Comments on Cage Free Family: To realize one's destiny is a person's only obliga...

Great blog! I dropped out of a full-time journalis...

2009-07-27T10:43:44.023-06:00

Great blog! I dropped out of a full-time journalism job at the Chicago Tribune a few weeks back for the simple life, and a few folks flagged me to your story in the Times and your blog. Great read and much luck to you all! Emily

It sounds like you're starting to live a truly...

2009-07-20T20:43:54.800-06:00

It sounds like you're starting to live a truly beautiful life. I am glad that you and your family are cultivating so many wonderful things & experiences. I look forward to reading more. :)

I was wondering if y'all were planning to buy ...

2009-07-17T09:26:51.045-06:00

I was wondering if y'all were planning to buy a car to get around easier? Are you able to walk quite a few places? I miss the kids. ♥

Sorry, I didn't realize you had 300 acres of d...

2009-07-13T21:56:25.547-06:00

Sorry, I didn't realize you had 300 acres of dog proof fencing! Good deal. I would however still keep an eye on the coyote situation. Our neighbor just lost a *St Bernard* to a pack last week.

Thanks for the advice about our dogs. I'll re...

2009-07-13T19:01:11.493-06:00

Thanks for the advice about our dogs. I'll reiterate though... there are NO farms out here with us. None that our dogs can reach.
Our property is fenced and our dogs do not scale it. They have no need. Everything they could be interested in is on our property.
The property is large enough for them to roam for days and still not see it all. It makes no more sense for us to tie up our dogs than it would make for anyone to tie a dog in their own fenced yard.

I am neither a newbie to dogs, nor dogs in the country, and am happy for ours that they *have such a large place to roam safely.
Game wardens are also not in the habit of patrolling private property without suspecting illegal activity.

Thank you again, for your concern, but it is unfounded in this case.

PLEASE, let me back up Regina's advice -- Do N...

2009-07-13T18:11:41.968-06:00

PLEASE, let me back up Regina's advice -- Do NOT let your dogs roam free. If they were to show up here at our farm -- they'd be shot. Period. Please come over to the dairygoat forum and read post after post of dog attacks on people's small livestock (dairygoatinfo.com)
It happens, quite often, and it's often the sweetest family pet that does the maiming and killing.

Not only that, but coyotes and wolves WILL kill your dogs. If the Fish & Game see them running deer or elk, they will also be shot, and YOU will be fined *huge* fines.

If they get to someone else's place, they may very well get into rat poison or antifreeze, if not shot.
They will get to the point that they roam further and further every night, so please try and keep them home for their own sake.

On another note, once you are ready to buy dairy goats, please contact me -- I can put you in touch with a disease free, clean herd to buy from.

Ah, la vita è bella! peace&love

2009-07-13T17:55:45.754-06:00

Ah, la vita è bella!

peace&love

Thanks for the advice Regina, but we have no neigh...

2009-07-13T15:19:16.766-06:00

Thanks for the advice Regina, but we have no neighboring livestock and our property is fenced. With almost 300 wooded acres they could roam everyday for hours and never need to leave the property. I suspect that the only reason that they strayed so far up the ridge is because of the close proximity of the crying elk herd and coyotes that night, otherwise they have not gone farther than a mile from the house which is well within the limits of their property.

I'm so happy for you! Word of advice: letting...

2009-07-13T12:59:31.470-06:00

I'm so happy for you!

Word of advice: letting your dogs roam free may become a point of conflict with your neighbors. Dogs have a tendency to bother other people's livestock. They can devastate a flock of free-range chickens as quick as that. You'd better ask some older neighbors for advice on the bounds you need to train or restrain your dogs to keep within.

Blessings