Wild Creek Ranch Grass fed Lamb, Pasture Raised Chickens, & Amazing Fertile Eggs Naturally Raised, No Hormones, No Antibiotics, Salmon Safe, & Predator Safe thanks to our Turkish Kangal Livestock Guardian Dogs P.O. Box 1027, South Bend, Washington 98586 360/ 208-4818 Allen Lebovitz Owner Predator Safe With Kangal Guardians We live in a wild place and raise animals and children. There is no place we would rather live and we don't want to change it. We love this place because it is wild and wild animals live here, including coyote, bear, bobcat, cougar, raccoons, and eagles. They are the true managers of this land and deserve the credit for the abundant and healthy wildlife that defines it. With that said, we still don't want to be managed by predators. The safety of our family and animals is of course of paramount importance to us. We raise Katahdin sheep for meat. Katahdin are a wonderful breed of sheep that shed their wool, needing no shearing or tail docking, and are excellent at controlling brush. We graze them in many remote pastures around our farm. We do not feed grain (although they do get 'treats' to help with herding them), allowing them to graze on natural sources of food. We believe that this way of taking care of them produces meat that is healthier for us as well as more caring for them. We also raise heirloom layer chickens. We raise them naturally, allowing them the run of the farm to feed on bugs and plants with their roosters. We believe, and our customers tell us, that the eggs our chickens produce are the best they've ever eaten with tall, deep orange yolks. Nothing compares to a fresh pasture raised egg. With the way we raise our animals, protection from predators is a critical issue. The Kangal Dog To mediate this relationship, we are privileged to have Turkish Livestock Guardian Dogs called Kangals that live with us. Kangal Dogs are a rare and ancient breed from Turkey, bred for thousands of years to do the job we ask of them today, protect flock and family. They are a mastiff type breed that is tall and fast like a greyhound, distinct from 'Turkish Mastiffs' and any other breed. The wisdom and abilities of the original Turkish breeders to produce such a dog is truly impressive to me. They frequently weigh well over 130 lbs. and are energetic, strong, fast dogs. They are a loving but independent breed that understand their job and need no commands about how to do it, nor do they always accept them if given. There is no other dog like a Kangal. For the best source of information about the Kangal Dog, visit the Kangal Dog Club of America website at www.kangalclub.com. The Club serves as the biggest champion of our breed in the U.S. I am proud to be a member of the Club and serve as a member of the Board of Directors. We raise Kangal dogs to protect our ranch and out of true love for the breed. Some of our dogs descend from rare Turkish lines that replenish the small gene pool that exists. Our Dogs Here are some photos of our dogs and our farm. Banks Mt. Farm’s Zeki Pazari (Pazar), our gentle giant boy at age 2. Pazar was our first Kangal and will always hold a special place in our hearts. He has matured and become a gentle, loving dog, while being the strongest, most agile and athletic dog we've ever known. Pazar can leap a 6' fence from a dead standstill, gain speeds of up to 30 mph or better, and turn on a dime at top speed. He does this while weighing 130 lbs and standing with his head 45" high. He is also extremely alert and works hard 24 hours a day, watching and responding to anything out of the ordinary on the farm. He has an amazing 'measured response' to what he sees, barking and posturing ferociously if a coyote comes into the farm, but will only offer a lazy woof to the UPS man. His name in Turkish means "brilliant sun", a name which he has fulfilled.   Zarif (‘Z’), one of our Turkish girls, age 8 months. Z has a calm, mature, personality already as a pup and shows great affection for her sheep. She is proving to be an exceptional guardian even at her very young age. She is also very well mannered with people and takes commands better than most Kangal dogs I've known. Typically these dogs mature slowly and are not considered to be mature enough to work as full time guardians until age 2 or older. Z is a very special dog. Her name means "elegant' in Turkish, which describes her perfectly.   This kind of devotion to flock is what we strive for in our dogs.   Katahdin Sheep We raise a breed of sheep called Katahdin which are named after a beautiful mountain in Maine. We are just learning about these animals but from the experience we do have, I can say they are a very easy to care for and productive animal. The are a relatively new breed of hair sheep that sheds their wool. This makes caring for them much easier. They were bred originally for the dual purpose of providing meat, but also for controlling vegetation. From experience I can say that they are terrific at helping to manage vegetation. We use them to control Himalayan blackberry, an extremely fast growing exotic plant that can take over just about anyplace the seeds land. We've successfully grazed our sheep to control invasive plants around newly planted conifer trees as well. We care for all of our sheep with kindness, raising them on ample pasture and allowing them to graze as naturally as possible. We do not dock tails (don't need to with the shedding) or castrate. We feed only natural forage and hay and use grain as a "treat" when we move them or want to help a nursing ewe keep well fed during the spring. Typically our ewes have twins or triplets, producing a large crop of lambs once a year. It is possible to have more breedings per year, but this satisfies our need to produce lambs and we feel is healthier for the flock.   Our Chickens Our chicken flock started with one polish rooster we found in a box in a parking lot. Lisa bought him some girls to keep him company. Now we have between 250 and 300 birds. Lisa loves chickens and has built a diverse flock of heirloom and rarer birds that have beautiful plumage and produce a variety of egg colors. The birds are completely free to range, foraging in pastures and forests around the farm. They are tended to by a flock of "friendly" roosters that protect them, find them food, and well, keep them happy. At night they roost in a coop and most lay their eggs there, although we also make the rounds of the hay barn, the trees with hollows, and the back of my truck to find all the "free laid" eggs. We feed the chickens formulated food outside daily to ensure they get enough protein and calcium, but they feed all day on grass, plants, insects, our kitchen scraps, and oyster shell that is buried all around our farm since it was once the site of an oyster plant. We are licensed to package eggs and produce about 60 dozen eggs a week. Our eggs are brown, chocolate speckled, green, blue, pink, and white and are packaged in clear cartons. We sell all of our eggs locally at the Astoria Coop, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture subscription purchase), and our veterinary clinic. Occasionally we sell the old birds for meat. The French Maran's are the authentic ingredient for Coq Au Vin, traditionally being made by tenderizing old Maran roosters in red wine, one of my favorite dishes to make and eat. Here is a list of the type of chickens we currently raise and some photos. |
