All of our breeding groups are kept in separate pastures over our acreage. They have permanent fencing in between them and their flight wings trimmed so they stay with their individual group to create pure bred offspring.
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It is rare, but every now and again we have a hen that falls in love with a rooster of a different breed. Once a hen like this gets it in her mind that she needs to be with a particular rooster it is a straight up Romeo and Juliet situation and she will stop at nothing to be near him. I have seen these hens climb a 4ft tall fence with their talons while flapping to scale the height and pop over into a different pasture out of sheer determination!
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Over the years of working with livestock I have learned to lean into and work with nature as opposed to trying to force it in a direction it does not want to go. When these hens emerge I now let them stay with their barnyard lover and her eggs become part of our barnyard dozen. Not purebred anymore but created with a whole lot of love!
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I have been thinking about regenerative farming a lot recently. A great example of working with nature and not against it in the regenerative farming space is building up who/what is in the soil to create healthier crops and higher yields. Right now, large scale farmers all over the United States use massive amounts of pesticides to kill something specific that they do not want. Regenerative farmers are offering a new approach. If the life under ground is healthy and vibrant (worms, microbes, healthy mycelium etc.) then that soil is feeding the plants and making them more disease resistant. If to soil is built up as opposed to stripped away then that also aids in soil/plant health and higher yields. Boosting the life in the soil instead of killing part of it is producing amazing results.
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We are at a beautiful point in human history where information sharing is swifter and easier than ever. We can learn from one another and share all of the powerful ways that we can work with nature for swift and amazing results. 🌿
