The Staff Meeting
One of the basic truths of my current life is that when you start new endeavors with almost zero background knowledge, every day is an opportunity to learn.
Doesn’t that sound lovely and inspiring?
I can’t deny that I love to learn, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do so. But as most people who care for animals know, there’s a sense of overwhelming urgency to Learn Every Thing Right Now when the consequences of ignorance may include harm or suffering to a living creature.
I have books, I have Facebook groups, I have Pinterest Pins to more farmsteading and animal husbandry articles than Fitz has spots. How great is it to have all this information (along with a hefty peppering of opinions and misinformation!) so easily accessible!
While following one of my Pinterest rabbit trails, I learned that ticks were predicted to be a huge problem this summer. I also learned that ticks annoy sheep. And then that free-range chickens are quite effective at consuming ticks in pastures.
Having had sufficient practice at connecting dots since childhood, I wondered about putting a few free-range chickens in the pasture with the main ewe and wether flock.
It turns out that this sort of symbiotic relationship is not uncommon. In addition to reducing the number of ticks in the pasture, chickens feast on other insects, including fly larvae that may be in and around manure. And while they are disturbing the sheep manure, they are spreading it as fertilizer around the pasture and simultaneously disturbing the parasites in the manure that would like to compromise the sheep.
On paper, this is all brilliant.
In the first stages of execution, seamless.
We got six chicks of four different breeds, all listed as excellent free-rangers. I’m not sure we needed six, but I’m anticipating possibly losing a few to predators since they won’t be as protected as the other chickens on the property.
They’ve made it through the first few weeks, and it was time to move the wee tractor to the pasture location I want them to associate with “home.”
We placed it last night with the chicks inside. The trip was a little bumpy. I’m sure they thought the apocalypse was upon them.
The sheep were inside when we placed the chicks. They made the discovery this morning.
When I came to the barn, there was a wide berth around the wee coop. Not a sheep within five yards. As soon as I walked over to check the chicks’ water, everyone made a beeline to me.
Apparently, we were going to have a meeting about the new screaming furniture.
Georgiana planted herself at my hip. I think one of us was assumed to be the assistant to the other in this managerial duo, and I bet we each had a different idea of who was actually in charge.
Now, a confession. I actually gave a mini explanation of my reasoning behind bringing the noisy chaos monsters into the paddock. Straight-faced.
Here’s the thing: They mostly stood there like they were listening.
Georgiana nodded solemnly now and again. “Yes, yes. Just as we discussed.”
Lizzy looked like she wanted to ask if she was going to be allowed to punt them if they annoyed her.
Lucas all but asked if they produced milk.
I almost asked for questions at the end.
I did not.
The following picture was taken directly after the meeting.
You might notice that Georgiana is not among those inspecting the contents of the Noise Box.
That’s because she was still at my hip, conducting the meeting debrief.
Happy knitting,
Kiersten J
