By: Farmer Amy

My name is Amy and I will be the keeper of the chickens and turkeys at Bela along with my daughter Avery.  We have been counting the days and weeks and months until we could have our very own chickens and turkeys.  It all began when I volunteered at another farm 2 years ago and took an interest in their animals.  Avery would often come and help too.  I have learned what it means to be a farmer and steward of the earth and am honored to take on this role at Bela.

While all chickens look like chickens and turkeys look like turkeys they aren’t all the same and that’s where the fun begins; we get to pick the breeds based on what we are looking for in a bird (like egg production).  Having had exposure to chickens we decided to go with heritage birds.  The term ‘heritage birds’ means that they are slow growing, they naturally mate with a long productive outdoor life.  We will have 6 Ridley Bronze and 42 Beltsville Small White Turkeys, 25 Bantam Cochin, 72 Chantecler chickens and a whole bunch of Wyandotte chickens.  All of these birds are different colours that are beautiful and will make for a very diverse flock.

Very unlike production farms, the birds at Bela will live outdoors and be able to graze on grass and bugs like they are meant to.  They will live in a protected area free from predators, and in the beginning they will live in a heat controlled environment off the range, but for the entirety of their lives I will give them 150% of me to give them the best life that they can have full of love and the great outdoors.