Allow me to introduce the cast and characters of Lochend Allevare!
Our feathered, furred and wooly friends are our family, and therefore deserve a formal introduction.
Fall in love along side us.
It is our hope that the cast of Lochend Allevare will be blessed with many years of growth, both in species and in herd size. Check back often to meet new arrivals or join our list to stay updated as our farm blossoms!
*insert join here field*
friends in fur
Our Seniors: Luke and Lily Himalayan/Persian cats. Luke and Lily were the first pets introduced to the family, back in our city living life.
They were given Easter names as they joined our family (of only 4!) the Easter of 2006.
They were the two only surviving kittens of a lovely mothers litter, and survived they have!
Our beloved Luke crossed the rainbow bridge late last fall at the age of 16 years. He is the first loss the children have experienced. We are grateful his burial site is here with us on Lochend. Luke’s Obituary can be read *here*
Lily prettily prances on as lead nurse of the home, tending to all the Children’s ailments or dysregulations. She has a remarkable ability to sense a child struggling with a headache or illness. She lays with them and applies her kisses to their little brows.
She is also our daughters highest ranked regulation tool. Our own anxieties are elevated at the thought of losing this precious gift.
Ms Lily has fully retired from any form of mouse-hunting. We currently have opportunities for such talents, however we are doing our best to afford Lily her final years without a youngster underfoot.
Rose: Great Pyrenees, Livestock Gaurdian Dog (LGD)
Rose entered my desires long before she entered our family. Flirting with Pinterest posts and Kijji puppy ads of my long haired majestic beauty, laced my dreams of this lifestyle and homestead, for years.
A Great Pyrenees is a gentle giant, and wonderful family pet. As much as I longed for her, I knew she would not thrive in our suburban setting.
However, before the moving van rolled down Lochend, I had a deposit on my girl and a date set for our road trip to meet her.
Rose has humble beginnings on a quaint little farm in Rosemary, Alberta. Born to working parents, she was well acquainted to livestock. Horses, sheep, chickens, and rabbits specifically.
Herself and siblings respected the boundary of the farm and free roamed off leash, even without the guidance of mom who had taken up a temporary assignment of ridding a neighbouring farmer of his coyote problem.
In hindsight, I ended my long wait for my Great Pyrenees too soon. Read more about my training challenges and how a Great Pyrenees “independent thinking” can lead to some dangerous behaviours. *insert blog post here*
These days Rose is a happy Livestock Gaurdian Dog. She rules her half acre, 6’ high pen with pride and purpose. Watchful 24hrs, seven days a week, for any threat to our Nigerian Dwarf Goat herd, our laying flock of Barred Plymouth Rock Chickens and our Angora Wool Rabbits.
Rose is a fierce protector, and no match for the many predators sleuthing about Lochend. However, her playful, gentleness with the children has earned our respect.
other Great Pyrenees posts here
*DIY raw balanced diet
*how to get my Pyrenees to respect her boundary
*a working dog without work
* the dangers of a dog at large
*characteristics of a Pyrenees
friends of a feather
Our children remained sceptical about leaving the only home they’ve ever known, saying goodbye to their school & neighbourhood pals for months after the move to the side of this hill.
I owe our Barred Plymouth Rock flock all the credit for convincing them, that maybe Mom & Papa are onto something.
Their first major homeschool project began with a kijiji ad for fertile BPR eggs. 21 anticipation filled days later, they were hooked. *witness their reaction to our first chick in this priceless video*
The science of chickens is an ever evolving and deepening experiment for the kids. Diet, ailments, behaviours; the list is long and I don’t think they’ll tire of the research anytime soon.
Each chicken was named by the children.
