The farm (and Bena) are still going strong! We were hit by Hurricaine Helene in September of 2024. We lost power for several days and many of our beautiful pine trees were blown down. Unfortunately, a tree fell, crushed and killed Dextor, one of our cows. Another older cow left this life and was processed into hamburger, steaks, and other cuts of meat which we ate. Life goes on. Charlotte, the cow is still doing well and we have a new cow named Snickers.
Bena has decided to concentrate on raising Nigerian Drawf Goats and larger fowl such as Geese and Turkeys although she still has a fair number of chickens and ducks. The Nigerian Drawf Goat is a miniature modern American breed derived from West African Drawf Goats. They are 17 to 21 inches tall, weigh 60-80 pounds, and are known for their friendly temperament. As you may imagine they are quite cute and have the advantage of no eating as much as a full sized goat thus better fitting in to a small farm. Some of them have the most amazing blue eyes. Next time I’m at the farm I will take a picture of them for the website.
Ducks are more fun than chickens and sell better at the livestock auctions. Geese and turkeys command a premium price at the auctions. They are also more fun than chickens. Of course chickens do have one advantage – they continuously lay eggs which can be eaten or sold.
Turkeys, though great to look at are not known as the brightest bird. Last time I was at the farm, I had to help Bena build a turkey house with a roof as turkeys have a habit of looking up when it rains. Small birds may actually drown from the falling rain!
Wish me luck. I’m heading up to the farm tomarrow to watch and feed the animals for a few days while Bena is away. Thank God for smart phones and facetime in case I run into trouble while she is away.
Jonathan
