One of the biggest reasons we started the farm was to be able to raise a family around farming and the beautiful lifestyle that went along with it. To be able to teach our kiddos how to nurture & care for animals and the land, how to have responsibilities that require of you even when you don’t feel like it, how to work hard on a project or a goal, to fail but keep going, but most of all how to work alongside each other as a family and build something that is a blessing to our local community.
Mason’s first jobs on the farm when he was around two years old included chasing baby chicks, holding the hose in the water bucket (and soaking himself) and stealing daddy’s tools.
Now that he’s 3.5 years old, he’s got a lot more jobs on the farm….some we ask him to do and some we don’t, ha!
Skeeter
Skeeter is our barn cat and she’s basically the best cat ever. She started hanging around the farm last summer. She was super skinny, friendly as can be and had no collar. Joe’s sister Julia and her husband were actually here at the time and she immediately scooped her up, gave her a name and brought her back to the barn. We started setting out food for Skeeter and she has been with us ever since. She takes care of the mouse & squirrel population and warms the hearts of all those that join us for farm tours.
Mason knows right where her food bucket is and the mornings I bring him over for chores, he opens it right up and knows just what to do. He uses the coffee cup in there to scoop up some food for Skeeters bowl. Then he usually proceeds to snuggle her, play with her tail, give her a kiss and sometimes hold her close for way too long. She normally doesn’t like being held like that, but she’s so patient with him.
Pigs
Mason’s main job with the pigs is to check their fences, which are usually just a single electric wire. He grabs the fence checker out of the ranger (the UTV we use to ride around the farm for chores) and takes it over to the fence. He then reads the number off for us. He even knows that the number for the bigger pigs needs to be higher than the one for the littler pigs.
This is helping him learn numbers, but also doing something that was fun in the beginning but now, not so much. We just tell him a big part of farming or really any job or just life in general is doing things even though you don’t feel like doing them.
One other thing Mason’s been interested in but hasn’t had the courage to try much is pig belly scratches. The pigs love it and it gives Joe a chance to check their ears, under their legs, etc. for any issues because they’re usually sprawled out on their backs super relaxed. Mason is still intimidated by this job.
Chicks
On the occasion that Mason is at the farm when we get new chick arrivals every three weeks, he loves helping daddy open the boxes and pull the chicks out 1 by 1. Joe’s current speed is 120 chicks/minute whiles Mason’s is about 3 per minute. BUT quality over quantity right? Each of Mason’s chicks receive a kiss and a snuggle before being set down in their new little world for the next few weeks.
They start off in the brooder, which is our building that acts like mama hen. It’s warm, cozy, free from cold drafts, and food & fresh water are always available. And the chicks are pretty much the only animals other than Skeeter that Mason can feed, at least the first few days when they’re little and not eating much since he can use a little cup. Otherwise, the other animals’ feed is in 5 gallon buckets. Once the chicks are older and hardier, they’ll make the transition to outside after about 2-3 weeks.
Mason sometimes helps on these days too. We will load up all the chicks into poultry crates and take them out in the field to introduce them to their outside home. They’re larger open-air hoop houses that provide protection from predators and the elements, but they can still enjoy fresh grass, bugs, and sunshine. Mason will help to unload the chicks into their new home, again with lots of hugs and kisses.
Hens and Bandit
Our hens are the ones who lay the beautiful and delicious eggs and they’re guarded by Bandit, one of our livestock guardian dogs. Bandit lives in their fenced-in area and barks off any predators. He has his own shelter and food dispenser but shares water with the hens.
When we tend to the hens, Mason will usually help me by opening up the back of the nesting boxes where we collect the eggs. He will help gather a few and then get distracted by one of two things…both of which we are trying to teach him not to do.
Sometimes he’ll go over and start throwing Bandits food to the hens which isn’t great for two reasons. It’s not the nutrition that the hens need, plus Bandit is really not happy about this and ends up snapping at the hens. He would never snap at Mason, even though it was technically his fault haha.
And then other times, Mason will run around and try and catch a hen. This has always been the cutest thing to watch, however now he likes to kick dirt up on the hens, throw dirt at them or try and hit them. We know he’s a boy and just wants to play, but the hens are not a fan. Mason is still learning that just because something is fun for him doesn’t mean it’s fun for the other party involved.
We hope you enjoyed this little sneak peak into our life on the farm and the role Mason currently plays. We can’t wait to watch him grow, continue to learn, and figure out what he enjoys helping with.