Ordered my birds today...

I can't believe that it is almost March already! It was getting close enough to our being full-time at the farm that I finally went on-line to the McMurray Hatchery site and placed an order for my chickens and turkeys!! I am so excited!! I had the delivery date scheduled for the week of May 28th which is just about three months from now.... that seems so long still.

Anyway, I ordered some laying hens for eggs, a package of heavy breed cockerals for meat and hopefully our starting flock for turkeys. Here is what I ordered:

CUCKOO MARANS Straight Run (6) - Chocolate colored eggs
BARRED ROCKS Females (5) - Brown eggs
NEW HAMPSHIRE REDS Females (5) - Brown eggs
BUFF ORPINGTONS Females (5) - Brown eggs
ARAUCANAS Females (5) - Green/Blue colored eggs
Free Rare Chick (1) - unknown sex and use

ALL HEAVIES Males (25)

Narragansett Turkey Straight Run (15)

That's all for now...

Carolina Alpaca Celebration

I attended my first alpaca show this past weekend! It was the Carolina Alpaca Celebration in Concord, NC put on by Carolina Alpaca Breeders and Owners (CABO) of which we are a member.

I went up with three of our alpacas, Ore Hill Peter Piper, Enchanted Hill Celtic Woman and Heartsong Pure Joy. We traveled with two of the Buser's alpacas at Abbondanza Alpacas (where these three are currently agisting). It was lots of fun and I learned a lot about showing alpacas! We even came home with three ribbons... a 4th and two 6th places!

But what I enjoyed the most was meeting Marty McGee Bennett of CamaliDynamics and attending two of her mini classes. I really like the handling meathods that Marty teaches and hope to take one of her two day classes very soon. During the first of the mini classes Marty asked several of us to get our own alpacas so that we could use them in class... I got to go get Peter Piper and he did a wonderful job with everyone that worked with him! I was so proud of him!

The puppies arrive!

Drove up to North Carolina to pick up our new Livestock Gardian Dogs today.

Coming soon... puppies!

Well, I just got the news that our new Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) will be ready to pick up next weekend. I am so excited! I love puppies! We are getting two (a male and a female) Anatolian Shepard dogs. These two with be living full time out with the livestock protecting them from stray dogs, coyotes, bears, unwanted humans and even hawks and eagles. It may take up to two years until they are fully grown and at their maximum guarding potential.

I have chosen the names for the two new puppies. I tried to find solid Turkish names for them that would make good "call names" for training. Our male, the fawn with black mask, will be Berk (which means solid & strong). Our female, the dark brindle, will be Emine (pronounced "M"-in-neigh and means trustworthy) We will call her Emie for short.

These are the only photos I have seen of them so far...

Emine Berk

In preparation for the pups arrival, who will be staying at Abbondanza Alpacas until our fencing at the farm is completed, I took our insulated dog house over there today along with some thick wool blankets. It is still pretty chilly here at night. At least they will have each other to help stay warm. On Friday I have a 10 x10 mesh livestock pen that is scheduled to be delivered as well. This will allow the pups to be in the pasture with the alpacas but still confined so as not to get any bad behaviors while not being watched.

So... the kids and I will be driving up to North Carolina next Sunday to go pick them up. I am so excited!!