300+ Animals and Counting!

What is it like having 300 animals? It's like a circus, that's what it is! But it's all worth it.

Every Animal is different, and even getting a true accurate count is a bit of a challenge. One of the most complex challenges we have on the farm, is keeping them safe, and the daily routines that come with it. We'll go through a day in the life of our operations, and what it looks like to run this place.

As of the writing of this blog May 2023, It's just getting warm. In North Carolina, we really only have 2 seasons. Cold and Hot. There's a micro season called OMG, where temperature reaches

an easy 100+ and 60 seconds outside you will become drenched as if someone was following you spraying hot misty water. Socks are a 4 pair a day kinda thing, and the pool is a safety requirement to stay cool by July. For the Warm Season, or summer, our coops and house are all modified to have windows and openings. We close these or cover them up during winter, but mostly our little custom built houses are equipped with vents and screens for every climate we might have. EVERY animal has a house, and they are all lockable to prevent predators.

Our mornings start out by opening each house. Our Pigs have houses, but we do not need to lock them up at night. So this is for the others, goats, birds, rabbits, etc. Along with many food stations, and watering bowls that must be checked. Chicken pens are more manual to some extent while we ensure water and food doesn't sit long. We don't want to attract predators and we want the birds to scavenge for some foods. This keeps them fit and sharp. Plus food is expensive.

We normally do a count in the morning too, to ensure all is there and accounted for. We're currently developing a new system to ensure each house is taken care of daily properly using tags. The tags will be clipped to each house in the night, and removed in the day. Placing them on a board hanging will ensure a final check to ensure we didn't forget a house.

Forgetting a house in the summer heat, will almost 100% lead to death of any animal. We have designed a couple houses with this in mind, that allows for cooling in the case the door accidentally closes itself. Which does happen from time to time or a hook pulls out holding the door open.

Forgetting to close a house at night, and birds will roost in trees, and be easy prey. This has happened to us before, and we've paid the price. We leave all houses open most of the time, so all birds can get in during the day. Rains during the summer are unpredictable too and birds need places to shelter.

Closing up the houses at night however, now this is where it becomes more work, and requires attention to detail. We MUST do a routine path to all houses. It's best to start with 1, and move through them the same each night. This helps establish routine to ensure you are doing everyone. Remember 300 + animals, each animal and pen we have something

we have to do. There is a magic time each night to put your birds away, or else they will roost in a trance almost anywhere. We've had to get them off coups, trees, and once they trance, they don't like to move for anything.

The night routine starts with our Children helping, and we have staff part time to come and help. The nighttime routine takes around 1 & 1/2 hours every night. I've included a copy list below to show some of the check items we must perform:

* Pigs - Feed 6lbs per Pig - Measured and weighted - Check 3 Water Lines for leaks and operation. Ensure Lights / Heat during Winter. Check for structure damage of housing while pigs are eating. Examine fence for proper click and charge rate. Count of Piglets and ensure piglet water station has water. Inspect gates to ensure locks engaged. Lights on wifi timer (auto)

* Chickens - Houses secure in order 1-8 +2, counted chickens, turkeys and each pen accounted for. Closed and locked, vents open for summer, plastics off for Summer. Inspect for damage, ensure roosting areas secure. No feed. Water optional for Turkeys. There are 9 chicken pen Stations

* Ducks - Ensure auto lights, ducks locked and latched, feed 1/2 cup container feed. Ensure door closed well, lights work. Latch Gate to pond entrance on way out. Ensure count

* Chick Station - Proper Placed Section, closed doors, latches, and hood curtain for rain. Metal Run tube back down to ground lowered, no escape or snake holes. Inspect for openings, or damage. Water filled - Lock Area gate on exit

* Hatchery - AC Set 73, Brooder Stations Heat as needed. Doors Closed Latched, Count, Food Water. No Chicks in trays. Heaters working - test - Camera LED Light blinks - Growth Lights - ON 75%

* Goat Pens - Locked - Water - Gate closed - Lights if cold are auto - water away from spill area

We have predators here almost every night. So we do our best to make sure money doesn't go to the fox. All of this work is a measure to protect our animals. At this stage in the game, we're also heavily invested into automation. Auto lights, heat pads, water stations, cameras, notifications, temperature sensors, Solar. We slowly are trying to make things automated, as much as possible. This comes with more money, and reliable setups to get notified if something is wrong. With over 25 cameras on the property, we can monitor and review each and every aera as well as get notified of movement at night that could be a predator. As us about our automation, we're happy to point you to the solutions that worked for us! Almost all of it can be found in our online store.

Here's a quick overview of all our animals by group:

* Dogs

* Cats

* Turtles

* Ducks

* Rabbits

* Goats

* Pigs

* Turkeys

* Geese

* Sheep

* Piglets

* Fish

* African Parakeets

* Children ... yea ..