While growing and selling vegetables is the flagship business at Kilpatrick Family Farm (where I visited in mid-April), the farm is not without its share of furry and feathered—and fun to photograph—faces.
WATCHDOGS
A good watchdog is essential at any farm with livestock. Prior to getting two Maremma Sheepdog‘s to watch over their brood of chickens, the Kilpatricks lost over 20 chickens to predators in one month. These two cuties have knocked recent losses down to zero. Not a bad track record for a dog with a such a mild name like Carrots, eh? (Did You Know: It’s the scent of the dog—not the barking—that warns predators to stay at bay!)
THE MILK COW
The Kilpatricks keep one milk cow whose milk they keep for personal use. Read an earlier post to hear about my own experience hand-milking a cow.
GOATS
In addition to cows, goats provides a great source of milk or meat. Even more, they offer a great deal of comedic relief in the barnyard. The Kilpatricks had just acquired two dwarf Nigerian kids at the time of my visit.
CHICKENS AND DUCKS
The Kilpatricks keep a good number of chickens on hand and sell eggs at local farmers markets and grocers. Click here to read an earlier post to learn more about chickens. Only two ducks—one male and one female—share space with the chickens. I think they served as “barn parents,” or something like that.
BARNYARD CATS
It goes without saying that cats are an essential part of any working farm, keeping the mice population firmly in check. And as much of a dog person that I am, these cats were of the hospitable sort.
THE FAMILY DOG
The Kilpatricks keep two Border Collies as family pets—a mother and her pup. From what I could tell, Gracie (pictured below) was the hardest working animal at the farm, constantly watching out for opportunities to participate in the day’s activities. Not to be unfairly compensated for their hard work, both dogs enjoy special privileges—like warm, indoor beds and, of course, plenty of toys.
