Healthy ducks with the opportunity to free range and forage daily can easily live to be ten to twelve years old. However, hens only lay eggs for up to four years. This means we're continuously adding new girls to our flock to keep eggs in stock for our family and for our customers who frequent our farm stand. Older ladies are never culled; rather both laying and non-laying ducks (and males) are an integral part of our farm's pest management and rotational grazing programs. Geese accompany our ducks as watchers of the skies for hawks, excellent weeders in pastures and lawns, and they're happy to graze on forage left behind by the horses and sheep. We also keep a small group of guinea fowl for tick eradication. While many birds enjoy a tick or two for a snack, guineas specifically seek them out. The reduction in ticks reduces human and animal exposure to Lymes Disease (and other tick-borne illnesses) while on the farm.
New Jersey is traditionally considered a wet climate so we are host to many snails, slugs, pill bugs, and more. These insects naturally inhabit our growing spaces but are favored by ducks. The flock is regularly turned out into our garden, orchards, and pastures to help control these insects. As for pasture rotation, the flock is the last group to rotate through each plot. They blow apart manure piles looking for insects, grazing leftover grasses and weeds leftover from the sheep and horses, and leave their droppings while foraging. All of this benefits the soil. A portion of our property is considered a wetland and also includes a stream. These make waterfowl a perfect fit for our farm microclimate.
New Jersey is traditionally considered a wet climate so we are host to many snails, slugs, pill bugs, and more. These insects naturally inhabit our growing spaces but are favored by ducks. The flock is regularly turned out into our garden, orchards, and pastures to help control these insects. As for pasture rotation, the flock is the last group to rotate through each plot. They blow apart manure piles looking for insects, grazing leftover grasses and weeds leftover from the sheep and horses, and leave their droppings while foraging. All of this benefits the soil. A portion of our property is considered a wetland and also includes a stream. These make waterfowl a perfect fit for our farm microclimate.
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The Arcadia Project is a working farm effort. The draft horses are no exception. Angela taught herself to drive in order to take advantage of horse power for pulling in harvests, hauling the manure cart to the compost heap, and dragging the manure in the pastures if needed. Do we use an ATV ever? Absolutely. But hooking up a draft horse is much more fun, great exercise for the horse, and maintains the bond between human and animal.
As of 2024, we have four draft horses at the farm. They are for riding, light driving, and pasture maintenance. Their manure is "hot composted" and used in growing spaces. The drafts also rotationally graze with our ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and sheep.
Rescuing unwanted horses has become a cornerstone of our work here. We have successfully saved four horses from the auction or slaughter pipeline; a Clydesdale, two Percherons, and a Belgian. Though some of these horses are no longer with us and have passed on, it is our honor to give them a soft place to land and be loved, no matter how long or short their time with us may be. If you're interested in learning about rescuing, Angela created a free eBook here.
As of 2024, we have four draft horses at the farm. They are for riding, light driving, and pasture maintenance. Their manure is "hot composted" and used in growing spaces. The drafts also rotationally graze with our ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and sheep.
Rescuing unwanted horses has become a cornerstone of our work here. We have successfully saved four horses from the auction or slaughter pipeline; a Clydesdale, two Percherons, and a Belgian. Though some of these horses are no longer with us and have passed on, it is our honor to give them a soft place to land and be loved, no matter how long or short their time with us may be. If you're interested in learning about rescuing, Angela created a free eBook here.
While sheep are cute and certainly cuddly, these wooly friends offer major benefits to our permaculture homestead. Many folks don't realize that horses and sheep (or goats) do not share the same parasites. Parasites tend to be species-specific, therefore, our sheep help to keep our horses healthy. When rotationally grazing, the sheep naturally ingest shed parasites from the horses. Because the sheep is not the required host, the parasite lifecycle is disrupted. The ducks and geese (and guinea fowl) follow the sheep in our rotation schedule. By the time all of the animals have grazed, the pasture has rested, and the horses are re-introduced, the pasture is a sanitary plot for the horses to graze once again.
In addition to removing our routine horse deworming schedule, the sheep eat forage not favored by the horses. This helps to ensure all pasture vegetation is grazed evenly. Angela specifically chose Shetland and Romney breeds for their natural ability to do well on pasture forage without lots of added grain. They also return their own nutrient panel to the soil by way of their droppings. Lastly, their wool is sent to a fiber mill each year at shearing time for yarn and for pellets. The wool pellets are used in growing spaces as mulch which helps the soil to retain moisture, prevent some insects thanks to the oily lanolin that naturally exists on the wool, it adds organic matter, and the wool pellets help to aerate the soil when used in holes at planting time.
In addition to removing our routine horse deworming schedule, the sheep eat forage not favored by the horses. This helps to ensure all pasture vegetation is grazed evenly. Angela specifically chose Shetland and Romney breeds for their natural ability to do well on pasture forage without lots of added grain. They also return their own nutrient panel to the soil by way of their droppings. Lastly, their wool is sent to a fiber mill each year at shearing time for yarn and for pellets. The wool pellets are used in growing spaces as mulch which helps the soil to retain moisture, prevent some insects thanks to the oily lanolin that naturally exists on the wool, it adds organic matter, and the wool pellets help to aerate the soil when used in holes at planting time.
