Hatcher Homestead

02/12/2026

😂

09/04/2025

There is a thin line to walk with sustainability & love for wildlife & agriculture, and it’s easy to fall off either side when the line gets wobbly.

The truth is, it costs the same amount to feed a bad cow as it does a good cow.
It costs just as much to feed a hermaphrodite goat as it does a proven dam.
It costs just as much to feed a mean rabbit buck that draws blood when you enter the cage to clean it as it does a friendly buck.

But that’s only the feed cost.

That buck costs more in first aid.
That both gender goat cannot provide anything from milk to kids to benefit the farm.
A bad cow will cost more in fences, feeders and aid than a good cow.

These things seem black and white.

But then its the ones you get attached to, how many times can you pour an IV into a goats side and take the cud from another dams mouth before you finally accept that her rumen is a disaster and she likely could never support rut season.

How many animals does that rescue cattle dog have to kill before you know he’s costing you and your family more than he will ever protect.

How much can you put into a knock kneed pig who eats her piglets before you know this is not self sustaining any longer.

You run the risk of accusations, being heartless, or having once shown that livestock on social media with a funny story and a name, to acknowledging that she’s now in the freezer to supply your family for half a year or being loaded into someone else’s trailer.

Well, these decisions do not ever get easier. From hard cull or soft cull, dog food or family meal, it doesn’t get easier to make the decision but in the end you know it’s what guides you to where you’re trying to get, self sustaining does not include keeping animals that are hindering you from that, nor does it mean we want to breed that behavior or trait into the next generation.

If you’re struggling with culls tonight, like I am, just know you’re not alone.

These are just the parts of farming that rarely make the books. This isn’t heartless, this is goal aligned.

Sometimes that cull is for sale, but most often that cull is to nourish our families because that’s the ultimate goal of a working farm.

If you need to make the cull, make it.

Photo of Brooklyn, the unreasonable goat who found different pastures last month.

Tomorrow 3 more goats, 8 rabbits, and 2 small emu will move to the list of upcoming food.

07/12/2025

07/11/2025

Someone in a goat group shared this as a hoof trimmer. Life changing! Use the blue sandpaper wheel and it makes light work of hoof trimming.

We offer easy, convenient returns with at least one free return option: no shipping charges. All returns must comply with our returns policy.

05/30/2025

Come see Hatcher Shack BBQ at the Flagstaff Pro Rodeo serving up the VIP dinner on Friday, June 6th!

Flagstaff Pro Rodeo 2025 Tickets, Sat, Jun 7, 2025 @ 2446 Ft Tuthill Lp, 18193, Flagstaff, AZ 86005. Find ticket and event information.

05/15/2025

The expectations are high, with lives depending on them everyday. Wouldn't have it any other way though.

05/07/2025

This little guy made his arrival on May 1st! Luna gave us a healthy little bull calf, we are calling him "Porter" getting all the snuggles and over a gallon of milk a day with calf sharing ❤️

03/28/2025

👶👦👧🥛RAW MILK PROTECTS AGAINST ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES: "In more than 90% of epidemiological studies worldwide there was a protective effect of unprocessed cow's milk consumption on the development of asthma, hay fever and atopic sensitization in both in farm and urban children." LEARN MORE HERE 👇👇👇:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7935535/

03/11/2025

The girls and I made sourdough loaves last night. They turned out delicious. Not sure we are patient enough for all the fermenting, but we didn't make gooey hockey pucks, so I'd say it was a win! 😀

03/07/2025

Eli when he found the porcupine a few weeks ago.