Hey Reader, A very Happy Thanksgiving week to you! I appreciate you taking the time in-between cooking copious amounts of food to take a gander at this long, but important email. First an update: Red has lost her lead. I know we're all sad about it. I hope you weren't betting on her otherwise you've lost some money. She is however still our biggest girl at 21 lbs, but Blue and Grey have tied for the lead at 22 lbs. Pink is our most adorable, smallest pup at 18 lbs. I'm starting to think I may...
4 months ago • 7 min read
Hey Reader, Only a few more weeks until these pups are ready for their new homes! And honestly I'm not sure how we're going to get them easily to their next vet appt. This week we took them for their 9 week appointment and Blue and Red are leading the pack at 17.6 and 17.4 pounds respectively. 😳 Thankfully they're very well behaved so the vet visits are a breeze. my CRV has been through a lot in its 16 years so do you really need a LGD? Here's some guidance. 1. Farm dog vs LGD Sometimes a...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, It's a sad day for all of Red's fans. She's no longer the big dog on the block. Grey has taken the lead and the boys are now ahead of the girls in average weight. And here's what we're resorting to now to weigh them since they no longer fit on our smaller scale. never ask a lady her weight so why did we choose Maremma Sheepdogs? I'd be lying if I said that Maremmas originating in Italy didn't have anything to do with our decision. Rex and I both have ancestors from Italy (my dad...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, I know you've been waiting with bated breath to know who the biggest pup of them all is this week! And the winner goes to.....RED! Seriously this girl is still holding her own, but her lead is narrowing. I'm betting over the next few weeks that she's no longer the leader or at least is tying with some of her siblings. Jove with one of his sons On to the controversy! And that controversy is that there is not one set way to raise a livestock guardian dog. No matter what people may...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, As we begin to settle into our new place in Tennessee, all efforts are being put into fencing (nothing new there) and these puppies. Juno is the best mom Now going into their 6th week, they're growing like crazy and the boys have almost caught up with the girls. Since they're 6 weeks old this week, it was time for their first vet visit since we don't intend to keep any of these puppies ourselves. To be able to sell, these puppies will need to have their core puppy vaccines. They...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Continuing with the so dang cute puppy content... is that a heart shaped nose? Who can resist this face?? The puppies are really coming out of their baby phase and enjoying exploring the world around them. I can't say our Svarthöna are impressed by these seven in their midst, but it's important for the puppies to grow up around our livestock. And weekly weigh-ins aren't showing too much difference from previous weeks. Red is still definitely the leader of the pack at over 6 pounds...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Dang. Puppies are cute. very demure, very mindful But I'm sure you already knew that. While the bank account can't support 9 dogs (nor do we have the predator load necessary for them), it'll still be so tough letting these cute little pups go to their new homes. They're becoming more and more adorable as the days go by. And the cacophony! Let me tell you, I've never heard such as a fuss as 7 puppies wanting to be fed all at once. imagine this x 7 Poor Juno 😂 The puppies are also...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Last week I put the cart before the horse in talking to you about Maremma Sheepdogs. I forget that the term LGD or their importance isn't an everyday topic. Gosh, I hadn't even heard of this term until a few years ago when I started this homesteading adventure. So let me explain... future livestock guardian dog LGD stands for livestock guardian dog. And of course, these dogs guard livestock like chickens, sheep, goats, llamas, etc. from bears, mountain lions, wild dogs, coyotes,...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, So you thought Valentines only comes around in February, huh? Well Pender (our mini fainting buck) feels quite differently. In fact, you can smell his difference. You see bucks (intact male goats) have this peculiar habit of peeing on their beards when they're feeling amorous. And it does not go unnoticed by anyone in the close vicinity. Once you know this smell, you'll forever recognize it. So funny story... As we we've been paring down our livestock, we've been moving some from...
7 months ago • 1 min read