Mulberry Creek Farm CSA

This used to be our Goats and sheep page, but then we realized that there are other critters here and others planned on! Since we have a poultry page and a hog page, this is the "everything else" page.

Pets

Bees & Honey 

Goats

Sheep

We have three animals, currently, who possess the right to reside in the human domicile, a dog and two cats. They all also have (or were intended to have) function as well.

First is Daisy, whose full name is Daisy O'Mutt, or just Mutt. She is an English Springer Spaniel we obtained when she was still quite young through the Springer Spaniel Rescue organization just a week after Maggie was born. So they have grown up together, in a sense. Glenn's plan was to use Daisy as a hunting dog, unfortunately she is gun shy. She's also a bit neurotic making her useless as a working dog, but great fun to have around.  Daisy is more a water dog than bird dog - any chance she gets to jump into and swim around in available water, off she goes.

Then there are Tiger and Anna. During the fall and winter of 2007-08, when Glenn was gone most of the time on the truck, we had quite a lot of rodents in the house. I commented off hand one day that a cat would probably help lower their population. So, for Christmas that year, I received a bag of kitty litter and cat food. In the spring (April or May, in fact) I finally received a very cute kitten to go with them. He is a deep chocolate brown and looks black most of the time. When he was small, there were faint stripes visible that have since faded, but those stripes gave him the name Tiger. He's a real barn cat and is gone most of the time, although he does descend to our level occasionally to remind us that without him we would be unable to survive.

We had tips from a number of cat lover friends who informed us that Tiger would do better if he had a companion. So we went to the Humane Society of Preble County in Eaton and Maggie picked out a kitten whom she named Anna. She's a grey tiger striped cat who bears an uncanny resemblance to a cat we had when I was young named Spic (his brother's name was Span and Dad threatened to name the dog Ajax). Anna is a real sweetheart and very patient with Maggie who treats her in way not unlike the way Jane treated Puff in the Dick & Jane stories.

There are also a number of critters outside and not allowed in the house but who will never become a meal for any of us for various reasons. Noodles the goat is one and he is featured in our Goat section below. Maggie named a White Rock chick Margaret, but she is now fully grown and indistinguishable from the rest. There is a Pekin duckling who was born with a deformed upper bill that Maggie named Lalina. As long as she survives on her own, we won't eat her. We're amazed she's lasted this long!

It all started when we bought this place in 2001. We noticed that the huge old Catalpa tree next to the old springhouse contained a hive of honeybees. We were glad to have pollinators so close to the potential garden site. Then we learned about the bee blight and saw our hive disappear. A couple years later, they were back! Scouts from a swarming hive had found our old bee tree and decided to move in.

Still, we were simply interested in the bees' proximity to our garden and growing fruit trees and their pollinating potential. Then, one day, late on a Friday in fact, we noticed a large swarm of bees hovering over the house. Then they landed! Just above one of our exterior doors - fortunately one we don't use much - and systematically began moving in ... to the walls of our brick house!

We called the local Extension office to see if we could track down a beekeeper who could capture the swarm and were told (remember, this was late on a Friday and we probably got a freshman work-study student late for a date) to call an exterminator! Horrors! So, we opted to let it alone.

Fast forward to summer 2009. The hive in the Catalpa tree is thriving and there are now two hives in the walls of the house. It's an old brick house with very thick walls - probably there are two layers of brick with an air pocket in between, making excellent housing for bees, bats, squirrels, you name it. (Various critter noises sometimes keep us awake at night.)

One day in mid-May, Glenn was going about his business with tending the various gardens of our CSA when he noticed a huge swarm of honeybees on a branch of the spruce tree next to the house. He immediately called Terry Lieberman-Smith, an acquaintance through Miami Valley Grown and expert beekeeper, who told him what to do to capture the swarm and who to call for hive supplies.

If you know Glenn at all, you'll really appreciate this story. He got the step-ladder out and placed it under the branch, a low one, with the swarm. Then he dragged an empty 35 gallon aquarium out and placed it underneath. Armed with hedge clippers, he climbed the ladder and proceeded to attempt to cut the branch.

This was one huge swarm of bees and as soon as that branch was partially cut, it gave way falling with a whack against the side of the ladder, bees going everywhere. Glenn grabbed the branch and stuck it in the aquarium. The bees (seemingly magically) schwooped right onto that branch. He covered the aquarium with a screen and piece of plywood and waited for me to come home from work, in the meantime trying to get a hole of Paul Reuter, Master Beekeeper, the contact given to him by Terry.

About 9pm Glenn finally reached Paul who said it was critical to get that swarm into a hive ASAP. So, off we went to Urbana, about an hour away. Paul builds and supplies hive materials and so forth and we purchased the first pieces of bee hive we would need. Paul also gave us about an hour's worth of free instruction on how to get the bees in the hive and how to care for them, how to make their food (did you know bees need to be fed? I didn't.), and etc. We got home around midnight.

Glenn stayed up and painted the supers (did you know that beehives can be painted any color? The only reason most of them are white is because that's the color most people have on hand. Go figure.) The next morning, we set up the super, carried the aquarium to it, and Glenn got the bees into their new home. I snapped a couple photos:

Two months later. Our hive is going strong - growing much faster than we'd anticipated. We have the parts now to add the queen excluder and honey super to the hive and instructions on how to make a honey extractor. Glenn also got smart and purchased a veil suit! I'll add a few more pix when I get them!

So there you have it. We are now apiarists and anticipate we will soon be adding honey to the Mulberry Creek Farm products.

John Cleese on Beekeeping

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Noodles is our only goat at present. He came from a neighbor who thought having a pet goat would be fun. At present, Noodles, a pygmy, is in need of female companionship and contents himself by chasing the roosters.

Here is a photo of Chicken and Noodles ... when we find a doe for him her name will, of course, be ... Dumpling.

We are planning on adding a "flock" of goats (everything here is a flock) and have decided on the Myotonic - AKA Fainting Goat.  The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy says this:

Tennessee Fainting Goat

See National Geographic video on YouTube.

The goats of this breed have a host of names: Myotonic, Tennessee Fainting, Tennessee Meat, Texas Wooden Leg, Stiff, Nervous, and Scare goats. The names refer to a breed characteristic known as myotonia congenita, a condition in which the muscle cells experience prolonged contraction when the goat is startled. The transitory stiffness associated with these contractions can cause the goat to fall down. This is not a true faint, but a muscular phenomenon unrelated to the nervous system. The degree of stiffness varies from goat to goat, with some showing a consistently stiff response and others exhibiting stiffness only rarely.

The breed's history can be traced back to the 1880s. An itinerant farm laborer named John Tinsley came to central Tennessee, reputedly from Nova Scotia. Tinsley had with him four unusual, stiff goats. Goats of this type gradually became known across the region. They were less apt to climb fences and escape from pastures than other goats, and their muscular conformation and high reproductive rate were also valued. Farmers began to appreciate them, and the numbers of "stiff," "nervous," or "fainting" goats increased. During the 1950s, some Tennessee Fainting goats were taken to the hill country of central Texas. They were further selected for meat qualities, including larger size, and came to be known as "Wooden Leg" goats.

In the late 1980s, both the Tennessee and Texas branches of this breed were rediscovered. The new enthusiasm for the goats diverged into two major endeavors. One group of breeders worked in the historic tradition, emphasizing the meat qualities of the animals and selecting for growth rate, conformation, and reproductive efficiency. The other group selected for extreme stiffness and small size, promoting the breed as a novelty animal.

As a landrace breed, Tennessee Fainting goats were always variable in size. This variability, emphasized by recent selection, has given rise to a population which ranges in weight from 60-175 pounds. Heavily muscled conformation is consistent among the goats. The ears of Tennessee goats are larger and more horizontal than Swiss breed goats, but smaller and less drooping than Nubian or Spanish goats. The facial profile is usually concave. Most goats are horned, and horns vary from large and twisted to small and simple. While most of the goats have short hair, long haired goats are not unusual and some animals produce cashmere.

Tennessee Fainting goats are found in almost all colors known in goats. Kidding season is always exciting, as new color combinations pop up. Since does like to keep their kids hidden for a few days, looking for these multicolored kids can be like hunting Easter eggs. Does are prolific, with an extended breeding season, and some does will bear kids every six months. Most does produce twins or triplets regularly and have plenty of milk to raise them.

The Tennessee Fainting goat breed is gaining attention for its combination of meat traits with reproductive efficiency, and it is increasingly recognized as an important genetic resource in the United States. Goats are being used both as purebreds and for crossing with other breeds, especially the Boer goat, a recent import from South Africa. While crossbreeding can demonstrate the genetic value of the Tennessee Fainting goat, overuse of purebred does for crossing would threaten the survival of this unique and important American goat breed. It is a high conservation priority.

Status: Watch

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After some consideration, we decided not to have either goats or sheep, but rather to have both goats and sheep. And in consideration of our interest in threatened heritage breeds of North America, we're going to be seeking Jacob Sheep. ALBC says:

Jacob Sheep

Sheep with spots have been described in many cultures throughout history, appearing in works of art from the Far East, Middle East, and Mediterranean regions. Among these accounts is the Biblical story of Jacob, who bred spotted sheep and for whom this breed is named.

Spotted sheep were documented in England by the 1600s and were widespread by the mid-1700s. They became popular in England as ornamental, or "park" sheep. Jacobs were ideal for this role, as they were picturesque but required minimal care. Scant selection occurred for anything but hardiness, spots, and four horns. The result was a -primitive breed that looked after itself well.

Jacobs are small, horned, black and white sheep. Ewes weigh 80–120 pounds, and rams 120–180 pounds. The sheep are white with colored spots or patches. The colored portions of the fleece are usually black, but they can also be brownish or a lighter color called lilac. The Jacob is a multi-horned or “polycerate” breed. Most animals have two or four horns, though six horns also occur. Both sexes are horned, and the rams can have horns of impressive size and shape.

The breed produces a medium fleece that is light and open, with a staple length of four to six inches and a weight of three to six pounds. Unlike most other medium wool breeds, quality of the fleece has been a major selection factor in the recent history of the Jacob breed. As a result, it is much sought after by fiber artisans, who enjoy its characteristics and color combinations – black, white, or a blend of the two.

Jacob sheep were first imported into North America beginning in the mid-1900s, and most of today’s population descends from imports of the past 30 years. The breed has enjoyed widespread popularity among small flock holders as well as handpsinners and weavers. -North American breeders have selected primarily for fleece characteristics, and the conformation of the sheep has remained very much like its historical description. Variability is present, but this is -characteristic of an unimproved, primitive breed. During the same period of time, the British Jacob has been selected for greater commercial productivity, including larger size and more uniform appearance. In this way, the populations in Britain and North America have diverged. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has listed the North American population of Jacobs as a conservation priority.

The distinctive appearance of the Jacob has sometimes worked in its favor but at other times has proven an obstacle to its conservation as a pure breed. Spotted sheep of all shapes and sizes, including spotted Jacob-Dorset and other crosses, have been sold as Jacobs to unsuspecting buyers. Identifying and recording the purebred Jacob population has been a continuing challenge for American breeders.

Status: Threatened

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