Shannon

Brook Farm Newsletter January 26, 2013 This week we were busy filling out our certification documentation to renew our organic status while feeding and watering animals in the bitter cold. Our team has adapted to the severe winter weather over the past few months and all are fairing quite well. The Highland cattle and the livestock guardian dogs were made for winter. They actually thrive in the cold. When we drive out to feed the sheep flock in the morning the cattle charge after the ATV, making me feel like Marlin Perkins in an episode of Wild Kingdom. Big Red throws her horns in the air twisting her powerful neck with her wooly coat completely covering her eyes. Kicking her back legs into the air shes assured that nobody is close on her tail. I pray that she can see me well enough to stop before she collides with the back of my vehicle potentially goring me with those beautiful horns! She skids to a halt, yanks the hay from the cart and devours as much as she can. One would never guess that the cattle had hay left over from the day before. The Cayuga ducks continue to splash in the water, pulling apart flakes of hay and laying an increasing number of eggs. Although ducks love the cold the eggs are susceptible to freezing when the temperatures are hovering around 0 Fahrenheit. We would welcome 10 above at 7:00 am! Instead we have been waking earlier and earlier in an attempt to collect the eggs before they freeze and.CRACK!! The first morning that we found several cracked eggs we had collected them around 7:30 am. The next morning we collected around 6:30, the morning after that at 6:00 am and today we went in with the basket at 4:00! Early collection helps but there are still enough broken eggs to warrant making Birkett Mills buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, deviled eggs for lunch and quiche for dinner. The eggs are always a treat. Most are jumbo size and are laid in mysterious shades of French grey from dark charcoal to pale off-white. Their

beautiful colors are highlighted by the blackened wire egg basket sitting on our creamy marble table top. As I gently clean the eggs the shades of grey wash down the drain leaving them almost white. Some sort of duck magic. We are thankful for the ducks and take steps to ensure their health and the enjoyment of their days. Recently after they started laying eggs we noticed a few spots of blood in the bedding. By reading one of our many animal health handbooks about laying hens we surmised that they needed additional calcium in their diet. We picked up a bag of crushed oyster shell at our local organic feed mill and placed a large rubber tub of shell in with the ducks. Having never seen such material in their lives they eyed it from a distance then waddled over to investigate. After pushing it and poking it they determined it was indeed something they wanted to eat. Each day they take some shell in between eating their organic layer pellets and nibbling on their scratch grain. The blood no longer appears and we havent yet lost a single bird. Its satisfying to observe an ailing animal, quickly research the possible causes then apply an effective remedy or multiple remedies in an effort to restore the animals health. Our work requires that we build a level of confidence through our self-structured on-the-job-training. Although the farming learning curve is steep it is also a thrilling experience that offers a fascinating life with the animals and the plants that sustain them. As co-inhabitants of this world we have much to learn from the animals. And on a happy note, Cecil, the black bear of a cat, emerged from hibernation today! We feared he had run away, or worse, been eaten by a hungry predator. As Walter packed the car for his trip to Rochester this morning Cecil sprung from a roll of insulation where he spends the cold winter nights with his sister Geraldine. True to form he ran back to his bed once he knew who was disturbing his dreams.