Ashley Stone
Ashley, a true animal lover, went to UGA where she studied Animal Science and earned a degree in Biological Sciences. Her animal husbandry knowledge is most helpful in keeping the animals happy and healthy.
Meet our family
Jim Stone
Jim wears many hats here on the farm. He works a full-time job from home and keeps all the equipment running smoothly. There isn't a lot he cannot fix or repair. He hasn't decided if this is a gift or a curse!
Jacob Stone
Jacob is a student at Georgia Southern majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He stays pretty busy with his course load, but helps out immensely on the weekends when he is home. He likes fishing and working on broken things. On this farm, there is no shortage of broken things!
Adam Stone
Adam is a 15 year-old homeschooler who enjoys milking his Jersey cows. He also enjoys woodworking and making homemade bass lures. He spends a lot of his time driving the tractor on the day to day activities of farm living.
Kaitlyn Stone
Kaitlyn is a 14 year old homeschooler who enjoys taking care of the rabbits, and the feeding the pigs! She likes to ride her horse in her spare time. She likes to draw as well.
About our farm
Warrenton, GA
Our farm is located in rural Warren County, Georgia surrounded by many types of wildlife and native woods. Our land was previously a pine plantation. You can not imagine the amount clearing and fencing that has been done to accommodate our livestock. We bale our own hay from local farms. We plant a few extra crops for mixing our own feed. We do supplement our animals with the use of spent brewer's grains from Savannah River Brewing Co. in Augusta, Georgia. It is a valuable protein source to our livestock.
Because of our location in rural Georgia, there are countless predators seeking to feast on our livestock. We employ the services of three livestock guardian dogs. We have two Anatolian Shepherd dogs, and one Akbash. They provide 24 hour non-stop protection from hawks, foxes, owls, coyotes, opossums, raccoons, and anything else that enters their territory. They are wonderful with people, provided that you follow protocol and are introduced properly. They were all rescue dogs.
Our farm is also home to many rescue cats. They are indoor/outdoor cats, some of which are more feral than others, all of which are spayed/neutered. They take tremendous pleasure in curtailing our rodent population in the barns. They love to wait at the barn at milking time in hope that some milk will be spilled!
What we offer
Here is where you type.
Beef
We have Jersey cows for milk and dairy products for our family. Raw milk sales are illegal in Georgia. The excess milk from the cows goes to supplement the pigs feed ration, or to grow bottle calves. We really like the Jersey cross with our Angus/Gelbvieh bull. The calves are low birth weight, which is important when breeding to a small cow like a Jersey. The calves grow quickly and take on the beef characteristics of the bull. The crosses make nice family cows to milk, or to grow to finish out for beef. We have a Limousin bull calf that we are considering adding to the mix. Time will tell if he will make a nice herd sire.
Our cows are pastured as well as supplemented with hay and brewers grains. They receive free choice minerals and salt at all times. They enjoy lounging in the cool spots chewing their cud. The children always say they have to lie down to think about how much they just ate!
Pork
Mister Pig is our boar. He is a Yorkshire pig. We have had him for several years, in fact, I think he is close to 5 years old. Many people have asked why in the world I have a boar that old. The answer is simple. He is nice. You can go out with him any time of the day or night. I never separate the sows when the farrow...and he has never hurt anyone or any piglet yet. In MY book, that is a keeper! We have several sows, one of which is a Duroc/Berkshire. She's a wonderful mother. She has no trouble farrowing in the dead of winter, or in mid summer in the Georgia heat. We have some other sows that are Yorkshire/Berkshire crosses as well. Our pigs are pastured, and eat a lot of hay and grass. They also get some eggs, and extra milk from the cows. They really enjoy eating the brewers grains, and sometimes, a local area farmer has some waste vegetables to give the piggies. That is a great day to be a pig. Sometimes it is sweet potatoes, sometimes squash, cucumbers, but I think their favorite is watermelon!
Poultry and Rabbits
We raise chickens for meat and eggs. We have had many types of chickens over the years. Currently we have Buff Orpingtons, Araucanas, Rhode Island Reds, and some Barred Rocks. They provide more than enough eggs for us, and a few customers. We have several kinds of geese including Embden, Buff, Pilgrim, and Sebastopol. The geese are great for keeping the grass mowed around the barn in the hard to reach areas. They take their job seriously. We currently have Narragansett turkeys that range around the farm. We have a few Pekin ducks that lay nice eggs for making pound cakes, but the Muscovy ducks provide serious bug control. Many people do not care for the appearance of the Muscovys, but we really like their temperament and quiet nature. They are wonderful at raising their own young and will set eggs any time of the year.
No farm is complete without a cute cuddly rabbit! We do raise rabbits for meat, and also to supplement the food ration of our dogs and cats. We are not advocates of selling pet rabbits, as things usually end badly for the rabbit. Rabbit is a wonderful source of lean meat, that despite the cliche, does taste a lot like chicken! Our breeds are Silver Fox, Californian, and New Zealand Whites. We also have a few mutt rabbits that fit nicely in our breeding program.
Sheep and Goats
Our sheep are Katahdin, which are a hair sheep that sheds its fleece naturally needing no shearing. They grow rapidly, making them ideal for a meat type sheep. Many times they will have twins, with plenty of milk to rear both lambs without any supplementation. Katahdins are relatively easy keepers, requiring only good forage and additional grain only when in heavy lactation.
Our goats are mainly used for brush control. We have an eclectic collection ranging from a hardcore meat type goat like Kiko/Boer to my daughter's pet goat, a Nigerian/Saanen cross. We do sell the wethers and extra billies for meat upon request.
