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All of the animals on our ranch play a vital role in our organic yard maintinance program. Horses- Our horses keep our 15 + acres of pasture trimmed down. If we were to let this pasture grow, in summer time this would be an extreme fire hazard. The horses also fertilize the pasture and seem to keep the deer at bay. Pigs- The pigs do an amazing job or rototilling the earth and uprooting plants, making a particular area ready for planting or just clearing out unwanted brush. The pigs also utilize any excess goat milk, which in turn will become meat. Geese- The geese trim the grass, eat the weeds and fertilize the lawns. Geese also eat along fence lines and under things where lawn mowers can not reach. Geese are also wonderful alarms or guard dogs, letting us know when there is a stranger near. Geese will keep your lawn as green and trim as any well manged gardening program. They also fertilize the lawns everywhere the larger animals do not have access to. Ducks- Ducks love to eat snails and slugs. We have had ducks since day one and I have only found one or two snails or slugs in the five years that we have lived here. Chickens- Chickens break up manure searching for seeds and bugs, the eat any type of insects and bugs they can reach as well as spilled feed, reducing mouse and rat populations. Chickens are of course primarily kept for egg production and meat production. We keep a small flock of bantam show birds, but with large breeds, we are focusing on dual purpose breeds like Wyandottes, Chanteclairs, and Delawares. We do prefer to raise breeds that are critical or endangered. Guineas- Guineas love to eat snakes, ticks and wasps. Wasps are the biggest issue for us. With our newly aquired flock of guineas, we hope that this problem will be taken care of. Guineas are also excellent table fowl and lay edible eggs. Quial- The quail pick up loose spilled feed, lay eggs that are perfect for pickling and if big enough are wonderful table fowl. |
Organic Yard Maintainence |