Martha's Barnyard

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Credit: Ditte Isager
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Mother Hen

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Credit: Ditte Isager

For the chickens, Martha fashioned outdoor roosts from rustic logs. The various breeds are pretty, and they also lay plenty of delicious, nutritious eggs.

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Free Range

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Credit: Ditte Isager

The chickens are free to range in yards that are fenced and netted to protect them from hawks and climbing predators.

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Creature Comforts

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Credit: Richard Foulser

Half the coop is covered with rough stones, half with dirt for bathing and digging.

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Goose on the Loose

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Credit: Richard Foulser

The Pomeranian geese are beautiful, protective, and noisy characters.

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

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Credit: Richard Foulser

The cutting garden adjoins the coops; all weeds are fed to the birds, as are all grass cuttings.

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Thanksgiving Turkeys

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Credit: Richard Foulser

Martha's turkeys include two Royal Palms, two Bourbon Reds, and two Black Spanish.

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The Chicken and the Egg

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Credit: Richard Foulser

Colorful eggs are a result of many different breeds of chickens.

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Black Beauties

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Credit: Richard Foulser

Black Welsh mountain sheep were adored in the Middle Ages for their rich, flavorful meat.

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Vintage Seventies

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Credit: Richard Foulser

The breed was imported to the United States from Wales in 1973 and has become quite popular in the Northeast. Today, flocks are raised here for both wool and meat.

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Sturdy Breed

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Credit: Richard Foulser

The sturdy breed makes for good field sheep and displays resistance to many diseases. The sheep are relatively small and have no wool on their evocative faces. The rams have beautiful horns.

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Small Wonders

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Credit: Richard Foulser

Sicilian donkeys are like no other equines -- affectionate, tame, attention-seeking, and loyal. They are born miniature, so they're especially cute as foals (baby jacks or jennies, depending).

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Variety of Colors

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Credit: Richard Foulser

They thrive on grass alone and come in a variety of colors, primarily gray dun (like Clive). Nearly all Sicilians have dorsal stripes, with a dark stripe across their withers. According to folklore, the markings symbolize the baby Jesus being carried on the donkey's back.

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