Beacon Hill Farm

05/31/2026

05/28/2026

The supervisor making sure I fill up hay nets correctly. (And sneaking in a little bite of lose hay!) this new arrival is still in our quarantine paddock, getting accustomed to life at BHF and showing his sweet side with friendly nickers & his stamp of approval, despite the nearly 2” of rain we had at the beginning of his arrival.

05/28/2026

Why do we use sheep for “lambscaping?”

When I first heard the news that sheep are not susceptible to Lyme Disease (as horses and people are), we started using sheep to mow the area around the edge of our pastures next to the woodland. Wooded areas tend to harbor more ticks than well clipped grasses, so it felt like an easy decision.

Since then, I’ve learned more. The studies have shown it is uncommon for sheep to get systemic Lyme infections, but not impossible. The transmission is highest in May and September when tick activity peaks. Nymphs (of course) are the highest transmitters of bacteria, but it is very uncommon for ticks to transmit the bacteria to the sheep when they do bite.

So- we’ll continue using the sheep for “lambscaping,” particularly in the harder to access areas and enjoy the fact that we get two things done at the same time—feeding the sheep AND reducing the numbers of ticks in our pastures.

*Picture of my rotational grazing helper’s equipment. :)

05/27/2026

The donkeys might not look it, but they 100% enjoy the “double farrier” trick, both getting their feet trimmed at the same time.

Donkeys can be challenging if they don’t trust a person, so finding this mother-daughter duo who love our donkeys is golden! Thanks Katie & Mina!

05/26/2026

These three are enjoying the benefits of pasture rotation- grazing grass! At BHF, we closely consider a horse’s metabolic needs within the management plan, allowing those who can tolerate the grass time to graze with their herd. Track systems are a great way to accommodate for different metabolic needs!

05/25/2026

A swallow nest in the sheep run-in shows how resourceful the little dinosaurs are! This nest is largely made from wool— inevitably small strands that the sheep left behind, now repurposed for a new home.

05/23/2026

Morels!

Mushrooms intimidate me.

I still won’t eat anything other than Maitake or Hen of the Woods. (Both lack poisonous look-a-likes).

Does anyone have experience with these?

05/21/2026

They ewes and lambs are all outside, getting used to the spring grass slowly while they make the transition from hay and alfalfa pellets to full pasture. The transition needs to be done slowly to prevent bloat, a potentially deadly condition where gasses build up in the stomach. The micro biome needs to catch up and change with the diet. So, for a few more days, these ewes and lambs are on restricted access to the good stuff…

05/20/2026

What do you do when the skid steer gets stuck in the mud? Call your amazing cousin with his even bigger skid steer! Thanks for pulling us out, ATI!

05/19/2026

I walked into the barn this morning to find this little fledgeling in the aisle way. There isn’t a nest above him, so it clearly traveled a bit. Keeping cones around it to protect it from haphazard feet, but we’re going to hope it gets strong enough to return home!