Glimmerwood Farm

01/26/2025

As baby chick season approaches and the price of eggs keep rising, I’m sure a lot of people are tempted to raise chickens themselves. Before people flock (no pun intended 🤣) to their local farm store and start buying all the baby chicks please consider the following 10 fun facts….

1. Most hens do not start laying eggs until 18-22 weeks of age (that’s about 5 months give or take)

2. For the first few weeks of their lives baby chickens need to be kept at a temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit

3. Chicks need to eat…SURPRISE! And like the price of everything else chicken feed has went up. A 50lb bag of layer is over $20.

4. Chickens molt…what does that mean? Your chicken will become ugly and stop laying eggs for a period of time.

5. Chickens don’t lay as many eggs in the winter months.

6. The average lifespan of a chicken is 5-10 years.

7. Predators such as foxes, coyotes, neighbor’s dogs and even raccoons will hunt your chickens.

8. Chickens will p**p EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere so be prepared to clean their pen often or if they are free range be sure to check your step or look before you sit.

9. Chickens love to dig holes and destroy bedding around flowers in the yard, good luck keeping them from doing so.

10. Chickens can get medical issues just like any other animal.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from raising their own food in fact I think it’s great. However chickens are animals, animals that require attention and proper care.

So while I get that you don’t want to spend $7 on a dozen eggs double think your decision before you go gung ho on being a chicken farmer. Just do your research, it’s not like getting a fish 🤦🏼‍♀️

Sincerely,
A fellow chicken owner

01/19/2025

Hello? Anybody here?

I’ve been way too quiet for far too long.

No breeding was the plan, as other things were in the works. Then linear appraisal was announced to be in August for my area. And I jumped at the chance, as it just hadn’t worked out for me in years past

My no-breeding plans for this year quickly turned to breed enough does to make LA worthwhile. So I’ve bred like 17 does for early to mid-June kiddings. Insane, I know.

After appraisal, I will be making hard cuts and downsizing my herd, and planning for some fall kiddings.

Tentatively, these are the pairings I have planned for June:

Springwater OR Mythos *B (pending) is bred to the following

Daylight BB Firefly 2*M
Cascadecreek Mocha 2*M
Gillis Family Farm SmartyPants Elite
Gillis Family Farm Akari
Lil Miss B Haven WM Charmed
Springwater OSR Swiss Sue
Springwater U Lil Firecracker
Glimmerwood LD Cherry Jubilee

SDS Farm Golden Hour has bred the following does:

Novella Farm RS Citrinitas
Glimmerwood LD Sayuri
Glimmerwood LD Summer Moon

Camping Farms Tahitian Sunrise has bred the following does:

Springwater AL Luna Moth Elite
Glimmerwood M Stella Luna
Springwater AL Caliente
Glimmerwood M Plum Blossom

Springwater Calling All Angels has bred the following:

Glimmerwood LS Cocoa
Glimmerwood LS Eclipse
Glimmerwood SUN Corona

Happy to take reservations and discuss these pairings. Will updated when pregnancies are confirmed in about 6 weeks.

01/16/2025

Yep, about right

But seriously, we gear up and are out in the weather every single day. If its still we can deal. However, that wind will cut right through you and can even drive me mad!

12/30/2024

Truth!

A few days ago, I got an email with some pretty intense questions about our farming practices. It’s not unusual, but one question really stood out: “Are they fed a vegetarian diet?”

Honestly, that one stopped me in my tracks. Not because it’s a tough question, but because it highlights just how much misinformation is out there about chickens. Let me be clear, the whole “vegetarian-fed” label is nonsense. It sounds good on paper, but it makes absolutely no sense if you understand anything about chickens.

Here’s the reality- chickens are not vegetarians. They’re omnivores to their core. If you’ve ever seen chickens roaming outside, you know they’re constantly hunting for bugs, worms, and could even go after a frog or a mouse. It’s their natural diet and provides essential nutrients they can’t get from plants alone.

But the “vegetarian-fed” label? It’s usually slapped on chickens raised in confinement, fed a controlled diet of grains and plants, with no access to the outdoors. No foraging, no scratching, no freedom to live like actual chickens. It’s a feel-good marketing term, but it’s completely at odds with how chickens are meant to live.

So where does this come from? A lot of it seems to stem from animal activists who think “vegetarian-fed” sounds more ethical. But here’s the thing: they’re missing the point. If you really care about animal welfare, you want pasture-raised or truly free-range birds. Those are the chickens living their best lives, roaming outside, and eating what they’re supposed to—yes, including bugs.

If anything, the “vegetarian-fed” label should be a red flag. It’s not about the welfare of the chickens; it’s about selling an idea to people who don’t know better. If you truly care about ethical farming and healthy animals, skip the buzzwords and look for pasture-raised or free-range instead. Or even better hit up your local egg farm nearby so you can see the conditions yourself and support a small Homestead or Farm! 🖤

12/25/2024

12/25/2024

🤣

12/24/2024

So apparently the laws of physics do not apply to goats

12/21/2024

You only live once, so buy the goats!! 🤣

Original digital artwork by my very own Brook!

12/14/2024

HAS SCRAPIE BEEN ERADICATED?

Susan Schoenian
Sheep & Goat Specialist Emeritus
University of Maryland Extension

Almost, but not quite. The last case of “classical” scrapie in the US was found in 2021. As of 2024, 47 states have not had a case of scrapie (or a traceback in sheep) for more than 7 years.

If we do not have another case of scrapie by 2028, the US will officially and finally be declared free from scrapie. Only Australia and New Zealand currently enjoy this status.

It has been a long road. While scrapie has been recognized as a disease in England and Europe for more than 250 years, the first case of scrapie (in a sheep) in the US wasn’t until 1947. The first goat was diagnosed in 1969.

In 2002, scrapie reached an all-time high in the US, when approximately 1 in 500 sheep were infected with the disease. Scrapie has never been as common in goats, but goats are essential to eradication.

Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is among several diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).

TSEs became the subject of increased attention and concern when mad cow disease (BSE) was discovered in England in 1986, and it was hypothesized that TSEs were jumping species.

While scrapie is primarily a disease of older sheep/goats (over 2), animals usually get infected when they are very young (from mother to offspring) via contact with infected birth fluids, placenta, and milk.

Due to its long incubation period, scrapie is difficult to diagnose. Brain or lymphoid tissue is needed for testing.

The economic impact of scrapie in the US is estimated at $10-20 million per year, the result of lost production, lost exports, and increased production and disposal costs. In 1952, the National Scrapie Eradication Program went into effect. It was revised in 2001 to accelerate the eradication of scrapie from the United States.

Since 2001, there has been mandatory identification (with official scrapie ID; for traceback) of most sheep and goats, along with record keeping requirements. Genotypes having natural resistance to scrapie have been identified and used to select resistant stock.

An important part of the eradication efforts has been slaughter surveillance. Since 2003, 745,540 sheep and goats (mostly culls) have been tested for scrapie. All these efforts reduced the incidence of scrapie (in sheep) to 0.0% in 2020, and as previously stated no new cases since 2021.

To get the US sheep/goat industry to the finish line of eradicating scrapie, it is essential that every producer continue to do their part by identifying their animals (when they leave the home farm) and reporting any scrapie-suspect animals to their veterinarian or other animal health authority.

Scrapie symptoms include progressive weight loss, incoordination, gait and behavior abnormalities, and intense itching (rubbing).

Another way to help the efforts is to submit heads (of mature animals) for (free) scrapie testing, especially if the deceased animal died of unknown causes or displayed neurological symptoms before death.

Originally published in the Delmarva Farmer, December 2024

12/10/2024

Tuesday Tip - There are over 35 breeds of livestock guardian dogs worldwide. The most common breeds in Texas are Akbash, Anatolian Shepherd, Great Pyrenees, and Maremma.

12/09/2024

12/07/2024

Goats are a a key part of winter holidays outside of the US...

12/03/2024

Yes!

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

11/05/2024

😂

10/14/2024

Truth!

10/03/2024

A good way to help NC

NEED ASSISTANCE in NC?
Want to help?
The university is managing portals and has a wealth of resources to navigate. https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/

Our hearts are breaking for the families and farms impacted by the hurricane. Having lived in Asheville, there really is no way they could have anticipated or prepared for this disaster. It is wholly out of the realm of possible or even plausible had warning been given.
Since supplies are so limited - they do not need help on the ground outside of the organized efforts - but they do need donations.
If you are wanting to contribute to the efforts to help livestock, join an organized support effort - OR NEED ASSISTANCE - the university is managing portals and has a wealth of resources to navigate. https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/

09/12/2024

On the regular