AWA Grant

Hi Y'All, got some great news to share. Last fall I submitted a request for a grant to Animal Welfare Approved organization. I had to explain my current farm set-up and how a grant would benefit the sheep and improve their life on our farm. I explained that I needed some portable shelters and electronet to rotate the sheep. The portable shelters were really needed since we have no trees in the pasture! Pasture rotation with the portable shelter is in essence an intensive grazing practice which should reduce parasite loads in the sheep and in turn reduce the reliance and need for chemical wormers.

Well I'm excited to say that my grant was Approved and I received 80 percent of my requested amount today! Woohoo!! The other 20 percent will be sent when my plan has been implemented. This will make happy sheep. :)

I enrolled both the sheep and laying hens in the AWA program. Next year I will try for a mobile chicken house. This will really help me in the maintenance of the chickens and reduce my work load on cleaning out a stationary chicken house during the spring and summer.

I am very proud to join the AWA Organization. AWA's practice of animal husbandry was very much inline with the way we raise livestock on our farm so it was not too hard to accept their rules for raising our sheep and chickens. You can read more about AWA here: http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/