Retirement means different things to different people.
For John and Joyce Craig, retirement means leaving a high production chicken operation behind in favor of a menagerie of animals, including hobby chickens, alpacas, sheep, goats, cows, llamas, turkeys, geese and even pigeons.
Dairy goats and sheep are a shared project with their daughter Jennifer Craig-Stidham, a practicing medical doctor, while a small commercial cattle herd is shared with their son Jeff, who also adds income to the farm with a wedding venue called Pecan Grove at Honey Hill.
The 180-acre Craig farm is just outside of Rudy, Ark. The goat herd consists of 20 does, seven bucks. Three breeds, Nigerian Dwarfs, LaManchas and Alpine, are found in the herd.
The Nigerians breed year-round and produce high butterfat milk that is often used for making cheese, but LaManchas were the starter breed for the Craig dairy herd.
LaManchas are the only goat breed developed in the United States and have a distinctive appearance because of tiny ears which makes them “look like little ETs,” according to Jennifer.
LaManchas produce large volumes of milk with a comparatively high butterfat content. The Alpines, another high volume producing breed, are friendly, curious and sometimes stubborn, as well as hardy and adaptable. Joyce describes them as the “thoroughbreds of goats” because of their regal appearance.
Jennifer and Joyce are still trying to figure out whether the dairy should be year-round or seasonal because Joyce and John go on vacations and Jennifer’s time is limited. The milk from the three breeds is mixed and sold as raw milk at the farm by word-of-mouth. Joyce makes feta and chevre cheese and is considering expanding her line with mozzarella next.
Not surprisingly, Jennifer is in charge of herd health. She makes a custom mix with 8 percent fat and 16 percent protein to maintain herd milk production and animal weight.
A natural additive lessens parasite issues, which are checked by observation of the color of goat eyelids. If the eyelids become pale, a commercial wormer is used. The animals are vaccinated once a year to promote general health without over medicating. Any issues that arise, therefore, are treated individually.
“When we were kids, Dad supported our show sheep habit,” Jennifer recalled. “I now am using some of the goats for my sons, Thane (13) and Liam (11).”
Those goats intended for showing are milked twice a day to keep the udders fuller and more even appearance, a focus for the judges, while the rest of the goats are being milked once a day without concern.
The sheep herd consists of 40 white Dorper and Columbia show sheep on 5 acres. Dorper’s are a fast-growing meat sheep that can be raised strictly on grass. Jennifer, however, grains those that will show with the same feed used for the goats.
Jennifer’s children show at Crawford County Fair, as well at Fort Smith, Little Rock, Memphis, and even Louisville, Ky., last year.
The trip to Louisville was for experience and to look at bloodlines.
“Sheep breeders are just getting started on EPDs so going and seeing the bloodlines makes sense with certain farms having superior lines,” Jennifer said.
As with the goat milk, word-of-mouth sells the meat at the farm.
Two years ago, Jennifer added the Columbia sheep, a larger breed, because she wanted an additional breed for her children to show, as well as to the opportunity to move into fiber production. The Columbia sheep are sheared twice a year and in the past all of the wool has been given to the people who sheared them.
“The breed produces a kinky, thin and soft tightly packed wool I will make into felt this year,” Jennifer said. “Wool felt sells for $60 per yard in contrast to polyester felt at 50 cents per yard.”
Jennifer is looking forward to learning how to spin and make material. The breed was developed at Montana University; and while it needs little worming in the North, the wetter Southern climate requires regular worming.
The Craig commercial cattle herd started 33 years ago with 15 Brahman females bred by Angus bulls, and a Limousin bull here and there. The herd currently consists of 15 Angus-influenced mommas, with bull selection according to EPDs.
“We and our customers like less marbling, so we are selecting for that trait,” Joyce explained.
The cows are fed grass and hay with supplementary minerals, the ones in winter coming in the form of molasses tubs without protein.
Joyce still loves her chickens and has 30 Sex Linked and Silver Lace Wyandotte hens, selling the eggs to neighbors.
“I like pretty chickens, but truth be told, I like everything God has made,” Joyce said, although even a pretty chicken will be culled if it’s temperamental.
Joyce also has three varieties or colors of turkeys, since turkeys don’t come in breeds: Slate, Blacks and Beltsville Whites with nine hens and five toms that are more pets than livestock. She also sells turkey eggs, which are seasonal.
Chickens and turkeys are kept separate to prevent chickens from transferring illnesses to the young turkeys who cannot tolerate medicated feed. In addition, she is down to nine geese and two goslings which fell victim to bobcats, though she is rebuilding her flock. Her last bird hobby is Frilledback pigeons with wavy feathers that look like they’ve been crimped with a curling iron. She only sells these to others interested in raising the beautiful birds if she has a surplus.
