sheep nibbling on storm downed branches

One of the aspects of life at Windward I enjoy the most is the company of the many animals that live with us. At present, we have sheep, goats, bunnies, chickens, pigs, and cats all living in tandem with each other on property.

They all have their designated fenced off areas but often leave those areas to roam the greater Windward landscape. You can be walking around and just see a variety of those animals doing their thing, anywhere and everywhere.  I think one of the reasons that the animals stick close to the humans is that the forest is home to coyotes and other predators, and over time the animals who didn’t stick close got  picked off.

barn kitten checking out the chickens

Chickens can be found all over the place in groups, eating bugs, kicking over and stomping old, dead leaves helping to break them down further helping the forest’s regeneration process.

Our goats are well behaved enough to be allowed out of their area in the spring to graze the tall, seedy grasses with their new kids. This helps to  save on how much hay they need, thereby helping to stretch our animals’ food reserves. Also, mixing in some live food with the stored hay helps balance out their nutritional needs.

I’ve seen birds riding on the backs of the adult goats as they walk around eating. Every now and again a bunny will escape its cage and be allowed to be a free bunny since they often stay close to the caged area for safety and for getting fed. They are easily caught again come the fall season before the snows arrive because of the trust they have towards us for not chasing them around to capture them again, just letting them live.

The only animals that must remain in their pens are the sheep and pigs. While it would be great to let the sheep graze beyond their two acre paddock and let the pigs out to munch on all the fallen acorns, the general difficulty in controlling them makes it too much trouble. The sheep are skittish and generally stick to themselves, while the pigs are head strong and can’t be trusted to stay at home and not rush off to check out our neighbor’s garden.

When it’s feeding time, the chickens will travel to their pens to try and snack on the stuff they are being fed. Allowing the various animals to interact cuts down on waste and creates a relaxed atmosphere.

barn kittens playing in the feed bowl

One issue we used to have is ground squirrels. Without anything to prey upon them, and with abundant food everywhere (including our hay supply) they quickly reproduce to unmanageable numbers. We used to use squirrel traps to try to control the population but they always seemed to defy our efforts and reach numbers in the hundreds by the fall.

The year before last, I hoped for a way to better control the squirrel population, and nature responded in the form of a family of wild cats appearing out of nowhere and moving in. We live in the middle of nowhere in a forest so there’s life going on all around us, and sometime that life decides to become semi-domesticated.

The squirrels also attracted owls, and at one point last year some six owls had taken up residence in the Herland Forest. We have some oak trees that are hundreds of years old, and the owls like to nest in them.

The following spring and summer, there were virtually no ground squirrels to be found anywhere on site. The cat’s presence alone had deterred the ground squirrel population from reaching anywhere near the numbers we used to expect, and greatly reduced the damage done by the ground squirrels to our gardens.

momma goat leading her kids around

For me, a person who enjoys the presence of animals, it’s really something to be on my way somewhere and see chickens and cats calmly existing around each other, with the occasional bunny hopping around, all exhibiting a friendly demeanor. It’s kind a like what you’d see in those old Disney movies like Snow White or something.

Taking care of all these animals takes a lot of energy, but the rewards of their companionship feels well worth it. Especially in a time when most everyone spends too much time in front of a screen, the authenticity of the interaction with nature means a lot to me.

Windward has created a place where people can co-exist along with the animals that benefit the community in a peaceful and uplifting manner. I’ve lived here for just over five years and am definitely glad I’ve found myself in this living situation where I’m no longer trying to survive the artificial construct of urban life. Considering how city living has been going the last 4 years, I definitely wouldn’t give up this place for anything in the world.