In June 2008, we began farming in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Within a month we had chickens, turkeys, goats, and sheep. We've since added a dog. Our first farm animals were the chickens. We received 55 chicks in the mail. The majority of these birds went into the freezer, but we still have six laying hens and three roosters. Our original hens are all heavy breed birds, and we have a variety - Delawares, New Hampshire Reds, Barred Rocks, and Buff Orpingtons.
The next animals to arrive were the turkeys. We raised 18 Narragansett heritage birds to adulthood, putting six toms in the freezer. The remaining 12 were kept for breeding. We now have 2 toms and 9 hens. The hens are very broody and have hatched out several poults.
In late June we were given two dairy goats. These are mixed-breed, horned goats. We now have one milking doe, Hops, and her three kids - Penny, Grant, and Sherman. Grant and Sherman have been wethered and will stay on the farm as herd companions. Penny will be bred late this fall to begin her milking career.
In December we brought home an English Shepherd pup from western New York. Gus loves to be in the barn and is currently learning how to "be nice to the kitties". He is truly a shadow dog and loves to be at our sides.
