Another busy week has gone by of more planting, weeding, and in this heat, a lot of watering. And we aren't just watering all our plant babies, we have a small menagerie of farm critters here who need a lot of attention as well. Some of the animals that call our farm home include a small herd of beef cattle, laying chickens, meat birds, a couple little pigs, and the 'flock' of rabbits from which we get our namesake. The animals play an important role here for us, more than just for meat production or companionship.
Their waste is used to fertilize the garden, some of our garden waste is eaten by them, instead of just turned into compost, and the barns, pasture and fence lines provide habitat and for many birds, insects and other critters, that in an area that would otherwise be turned into conventional farmers' field. Some of the birds include the Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark and the Barn Swallow which are now considered threatened, as well as Eastern-loggerhead Shrike and Henslow's Sparrows now considered endangered.
Just something else to think about the next time you see a pasture or hay field.
