our Holstein Oxen
Moses
and Abraham are Holsteins. They came to live with us when they were
less than forty-eight hours old. We bottle fed them twice a day for
months. They will also answer your call with a "moo." Their
favorite treats are kale, carrots, and apples. We sent them to oxen
school for six weeks the summer of 2006. They proved to be very fast
learners and really enjoy working. Derek has also done some winter logging
(for firewood) with them. We're looking forward to harrowing with them
this summer.
Nubian Goats
We also raise registered Nubian goats, a dairy breed. We purchased Bennie in October, 2004, for our children, Maia and Jayden. We didn't want to give them pasteurized cows' milk and felt that goats' milk was more nutritious. After buying raw goats' milk for a few months, we realized it was cheaper to just buy a goat! We now have four does, two of which are milking.
Targa, the
second goat we purchased, kidded last June. She had a buck and doe.
We sold Baldur the buck in October, but we are keeping his sister, Artemis.
We do not believe in disbudding (dehorning) our animals. Finn sheep
are naturally hornless, but our Nubians born on the farm have their
horns. Rudolf Steiner felt that when you disbud an animal, you sever
their connection to the cosmos, and we agree with that. We're striving
to be a complete whole farm and that includes our animals.
Yaks
This past February, Derek and our neighbor visited Tregellys Fiber Farm in Hawley, MA to look at a flock of sheep she was considering buying. While there, it was mentioned that they were selling some of their baby yaks. We have always thought they were really cute animals, so we spent some time researching what exactly we could do with a yak and then brought two girls home. We named them Praja and Surya (Surry). It was at this time that we realized we are a Sangha for animals. Keeping with their native use, we plan on teaching them to pack. When they are old enough to breed (at two years old), we want to make yak cheese and maybe butter.
Other Critters
No farm is complete without dogs and cats. We have 2 dogs: a German Shepherd, Jeb, and Noni, a Lab mix. Lucy the hen can often be found on the front stoop between the two dogs. We only have one cat right now, Kitten. She can often be found walking down the paths in the garden or rolling in the catnip.
A barn is being constructed on the property beginning spring of 2007. We are hoping to include a milk and cheese room in it. We have plans to apply for a raw milk license, as well as making goat cheese. Look for our certified organic goat cheese and raw milk spring of 2008.
We use intensive grazing methods with our animals, moving them on a weekly basis to ensure they always have plenty of grass to eat. Only the goats receive grain year-round. We feed only organic grains.
Sheep For Sale
Jenna: Romney/Coopworth Ewe, never been bred. Nice fleece. $250
