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Bear Valley Farm all started with Bear. He was the very first member of our farm family and has become a wonderful addition to our lives here. Every farm needs a farm dog and Bear was it. He is an Australian Shepherd- Labrador Retriever Mix and was cute as a button when he was a puppy.
Bear came down with the deadly Parvo virus. It was a terrible blow for Sharon and myself. We did all we could to support his systems to fight the disease. The vet told us there was no hope of Bear recovering and we braced ourselves for the worst. Poor little Bear the Dog.
Raising chickens was always in the plan when we started Bear Valley Farm. We ordered the chicks through the mail and when the post office called to say they arrived, Sharon and I quickly ran over to fetch them. So, here's the video record of the very first Chicken Day at Bear Valley Farm
The day has come to introduce our chickens to the Luxurious Chick Inn, their new coop and permanent home--a large 7ft by 7ft gable-roofed house with all the trimmings. It was an uneventful move but not without it's challenges, as you will see if you watch "The Chickens Move to the Chick Inn"
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Bear loves to explore and sometimes he gets into things that stink. Fortunately we have a kitchen sink to lower him into, along with running water and doggie shampoo. This is Bear's first bath and we think he didn't mind too much. We certainly enjoyed having a clean dog again.
Bear beat the virus. What a relief to us all. We don't think Farmer Tom could have handled losing his beloved Bear. Bear got better and started drinking water and eating food. Soon he was up and about full of energy and verve. Thank God for answered prayer.
Baby chicks grow fast and we soon realized that the cheap cardboard brooder we built for 25 chickens was not nearly large enough to house them. So after having built a new sturdy wooden brooder, we then transferred the chicks to their new temporary home.
Once the chickens got used to the interior of their new coop, it was time to bring them outside into the chicken run. Our chickens will finally know the freedom and liberty of unrestricted movement in a world much larger than they have ever known--although they are still our prisoners.
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