Farm Animal Fun

Every day, either first thing in the morning before the phone starts ringing or in the evening after work, you’ll find Missy Schwartz tending to her pet donkeys, goats and chickens at her backyard farm, Lit’l Laurel Ridge, in Willistown. Whether watering, feeding or grooming her animals, Schwartz is fully in her element. “This is my zen place,” she said. “Some pump iron at the gym, but I muck stalls.”

Schwartz is one of many pet owners in Chester County who find pleasure through relationships with animals beyond the more common choices of cats and dogs. “These are my kids. They rely on me, and I love them.”

Her path to donkey ownership came about unexpectedly. Schwartz, a realtor by profession, was selling a property for a couple moving to California who had a donkey with a three-week-old baby foal. Thinking the animals wouldn’t fare well during the long-distance transport, her client asked Schwartz to take them in. Today, Mona Lisa and her son, Honkey Donkey, happily share their pasture with some of Schwartz’s American pygmy dwarf goats.

In the next corral over at Lit’l Laurel Ridge, you’ll find the mama goats and babies, which Schwartz breeds. It was a previous housemate who brought a pregnant goat home one day that served as the unplanned start as a goat breeder. “I trade them to people so they can start their own herd,” Swartz said. “I love sharing the goat love.”

As a breeder, Schwartz has had to hand-raise baby goats, often by bottle feeding them. A few years ago, she had a sick baby goat that couldn’t be left alone. And so this concerned pet owner placed it in a basket to take along to a home inspection to feed and check on it during her busy day.

Rounding out the menagerie is Schwartz’s flock of chickens — including breeds known to be good layers, like Ameraucana and Australorp. The chickens give her a feeling of self-sufficiency, said Schwartz. With names like Henny and Mr. Roo, the chickens do their part by contributing their freshly laid blue, light brown and dark brown eggs to quiches and egg salads.

When Schwartz goes on vacation, there’s no dog or cat kennel for boarding her animals. Instead she arranges for a friend to stay at her house to watch over them — to prevent mishaps like a goat getting its head stuck in a bucket.

Regardless of the chores or challenges at hand, Schwartz finds the effort needed to sustain her backyard farm well worth it. “Working on my farm is so rewarding,” Schwartz said. “At the end of the day, I can see the fruits of my labor.”

Other Big Choices

Judy Irwin of Downingtown experiences similar rewards as the owner of four horses. She considers them close companions — and really big pets — given that she spends more time with them than anyone else, aside from her husband and son.

“Each horse has its own very distinct personality that reveals itself the more time I spend with it,” Irwin said. “I’ve had Teddy Boy since birth, and he’s the one I currently ride and show most frequently. But, I spend a lot more time grooming and fussing over him than actually riding him.”

Her dream of riding a horse began at a very young age, when she started playing with toy horses. “While I had no way of predicting that one day I’d own several horses, I always knew I wanted them in my life,” she said.

Today, much of Irwin’s world revolves around horses, since they take an immense amount of time and energy to care for. “Even when I’m not physically at the barn, I’m thinking about my horses’ needs and making sure the day-to-day running of the barn is going smoothly.”

Care of Farm Animal Pets

Care for these large animals can feel overwhelming, especially when they’re sick — an expected part of being a horse owner. When she needs professional help with her horses, Irwin calls on Dr. Jill Acland, VMD, a partner at Unionville Equine Associates. Finding the righ vet is key, since large animals and farm animals require specialized veterinary care by professionals with different skills than the vets caring for household pets.

Acland believes it’s important to establish a good relationship with a large animal vet, ideally before you need one. “Our best clients realize we’re in partnership with them, and we’re well-trained to help their horse through all stages of life,” Acland said.

The most common issues Acland treats are gastrointestinal-related. “A lot of people don’t realize that horses have very sensitive GI tracts.” The second most common issue is lameness, which can happen even to horses not in a show ring or on a race course. These and other conditions require specialized training for proper care.

Most of Acland’s clients are long-term horse owners who are dedicated to keeping their horses happy and healthy. This care also requires a substantial financial investment, given the higher expenses involved with both routine and emergency medical care of large animals.

Acland sees her clients develop very strong relationships with their horses — well beyond a farm or work animal. She sees many keep their horses for their entire lifetime, through all the ups and downs.

Caring for her horses through all kinds of situations is what helps Irwin better understand them and creates a deeper connection. “There’s no greater feeling in the world than having all the hard work pay off with a moment of connection in the ring when it all comes together,” Irwin said.

Special Deliveries

Beyond specialized veterinary care, the upkeep for horses, donkeys, goats and other farm animal pets is no small feat, particularly when it comes to the quantities of bedding, grain and other supplies needed. Once again, owners need the right professionals.

For example, Hougar Farms Retail Center (formerly Pughtown Agway) supplies a large customer base of horse and backyard chicken owners — in fact, you can even buy baby chicks there! And it’s worth noting all the hay and straw Hougar sells is locally grown at their farms in Chester and Montgomery Counties, making this a top source for particular owners.

In addition to deliveries for the usual farm animals, sales manager Kenny Casey also provides regular food and bedding supplies for those with unique animals, including pot-bellied pigs and even camels. Through his delivery visits, Casey has formed relationships with some of the animals, like a pet camel named Omar, and looks forward to seeing them. “The camel is one of the most unique pets, but I also have a customer who has a rescue farm with some pet bison,” he said.

“These owners care deeply for their animals’ wellbeing and make sure they’re well taken care of at whatever cost,” Casey said. “Most of our customers would take care of their pets sometimes before they take care of themselves.”

And that’s because our pets, whatever their species, are part of our families.