Why I Have Animals
Here's a list of the animals that are currently residing on my family's micro farm.
24 adult rabbits
19 baby Californian rabbits
4 baby Jersey Wooly rabbits
22 baby meat chickens (which are living in the chick brooder in the garage)
11 adult chickens
1 adult duck
3 ducklings
8 young chickens
So, why do I have all these animals right now? There's one big reason.
The FAIR.
Since I now have two younger sisters in 4-H, extra animals are needed for showing. LOTS of extra animals. Almost every cage, coop, and pen is full. AND, all these animals have their specific feeding requirements. For example, ducks can't have medicated feed, but the meat chickens need medicated feed, and so do the young layers, but the adult chickens need layer feed, and that's just the chickens!
Still, I love every single minute of it. There's almost nothing like winning a blue ribbon with a rabbit that you nursed back from the brink of death. Or eating a meat chicken that you raised from start to finish (even though that might seem a little strange). Or even just watching baby bunnies take their first wondering look at the world outside their nest box. That's why I have animals.
24 adult rabbits
19 baby Californian rabbits
4 baby Jersey Wooly rabbits
22 baby meat chickens (which are living in the chick brooder in the garage)
11 adult chickens
1 adult duck
3 ducklings
8 young chickens
So, why do I have all these animals right now? There's one big reason.
The FAIR.
Since I now have two younger sisters in 4-H, extra animals are needed for showing. LOTS of extra animals. Almost every cage, coop, and pen is full. AND, all these animals have their specific feeding requirements. For example, ducks can't have medicated feed, but the meat chickens need medicated feed, and so do the young layers, but the adult chickens need layer feed, and that's just the chickens!
Still, I love every single minute of it. There's almost nothing like winning a blue ribbon with a rabbit that you nursed back from the brink of death. Or eating a meat chicken that you raised from start to finish (even though that might seem a little strange). Or even just watching baby bunnies take their first wondering look at the world outside their nest box. That's why I have animals.
~Just a Girl on the Homestead
