× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! Some of the best medicine for your goats is already growing on your land. I’ve found that when we look around our local area, much of what we need to thrive can be found growing as “weeds.” Spring is prime foraging season. Plants are waking up, putting energy into fresh growth, and many of them are at their most potent right now. If you’ve been wanting to incorporate more foraged herbs into your goat care, this is the time to start. Here’s what to look for. Early Spring Harvests These are the plants to focus on first. Some have narrow harvest windows, so don’t wait too long. Burdock Root If you Read More
Category: Homesteading
Change Is a Certainty: Reflections on an Ending
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! I’ve gone quiet because I am gestating. In 16 days, I am embarking on a new journey into an entirely new life. After 21 years of marriage–most of my adult life–I am moving on. I share deeply in my weekly newsletters, but for here I’ll just say that the birthing pains are real. This is hard, and beautiful, and painful, and hopeful and it can be any one of those things on any given minute of every day, sometimes seemingly completely out of nowhere. With it though comes immense hope. The home I lived in when you came to know me was purchased with inheritance money, a gift given nearly 15 Read More
Incubating Eggs without an Incubator
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! A raccoon killed my favorite duck hen the other day, leaving her 20+ day old eggs without a mother. When we discovered it the next morning, the eggs were cold. There was little hope, but there’s a saying in the farm world, “It’s not dead until it’s warm and dead.” More than once, we’ve warmed up a lifeless body (think rabbits in particular) to find a miraculous recovery. The problem with the eggs is that we have a non working incubator, something to do with a puppy and wires. How could we keep the eggs going without it? I’ve always been told you can’t, which means I needed to set out Read More
150 Animals, Winter Chores in Under 30 Minutes
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! When talking about the animals we raise, I often hear, “How do you do it all?” I’m startled at that question, because the reality is there isn’t much to do, so I thought maybe it would help to take you on a walk through my daily chores. As much as possible, I try to automate systems. Like most of us, I have a lot going on with homeschooling, house-wifing and small farming, so anything I can be hands off with is a help. These photos were taken today. The average time to feed and care for all the animals on the property is under 30 minutes, with bursts of activity once per Read More
Garbage Can Chicken Feeder
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! We’ve been feeding whole grains to our chickens for 2-3 years now. About a year and a half ago, we finally landed on the low maintenance, no waste chicken feeders we use today: garbage can chicken feeders. This method allows us to feed one or two times per year and results in zero waste and grain throwing. To get started, choose a container. We had garbage cans on hand so used those. We have made feeders in 5-gallon buckets and I’ve seen storage totes used as well; there are no set rules for the container type as long as it will hold up to the weight of the feed with holes drilled Read More
Our Vision for the Sustainability of Our Goats
× Looking for minerals and goat supplies? Head over to our shop at GoatCare.com! I like to dream about what the future holds for our little farm and the most important livestock we raise on it, the goats. I love all of my animals, but goats are my special pals. In terms of sustainability, they have the potential to give life to not only their kids and mine, but also to the chickens, pigs and dogs. If we can successfully provide their needs here on what we can raise, we can use their outputs to create sustainable food for the other animals that call Little Avalon “home.” While I thought it would be fun to share this with you, I think it’s equally important for Read More