Aycock Acres Farm and Rescue LLC

12/03/2023

We’ve been MIA lately so here’s a little update:
All of our chickens have been re homed to our wonderful farm sitter and friend. The horses will head to their new boarding facility at the end of March and I’ll join them shortly after. We are so excited for this new adventure, but sure will miss this little slice of heaven. During this transition, we don’t really know what to expect in terms of our rescue mission. In the meantime, continue to reach out to us with ideas, needs, and questions! We will keep y’all up to date with our goals. Thanks to everyone for the support and love. ❤️

17/02/2023

Tux is the king of snuggles

22/01/2023

Aycock Acres has come big news.

We are moving to California!

A lot will be changing in how we run things and what we can offer to the community. In our transition, we will not be taking in any rescues, but are still available for support with funds and transportation for animals in need! Please continue to reach out to us for support!

After we are established in a new area and have learned the needs of the community, we will update everyone and start diving into more specifics of our services! Thank you all so much for the support and love in our journey.

We are so excited for this new chapter! ❤️

13/01/2023

Did you know that adult cats don’t meow at each other to communicate? A cats meow is their way of communicating with people! They meow for a variety of reasons… to say hi, ask/beg for things, and to tell us when something is wrong. Kittens will meow to their mothers to indicate they’re in need of food or warmth, but grow out of this as they get older.

Featured in this picture is our lovely lady, Khaleesi.❤️

07/01/2023

A huge shout out to Lisa for rescuing this sweet boy. She did all of the hard work and we want to give her the credit she deserves!! We just came in on the ending stretch to foster for a few weeks and transport him to his forever home. Congratulations to Raji and Cash!❤️
Cheers to another happy ending!🥰🥳

06/01/2023

Horses need routine hoof care. Our horses see the farrier (the professional in charge of their hoof care) every 6-8 weeks depending on the time of year and their hoof condition. Our horses are barefoot, meaning they do not have shoes on. Many people keep shoes on their horses for a variety of reasons such as protecting the hoof while being ridden.
Not all horses require shoes. Gunner has great feet that do not require shoes at this point. When he starts routinely being ridden again, we will reevaluate whether or not he is in need of shoes. Matana has been retired from riding due to other injuries. As long as she does not need the corrective support shoes can provide, she will remain barefoot.

23/12/2022

REAL FEEL OF -30.
The horses are wearing their heaviest blankets, have lots of hay, and I’m breaking ice as often as I can. The chickens have tarps to block the wind, tons of hay on the ground for insulation, and are huddling together. We are unfortunately without power so I’m unable to bring any of our animals warm water. We are trying to keep them as comfortable as possible, but our biggest concern right now is keeping them hydrated.
Signs of dehydration in chickens, panting, labored breathing,
pale comb and wattles, diarrhea, lethargy, limpness, unresponsiveness, seizures.
Signs of dehydration in horses: poor performance, loss of skin elasticity, weakness, and increased respiratory rate.

20/12/2022

If you can't make them part of the Family then don't have one!!!😥🙏

20/12/2022

Please bring your pets indoors during this freezing weather.

20/12/2022

19/12/2022

I love this old man so much. ❤️

16/12/2022

Did you know that in the fall and winter egg production slows down pretty significantly? We are used to getting about a dozen eggs a day and are currently only gets 4-5. The lack of daylight and cooler temperatures lead the hens to conserve energy and not produce as many eggs. Because we know our ladies our working harder during the winter months, we supplement our regular feed with some additional protein such as worms, insects, eggs, seeds, and sprouts.

09/12/2022

This year we decided to cut a Christmas tree down from our pasture! We were so excited. We got it all set up in our home when we realized Sunny was starting to nibble on the branches. After a quick google search (we should have done that before bringing it into the house) we realized that Easter Red Cedar can be harmful to our babies!
If your cat decides to nibble on a non-toxic tree, it may cause an upset stomach. However, if your cat goes for a white cedar, Eastern red cedar, or a Western red cedar, it is far more dangerous. It can cause severe gastrointestinal upset and seizures.
Poinsettias, holly berries, mistletoe, pine tree needles, and lilys are also harmful and very popular this time of year.

Symptoms of Poisoning in Cats
* Drooling
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Little or no appetite
* Restlessness
* Weakness
* Ataxia (wobbly gait, may look drunk)
* Panting
* Increased heart rate
* Increased thirst and urination
* Fever
* Lethargy
* Muscle tremors or seizures

If you suspect your cat has eaten something it wasn’t supposed to, take them to a vet immediately!

02/12/2022

Hunting can help balance the ecosystem and maintain the animal populations at levels compatible with humans. Hunting teaches patience, provides food, and an opportunity for a deep connection with nature. Also, the money from purchasing a hunting or fishing license goes to wildlife conservation!
I take a firm stance that if you are going to hunt, you need to honor the animal and use as much of it as possible and not abuse the privilege.
For example, deer hide can provide clothing and blankets. The bones can be made into needles, knives, tools, fish hooks, jewelry, buttons, and many more useful items!
Game meat is also a much more natural and ethical source of meat than what we usually consume in the US. If you have concerns regarding ethically hunting, please consider what a factory farmed animal goes through before purchasing meat, eggs, or cheese from the grocery store. Egg laying hens live in cages usually less than one square foot for their entire lives. The cages are then stacked on top of each other and they live in their own waste. Meat/broiler hens are pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones to grow as big as possible as fast as possible. Pigs and cows are also kept in terrible conditions, both being pumped full of hormones, kept in small areas, and living in their own waste. It is not uncommon for factory farmed animals to be abused beyond what has been previously mentioned.

https://www.animalsandsociety.org/research/sloth/sloth-volume-i-no-1-march-2015/eating-the-ethical-way/
https://www.fws.gov/law/general-hunting-laws
https://www.farmsanctuary.org/issue/factory-farming/
https://www.humanesociety.org/news/facts-about-factory-farms

25/11/2022

How do you prepare to leave town when you have animals?
As you all know, here at AAFR we have several indoor and outdoor pets that must be considered when we go out of town. When we travel, we always bring our two dogs. Samantha (GSD) would be fine to leave behind for a sitter to care for, but Sarid (pitty) is a high needs old man and we don’t feel comfortable putting that level of responsibility on someone else. The cats (including fosters), chickens, bunny, horses, and turtles get to have a little stay-cation from us at home. We have a wonderful pet sitter who knows all of our babies very well and is also very knowledgeable about animals (she’s the best).
Preparing to leave takes a lot of time and money up front. I clean all litter boxes, pet rooms, food/water bowls, and make sure all of the animals have food set up or easy to access for our pet sitter to give as needed. The horses will have their blankets set out in an easy-to-identify manner and food bags will be made for the days we are gone. I also write out detailed instructions and send pictures/videos as needed to help clarify. The hardest part for me is the good ol’ “what ifs” that pop into my head before we go. Thankfully, in the almost 5 years of traveling/leaving the little farm, we have only had to cut one trip short due to an animal in need. It’s very important that whoever you choose to watch your babies is aware of the signs and symptoms of sickness or injuries for all of the animals they are watching, and are comfortable calling the vet and monitoring vitals until the vet can arrive. Our biggest concern when leaving is the horses. Matana is prone to colic (GI distress) so we always make sure to have medication, emergency numbers, and all of the warning signs/things to do laid out for our pet sitter.

In need of a pet sitter? Go to your local large or small animal vet office and ask if someone wants to make some cash! Have horses? Ask your farrier for recommendations! Just make sure whoever you choose is trustworthy and willing to do the hard work it takes.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

25/11/2022

21/11/2022

Our dear friend came to visit and brought her foster puppy, Spooky! He’s located in North Carolina and needs his forever home. He did great with our dogs, slept through the night, didn’t have any accidents, and gave us the best snuggles!

21/11/2022

Toe beans brought to you by Tux to brighten your Monday ❤️🐾

18/11/2022

Love this 😍

18/11/2022

We are cheating on our Friday Facts this week…
Following up on our post on Lyme disease- We got the test results back for Matana from the vet and unfortunately it did not give us an answer. The test came back as if she had been vaccinated for Lyme, but she never has been to our knowledge. The vet and I are under the impression that we caught her very early in her exposure to Lyme, which is what could have caused the test to show an inconclusive positive. Unfortunately, because Matana is so prone to colic, we do not want to do the intensive anabiotic regimen used to treat Lyme unless she absolutely needs it. For now, we will monitor her closely and if her symptoms worsen or don’t change, retest in about a month.

11/11/2022

Recently, Matana has been acting “dumpy”- low energy, unenthusiastic, stiff, and lame. At first I thought it was laminitis, but the lameness seemed to be rotating in her back end. After trying a few different home remedies without luck, we called the vet out yesterday. The vet took blood work to check her overall health and will also be sending it out to test for Lyme Disease. Due to Matana’s symptoms, the vet suspects the test for Lyme will come back positive (we should know by the end of next week). This is a scary situation for me as I am not familiar with Lyme disease in horses. For todays Friday Facts, we will be learning together!

Lyme Disease is a bacteria spread by tick bites to people and animals. First identified in the 1970’s in Lyme, Connecticut, Lyme is now the most common vector- borne disease in the United States.

Symptoms (horses): chronic weight loss, random lameness/shifting leg lameness, fever, muscle soreness, poor performance, swollen joints, arthritis

Early recognition of Lyme is very important. The longer it is left untreated, the more the risk increases for significant damage. When recognized early, the outlook is good and the majority of horses have shown improvement within a few days of starting antibiotics. However, that does not mean the bacteria is gone- the horse could continue to have “episodes” of symptoms throughout their lifetime.

Treatment (horses):
Oxytetracycline, Doxycycline, Minocycline

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/testing/protocols/lyme-multiplex-horses