Shepherd's Rest
Farm and Pet Sitting
H&L Acres
Welcome to our farm!
We are located in Locust Grove, VA in beautiful Orange County. H&L Acres was started by my husband and I in order to live a more self sustainable lifestyle in addition to providing others with quality animals. Our farm animals are organically raised and we are members of the Farm to Consumer Defense League which enables us to provide raw milk sales through a herdshare program. We offer eggs from our lovely Comet hens and occasionally have duck meat, lamb meat, goat meat, and beef available.
Muscovy Ducks
We exclusively raise Muscovy ducks; the only breed of duck that doesn't quack! They are calm quiet birds that lay delicious jumbo eggs and provide a low fat meat that tastes like roast beef. Muscovy are excellent mothers and hatch large clutches for us from Spring through Fall.
​Chickens
We keep Comets (red sex-links) for eggs. These hens are egg laying machines who supply us (and our clients) with delicious fresh eggs year round. Our other breed of chicken we keep are Buff Bantam Cochin. These chickens are smaller in stature but are easy keepers and fun little birds to own. Sweet temperament and beautiful lawn candy!
Pigeons
Another favorite are our gorgeous pigeons. These calm sweet birds make wonderful pets and are super easy keepers. We currently raise Birmingham Rollers, Iranian Highflyers, and Ice pigeons.
Quail
The smallest birds we raise are Coturnix Quail. These tiny birds are simply amazing. They come in a variety of colors/patterns, lay lots of nutritious eggs, and provide a low fat dark meat. Quail require little space to house and actually make wonderful pets as well!
Diary Goats
Our livestock are a huge part of our family. We raise several breeds of dairy goats and provide families with "kids" for pets or to add new genetics to existing herds. We have Nigerian Dwarf goats, Oberhasli, Miniature Lamancha, Miniature Alpine, and a few Grade does. Proper conformation, great temperament, hardiness, and milk genetics are our focus.
Katahdin Hair Sheep
We also raise Katahdin sheep. We chose this breed as they're more parasite resistant and provide quality meat. Lambs available each Spring and Summer.
Miniature Cattle
Our cattle include a few lovely Miniature Zebu and a beautiful Jersey cow. We plan on building our herd of Miniature Zebu in the near future. Zebu are sweet natured and their small size makes them perfect for just about any homestead/farm.
Livestock Guardians
And lastly, the reason we can safely raise all of these wonderful animals is because of our canine partners. Our livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) keep watch over our flocks/herds and keep them safe from predators. Everything from hawks and snakes to coyote and black bear. We employ and raise AKC Anatolian Shepherds and are members of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America; adhereing to their Breeder Code of Ethics. Any potential breeding stock must prove to have natural guardian instincts early on. While training and guidance is very important in the success of young LGDs; genetics also play a huge role. We have several genetic health screening tests performed on breeding stock to ensure the health of offspring. Our dogs must have OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) rated Excellent or Good Hips and Normal Elbows. Any dog that does not pass their genetic health testing is spayed/neutered. Puppies are raised with our birds and livestock and are well started in basic obedience. Anatolian Shepherds are a primitive breed and not your average pet dog. As with most working breeds; they are happiest when they have a job. We're blessed to be able to offer other farmers with the peace of mind knowing that their families and farm animals are safe from predators. You can see our dogs and follow us on Facebook under H&L Acres Livestock Guardian Dogs.
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