September 19, 2023

Deadly nightshade or black nightshade, no shade please

This post is intended to inform. It should not be used as a reference as to the safety of the nightshade in your garden or pasture. I wouldn’t even consider myself an amateur botanist. This is …

belladonnablack nightshadedeadly nightshadeforagetoxic plants
September 16, 2023

Getting Started on Milk Test

I’ve tried to do milk test almost every year since I started milking my goats. Milk test is where you weigh, sample and have your milk analyzed by a lab on a regular basis. 2023 is the first …

September 15, 2023

Tracking Livestock Guardian Dogs

One of the challenges you often see in homesteading groups is with Livestock Guardian Dogs(LGDs). We have integrated them successfully into our farm, but not without some challenges. The biggest …

livestock guardian dogsmaremma sheepdogs
June 13, 2023

Franke Farm B Charlie Caryall

Charlie now is at Willoughby Croft.

Charlie is one of those goats we didn’t get around to freshening in a timely manner. She is a three year old first freshener, but what she lacks in number of …

June 9, 2023

Wether Care Instructions

Born: xxxx (xx weeks old at time of going home) Vaccines: Received first CDT shot xxxx and the 2nd xxxx Castration: They were banded on xxxx. NEVER remove the band. The testicles will slowly shrivel …

April 24, 2023

Hay Feeders

Ruminants like goats need to be pretty much constantly eating or chewing their cud for energy. During the warm and dry months they can mostly graze pasture with only supplemental feeding for the …

April 22, 2023

Animal care, system shocks and farming

Most of the time I give a cheery view of #farmlife, but it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes things are simply hard. It can be hard because you want the best for your animals. It can …

animal carelivestock guardian dogsmaremma sheepdogssystems thinking