Meet Our Barnyard Buddies
Hogs
Bobby is the
larger of our two hogs, weighing over 600 lbs.. Bobby was abandoned on the
roadside Christmas Eve 2001, found and given to us by a kind neighbor. At
that time, he was small enough to be brought home standing in a 15 gal.
bucket. Christmas morning he ate grits, rice, and scrambled eggs prepared by
one of the owners, Ms. Bobbie Lancaster. Ever since, Ms. Bobbie has fixed
Bobby 2 cups of rice to add to his daily diet of 4-5 lbs.of hog pellets, 2-4
raw eggs, assorted table scraps, and 3-6 loaves of bread. He spends a large
portion of his day sleeping in his house or in his wallow.
Chickens
We have three types of
chickens-Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks. All are
considered “heavy types” because of their body types. All
lay brown eggs
and are good layers. There is no difference between brown and white eggs as
far as nutritional values are concerned. ALL our eggs are sold locally.
Donkey
Holly is our
full-size Sicilian donkey. She likes to gently rest her head on your shoulder
to get your attention. She loves carrots and apple slices as a treat and has
been known to go in search of these by trying to stick her big nose in the
pocket she thinks contains the prize. Holly’s main job – other than being a
great and loyal friend- is to protect the goats from dogs, coyotes, and other
predators. Where you find our goats, you can be sure Holly is close by. We
look forward to enjoying Holly’s antics for a long time as donkeys may live
45-50 years.
Peafowl
Our peafowl are a
variety called “black shoulder”. You will see one male peacock who is the most
colorful, named NBC. There are three female peahens. They are known as NBC’s
affiliates. From spring through summer NBC will sport spectacular tail
feathers which he is constantly lifting and spreading in an effort to impress
his affiliates. His total fan width is 9-10 ft. and is a sight to behold!
Unfortunately, he drops these feathers in the late summer each year but
immediately starts to grow new for next year.
Ducks
At one time we had
a total of 15 ducks representing 3 varieties, but due to repeated visits by a
pair of owls we were reduced to just 3 ducks. The owls were finally humanely
caught and then released some distance from the farm unharmed. Fortunately,
we were soon surprised one Sunday morning to find a parade of 10 tiny
ducklings obediently following their Mom to the water, with Dad bringing up
the rear. After watching these ducklings being raised, I have decided that we
humans could take some lessons. Our “quackers” are humorous and interesting
to watch. Watch for their new pond soon to be constructed by BoJ Aquatics and
any cheap help we can obtain!
Goats
The experience of
raising our goats has been just that-an experience! After having a tough time
giving birth to twins, one of our mother goats rejected her babies or kids as
they are called. Yes, everything in our home garage went out and the kids took
over. There they were carefully fed four times per day and loved on a whole
lot more. We were doing some landscaping at the time, so when we left for
work, they were in the truck cab with us.
The bed of the truck carried a pen,
hay, fresh water, food, heat lamps, and about a mile of extension cords.
Bottles of milk were warmed over a camp stove. You wouldn’t believe the people
who stopped to see the odd “dogs” playing in the yard as we worked or to
watch-or want to help us feed the kids. Naptime for the kids often involved
one or both curled up in someone’s arms. You can see these two as adults in
the field with Holly. They are the hornless small brown (Clover) and the
large white (Flour) goats. Be sure to tell them ‘hi’.
A Sad
Ending
A New
Beginning
The 1st of two owls captured and safely released
ANIMAL WELFARE ACT CERTIFICATION
May-Lan Tree Plantation is pleased to have met
licensing requirements under the USDA Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and, as of
2005, is a Class C Exhibitor, certificate number 56-C-0144.
To comply with the AWA,
May-Lan Farms maintains its facility and animals according to AWA regulations
and standards. We also keep current and accurate records on all our animals
and have a written program of veterinary care, as provided by Cleveland
Park Animal
Hospital, Greenville, SC. We also meet, or
exceed, requirements as to maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of our
animals and our visitors.
May-Lan Tree Plantation
is proud to comply with the AWA and the USDA in its efforts to protect
livestock and wildlife from inhumane treatment.
To learn more about the
Animal Welfare Act, contact the USDA, Marketing and Regulatory Programs,
Animal Care, 920 Main Campus Dr., Raleigh, NC,
27602-5213.
