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Essential Oils for Flea and Tick Control

Posted on by Megan

🎶 Let’s talk about ticks, baby, let’s talk about “ew” and “ee!” 🎶

Ticks are a major concern in some areas. Down here on the bottomland we have some, but not that many and I don’t do anything to try to “prevent” them.

If I were going to do something about it, I’d look to the data I could find on essential oils since of the more natural options, EOs are usually more convenient to work with for things like this. Let’s do that now.

This study looked at 11 EOs for repelling a particular type of tick. It’s $50+ to get the full article, but the summary tells us enough to get started: Continue reading “Essential Oils for Flea and Tick Control” →

Solstice Surprise Winter Giveaway

Posted on by Megan

I don’t know about where you live, but here, winter has already been in full swing and relentless.  I can’t remember a winter solstice I’ve been more excited for than this one.  The days will be growing longer and hope fills the air – we’ve made it once again.

This solstice demands a special gifting, a celebration, so I’m excited to announce a giveaway that is unlike any we’ve done before.  For the next 4 weeks, 12/21/22-1/18/23, you can enter to win the following: Continue reading “Solstice Surprise Winter Giveaway” →

Mineral Buffet Consumption Totals Month by Month

Posted on by Megan

This page will track consumption each month and total it in pounds so we can get an idea of our herd’s consumption on a longer term basis.  Unlike the monthly totals that display in ounces, this one shows totals in pounds.

I have Nigerian Dwarf goats and standard sized sheep so to keep this consistent and easy to read, the total number of animals will count each sheep as 2 Nigerian Dwarf goats.  For example, as I write this in July 2022, we have 11 adult ND does, 6 ND kids, 4 adult ND bucks, 6 adult sheep and 3 lambs.  For simplicity, I will count this as 39 animals. Continue reading “Mineral Buffet Consumption Totals Month by Month” →

Mobile, Small Animal Mineral Buffet Feeder Ideas

Posted on by Megan


The big mineral buffet feeder we use for the does is great for an all weather, year round stationary feeder but for something mobile, I had to brainstorm with a different idea.  This post will detail two small animal mobile feeder designs we came up with and some low cost feeder cup options.

The first option uses a standard wire dog crate and is the easiest to put together.  Filling it will be a bit more challenging because you need to reach in from the front. This feeder is ideal for poultry, rabbits and other small animals.  It would work well for kids and lambs too.

The second option uses a horse panel, welded wire and the same trays.  This was a bit trickier to put together but was made with scraps and has a lower cost.  It can be filled from the top which is more convenient.  I created this as a multi purpose mineral buffet feeder intended to work for my rabbits, chickens and adult goats.  I’ll detail how to make that work later in this article. Continue reading “Mobile, Small Animal Mineral Buffet Feeder Ideas” →

Mineral Buffet Consumption Totals for June 2022

Posted on by Megan

This table tracks the amount of each mineral, in ounces, that I have either put into the mineral buffet feeders or into the small jars I keep at the farthest feeder from the barn.

In June, we had 16 yearling or older Nigerian goats, 8 ND kids, 6 hair sheep cross ewes and 3 lambs consuming from two mineral buffet feeders.  About halfway through the month, one adult and one kid went to new homes, so we ended with 15 adults and 7 ND kids.  These numbers indicate the totals for both feeders.  All animals are on pasture with no supplemental hay, but because of the high silicon consumption, we added alfalfa hay back in at the very end of this reporting period.  We’ll see if it affects consumption in the next 4 weeks. Continue reading “Mineral Buffet Consumption Totals for June 2022” →

GIVEAWAY: Mineral Buffet Starter Kit Ending June 29

Posted on by Megan

This giveaway has ended and Tawnie R. is the winner.  See you in July for another giveaway!

Hooray, it’s monthly giveaway time!  Keep reading to learn how to win a full mineral buffet starter kit.

I am passionate about this mineral option and think it is such a great way to handle mineral balance – by getting out of the way and letting the animals figure it out.  My wish is that every small herd interested in getting started will be able to, so I’m hoping to do a giveaway every month. Continue reading “GIVEAWAY: Mineral Buffet Starter Kit Ending June 29” →