The Blessings and Curses of Poultry & Goat Farming

My name is Ashley, and I have lived on a Nubian dairy goat farm with my family since 1998.  At the writing of this article, I am 17 years old, and aspire to be a wife and homemaker.  These are some of the things I have learned in my farming experience. 

My main responsibilities are taking care of ducks, geese, chickens, and guineas.  Our barnyard is divided into two sections, one section for poultry and the other for our goats.  I and one of my two sisters maintain our poultry; and, I answer to the head farmer, Mama.  My assistant is my youngest sister, and it is part of my job to designate chores for her and be sure that she performs them. 

Chickens may be common farm animals to some, but this does not mean they are easy to take care of.  They are dirty, messy, and sometimes uncooperative.  We have many different breeds in our flock of sixty plus, so you might think we have many various temperaments to deal with, typical of the individual breeds, but not really.  The overall behavior is basically the same, and in regard to this, I see little distinction between the various kinds. 

If they are penned up permanently, as ours are due to dinner-seekers like foxes, their area will be scoured of any weeds and greenery in a very short amount of time.  Their pen must be clean at all times, their water fresh and plenty, their nesting boxes spotless to prevent disease and encourage laying, and they must have oyster shell to replace the calcium put into producing the eggs – whenever their highnesses decide to lay, that is.  Along with their supply of food, they must be given plenty of fresh grass and greens – we are reduced to hand-picking their vegetation most of the time.  Chickens are not all bad, although they will readily feast on a recent carcass of another member of their clan.  Yes, they can be cannibals. 

The conveniences of owning them are fresh meat, fresh eggs, and pickled-chicken feet, a favorite joke food in our house.   We don’t actually eat them.  Besides these more obvious assets, chickens also diminish or even extinguish the scorpion and snake populations.  So you see, it is not as terrible as it may sound.  Free-roaming chickens are much easier to care for.  They get their own water, can survive on greens and little grain, don’t make messes that must be cleaned as often, and are freer of the diseases that plague chickens in closer confinements. 

Ducks and geese are also relatively easy to care for, similar in most respects to the chickens.  Besides this, duck meat is more of a delicacy in restaurants, and very expensive when purchased already butchered.  So, there is an added advantage of eating one’s own ducks and geese with the knowledge that they were probably raised and fed in a much healthier manner than the unfortunate poultry in the stores.  Too, ducks and geese are easily trained to follow the voice of their master, and they are generally very cooperative when it comes to herding them – an advantage over chickens, which in penning up time must be caught or chased into the pen individually.  Our ducks and geese have been trained to my voice, and they will not follow a stranger’s call.  This often reminds me of the Scripture in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  Being able to herd the ducks and geese every night has given me an opportunity to experience the full impact of this special verse. 

I believe that, even if for a short time, all children should be able to raise animals of some kind for which they will be directly responsible.  In my opinion, a farm is the best place for this, because the conditions for hard work are very abundant, a thing which can sharpen and instill character into young bodies.  Living on a farm affords children the chance to become acquainted with other living creatures which must be fully dependant on humans for life and sustenance.  It can give children the ability to foster affection for animals which they will carry on into adult life, an affection that will refrain them from abusing or mistreating animals or other helpless beings. 

Farm life teaches responsibility, yes; but it also teaches an important concept that is becoming lost on many people, namely, the fragility of life and the gravity with which life must be treated.  Under the correct circumstances, farm life can teach children to fully respect the sensitivities and feelings of other living beings, because, quite frankly, animals are very sensitive creatures.  They may be sensitive in different ways than humans are, but they are nonetheless capable of affection, pain, hurt, joy, and even sorrow.  A respect and awareness of the feelings of other living things will also be carried on when children reach the threshold of adulthood and deal with more important creatures – humans.  Farm life is not one easily abandoned – even for a couple of days.  It is restrictive oftentimes because it makes families stay home in order to be more available for their animals should a serious need arise. 

These lessons can be learned especially when children are present and assisting with the birthing process of animals.  I have experienced probably about thirty goats giving birth over the past nine years.  It was good for me to be exposed to the occasional mortalities, complications in pregnancy, assisting the kids to the mothers for nursing, encouraging the mothers while in labor (yes, some of our goats will not even kid unless we are there!), learning to recognize different stages of birthing and readiness in the mothers, and an array of other important things which accompany such a phenomenon.  It can be exhilarating.  It can also be stressful, worrisome, and tiring.  All of these are good emotions for children to experience in degrees, especially concern for the animals and the feeling sometimes of being tired while on watch for the mother to begin kidding, since this sometimes happens late in the night or early morning.  The feeling of being tired is good once in a while because it helps children realize the value of the situation: they are tired, but the animals’ safety could be at risk if they are not there to assist when labor begins. 

Even if children do not remain farmers as adults, the lessons they will have learned from it will be many and precious.  Their lives will have been enriched through these experiences. 

Ashley Palladino
March 2008