Creatures on the farm to have or not to have

[Guest guest]

Haribol to fellow critter keepers

As the owner of hundreds of critters over the years, dogs included, they

eat almost anything. Our temple retreat dog, KC (bet you can't guess what

that stands for)? Is fed pershadium. He eats vegetarian dog chow from pet

stores or he cleans up what is left over after our meals. He keeps the range

cows out of the garden, trees the local resident bear when he comes around,

offers comfort to children and terrorizes the temple cats. ( we do have a

mouse and chip monk problem). He also keeps the elk out of the garden, they

can be real pests at 600 Kg or 1200 pounds. I think he pays his keep up

there. Dogs are loyal, friendly very protective of children, and will defend

your territory, and alert you to intruders. Properly trained they can herd

your other animals pull small wagons and will do any number of tasks for you.

If you have a dog and treat it well, you will have a friend for life. If

you mistreat your dog or ignore it, you may end up with an untrustworthy

sneaky vicious biting barking dog. You pretty much set the behavior of your

dog. Over all they are worth while. One more thing, the smaller the dog the

longer it lives, Great Danes one meter or 36" tall and 150lb or 75 Kg live

six to eight years. tiny dogs six lb or 3kg live up to twenty years.

If you are going to store grain, get a cat or two. Cats will keep both

mice and rats down but will also keep snakes and scorpions at bay also. They

eat cheese, milk cream all dairy products, some rice and other vegetarian

food. If you keep them fed they will hunt for sport and not quit when they

are no longer hungry. They are clean quiet, loving and deadly predators.

Cats will pay there keep on the farm and are well worth keeping. They live

about ten to twenty years, depending on the care they receive.

While most people think that a farm without critters is not a farm.

Believe me animals own you, not the other way around. You have to get up

every day in good health or not to milk the cow morning or evening. You

can't go on trips to visit a friend or a wedding or funeral, because you have

to milk the cow. Or you must find a very reliable person to stay on your farm

and care for the critters.

Having critters is a huge obligation and burden. Think hard about that.

If your farm fails or you find out you are not cut out for farming what

happens to the cows? Or the other critters? You can usually find a home for

chickens or a dog or cat but what about the big critters? These are real and

tough questions. Go slow if new to farming ect, you probably won't be able

to give a cow to the humane society, although in my city a pair of donkeys

were donated and still live on at a humane society workers home.

So if you are starting up a farm first time I advise you not to get any

critters until you have your feet under you and feel you can make a go of it.

Vet bills will bankrupt you if you are in financially poor condition. They

now have in the USA animal insurance, you might consider getting it for your

farm animals!

 

 

Chickens on the other hand are very old at age six years. Geese live

twenty years, as well as Cows, horses and mules.

CRITTERS ARE A MAJOR LONG TERM COMMITMENT .... THINK ABOUT IT!

CAROL