A duck farmer I care about needs help
Tax deductible
Bucks for Ducks
Please help a local duck farmer protect her flocks from predators. Ashley Aloe, a second year student in the Farmer in Training program at Carnation Farms, now has her own duck business called Tangled Willows Farm raising French White Muscovy ducks. Her duck flock suffered a devastating loss early this spring. Nearly 75% of her market ready flock was lost to coyotes after a highly unusual poultry fence malfunction. Out of 164 animals, only 46 remain! These animals were only a week away from being harvested and sold. Ashley is asking the community for donations of any size to help her purchase the equipment necessary to keep the animals, and her business, safe. Care to help this duck farm take flight?
All funds will go towards supporting Ashley's duck project.
Set the Stage
On May 1st I walked into work for what would be a devastating surprise. A late spring day was on the horizon, the fog laying low over the valley as a sleepy sun rose to burn it off. Apple in hand, I walked down to check on my adolescent flock and was met with a disorienting site. Part of my fence had been tampered with – though the metal prongs were still in the ground – and well over half of the flock had vanished. I raise French White Muscovy, a bright white duck sold for meat, and the contrast of their plumage against dark green spring grasses makes them easy to spot, yet, they were nowhere to be found. I looked around completely bewildered to spot a coyote darting into the forest with one of my beautiful birds hanging limp from her powerful jaws. Thus began a day of overwhelming sadness.
Let me give you some background on myself.
My name is Ash and I am a young farmer and entrepreneur. I graduated from the University of Vermont in 2015 with a degree in Zoology and Global Studies. The original intention of my studies was to go into wildlife conservation, most likely somewhere abroad to work with endangered predacious species. It was the summer of 2013 when I did a conservation program in northwest Montana that sparked my interest in agriculture. The program, called Wildlife in the West run by Swan Valley Connections, teaches college students track and sign, conservation policy, and community outreach. This area of the state, known as the Crown of the Continent, has some of the last untouched wilderness in the continental United States. It is a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain ranges, expansive valleys, and glacial lakes. It is also home to some of the highest population density of wolves, mountain lions, lynx, coyote, fisher, marten, wolverine, black, and grizzly bears. The human communities are small, tight knit, and primarily centered on ranching. Obviously, wildlife conflicts are a frequent and concerning occurrence.
The program emphasized working within these communities to use non-lethal management strategies to reduce livestock depredation. I was particularly struck when we were invited into the home of a rancher who ran a cow-calf operation to speak about of wolf conflicts. The number of packs had skyrocketed in the area after being reintroduced; because the prey species population (elk, pronghorn, deer, and caribou) had gone unman-aged for decades without the apex predator (wolves) to keep herd sizes in check, the wolves were thriving. I went into this meeting expecting not to connect with this man; as a conservationist I assumed I couldn’t find common ground with a person I knew had killed threatened wildlife in an effort to protect his stock. I was wrong. He took our little group into his living room for a chat where he told us how much he respects the wolves who call his pastures their home. He was amazed by their beauty, their power, and their complex social structures. Then, close to tears, he picked up a picture of his teenage daughter. He explained that while he understands these animals are just expressing instinctual behaviors, every time a cow is run too hard and is left open that season (without a calf) or every time a calf is born only to picked off by the pack, it’s money taken from his pocket. The lost revenue troubled him that he could not help send his daughter to college. How could I blame someone for defending their business and their livestock when it directly competes with how he is able to care for his own family?
The program itself made me realize working directly in wildlife conservation wasn’t the right path for me. The politics and bureaucracy were more than I felt I could handle. It seemed I could be more effective on a local level if I got into agriculture and farmed in a sustainable way. When I went back to school I applied for, and was accepted into, our intensive dairy program. It is designed to prepare students either to apply to veterinary school, or to have a strong enough background to start a dairy of their own. Since then I have been farming in a variety of different capacities, primarily with small scale diversified livestock – most often in dairy.
Last summer I completed my first season of vegetable farming as part of the Farmer in Training program at Carnation Farms; this is a two year program geared towards farmers with some previous experience who are ready to start a farm of their own. I now run my own farm on Carnation Farms property, it is called Tangled Willows Farm and I raise French White Muscovy ducks. My animals are pasture raised and allowed to live out the duckiest life they can. This means flock sizes are kept small to reduce fighting and feed competition, they are given access to swimming water so they can splash and play to their hearts’ content, and we never give feed that contains corn, soy, or GMO-ingredients. Commercial duck operations keep their animals in huge ‘barns’ for the entirety of their lives. They never get to see the sun, they never get to swim, and they are often subjected to all kinds of cruel and unnatural treatment. I believe this is fundamentally wrong so I choose not to farm this way.
Back to Coyotes
So what happened to the flock? Working with our local game warden and implementing a game camera to get an idea of evening activities we found out how the flock escaped. Usually ducks hunker down for the night in a covered space and keep quiet to avoid drawing attention from lurking predators. For some reason still unknown, the flock had a behavior change. Rather than sleeping under their poultry shelter like they typically do, they huddled as a massive single unit in the corner of their fence. I use portable electric poultry netting which is generally very effective against most predacious species in the area. Predators will check fencing for electricity through nose bumps, whiskers, and by the electricity that seeps out into the ground through their foot pads. While coyotes can jump a 5 foot fence, they generally won’t try if the fence is electric. With the ducks lying as a flock along the interior of the fence, they actually grounded out the electricity with their own bodies, rendering the barrier useless. It should be noted the fence was installed properly, this was not a mistake of inexperience or negligence. The fence was tight to the ground without gaps, the grass beneath had been mowed to keep the electricity at its highest voltage capacity, and the fence had been tested for strength and was on. Sensing electricity wasn’t flowing, a coyote or two hopped the fence and panicked the flock while the remainder of the pack waited on the outside of the fence. The flock, in a terrified frenzy to get away from the coyotes inside their enclosure, crowded against the interior of the fence with such force that they were able to loosen some of the prongs from the ground and escaped into the greater pasture. The pack members waiting on the outside of the fence pushed the birds down into the forested area behind the fields. While ducks are excellent swimmers and capable flyers, they are not meant for land travel. Just a week too young to be able to fly, they were driven down into a gully where they were picked off one by one with no chance of escape. Every member of the flock that left the safety of the electric fence perished. Out of 164 animals, only 46 remain. These animals were only a week away from being harvested and sold.
I had to confirm there were no survivors outside of the enclosure so I went down into the forest to look for my birds. What I saw was absolutely horrific. Plump white bodies, stained scarlet, painted a stark contrast to the dull greens and browns of the forest floor. While livestock are not pets or family members, there is still a profound bond that forms between the farmer and her animals. Raising livestock, while a joyful and satisfying career, is also a tremendous sacrifice. Farmer’s don’t get days off, weekend mornings to sleep in, or many opportunities to leave their farm for long periods of time. To see those broken bodies I had raised from day old ducklings lying twisted and battered was devastating. Knowing I had failed to give them a death that was clean, humane, and with minimal pain and fear, breaks my heart. With all that said, I never blame wildlife for expressing instinctual behavior. It was a highly unusual circumstance that allowed this event to occur and I am still a supporter of non-lethal wildlife conflict mitigation.
However, as a new farm and company now even further away from making sales, I am concerned. After the event we greatly increased security so this never happens again. Each outdoor enclosure now is double fenced and has two strands of hot wire above the fence as greater deterrents. The double fence creates an uncertainty in depth perception, most animals won’t try to jump it because they are unsure of where the fence ends and the pasture begins. It also means if the flock has another behavior change in the future, the perimeter fence will stay electrified even if the inner fence is grounded out. The upper hot wires help keep even the most capable leaping predators, mountain lions, from going for the high jump. The major problem I face now is I need double the fencing and electric energizers I had originally budgeted for. Since I won’t be generating revenue from my ducks sales for another 6-8 weeks, I can’t afford to purchase the additional fencing infrastructure needed to keep my flocks safe. I am asking the community for donations of any size to help me purchase the equipment necessary to keep my animals, and my business, safe. Care to help this fledgling duck farm leave the nest?
I am asking for $7,000 dollars and will break down what that capitol would be used for if generated for full transparency.
7 Solar IntelliShock® 60 Energizer Units - $1,806.00
8 Lengths of PoultryNet® 12/48/3 (164' x 48" white/black roll), Double Spike - $1,552.00
4 PoultryNet Gate (8 ft x 48" tall) - $276.00
2 Large Metal 20x10 ft Chicken Coop - $1,180.00
Mounting Lumber and Screws - $250
The remaining funds would be used as a financial buffer for the business to stay afloat until sales are made in mid-summer. The expected lost revenue from this first round of sales and the lost costs associated with feeding those animals until near harvest weight were a significant loss.
Carnation Farms (www.carnationfarms.org) is a nonprofit organization on a mission to transform the way that people want to eat. We celebrate delicious and nutritious food produced in a sustainable manner by providing inspirational and educational experiences that positively affect health, the environment and local economies. We develop the next generation of food citizens and grow new farmers. Rooted empowers young adults to be agents of change in our food system. Our farmers-in-training receive the hands-on experience needed to be successful farmers in the Snoqualmie Valley and beyond. We empower kids to make better food choices for life-long good health through hands-on farm and cooking camp experiences. People of all ages enjoy field trips on our beautiful, certified organic farm. Join us at Carnation Farms!
Please help a local duck farmer protect her flocks from predators. Ashley Aloe, a second year student in the Farmer in Training program at Carnation Farms, now has her own duck business called Tangled Willows Farm raising French White Muscovy ducks. Her duck flock suffered a devastating loss early this spring. Nearly 75% of her market ready flock was lost to coyotes after a highly unusual poultry fence malfunction. Out of 164 animals, only 46 remain! These animals were only a week away from being harvested and sold. Ashley is asking the community for donations of any size to help her purchase the equipment necessary to keep the animals, and her business, safe. Care to help this duck farm take flight?
All funds will go towards supporting Ashley's duck project.
Set the Stage
On May 1st I walked into work for what would be a devastating surprise. A late spring day was on the horizon, the fog laying low over the valley as a sleepy sun rose to burn it off. Apple in hand, I walked down to check on my adolescent flock and was met with a disorienting site. Part of my fence had been tampered with – though the metal prongs were still in the ground – and well over half of the flock had vanished. I raise French White Muscovy, a bright white duck sold for meat, and the contrast of their plumage against dark green spring grasses makes them easy to spot, yet, they were nowhere to be found. I looked around completely bewildered to spot a coyote darting into the forest with one of my beautiful birds hanging limp from her powerful jaws. Thus began a day of overwhelming sadness.
Let me give you some background on myself.
My name is Ash and I am a young farmer and entrepreneur. I graduated from the University of Vermont in 2015 with a degree in Zoology and Global Studies. The original intention of my studies was to go into wildlife conservation, most likely somewhere abroad to work with endangered predacious species. It was the summer of 2013 when I did a conservation program in northwest Montana that sparked my interest in agriculture. The program, called Wildlife in the West run by Swan Valley Connections, teaches college students track and sign, conservation policy, and community outreach. This area of the state, known as the Crown of the Continent, has some of the last untouched wilderness in the continental United States. It is a breathtaking landscape of towering mountain ranges, expansive valleys, and glacial lakes. It is also home to some of the highest population density of wolves, mountain lions, lynx, coyote, fisher, marten, wolverine, black, and grizzly bears. The human communities are small, tight knit, and primarily centered on ranching. Obviously, wildlife conflicts are a frequent and concerning occurrence.
The program emphasized working within these communities to use non-lethal management strategies to reduce livestock depredation. I was particularly struck when we were invited into the home of a rancher who ran a cow-calf operation to speak about of wolf conflicts. The number of packs had skyrocketed in the area after being reintroduced; because the prey species population (elk, pronghorn, deer, and caribou) had gone unman-aged for decades without the apex predator (wolves) to keep herd sizes in check, the wolves were thriving. I went into this meeting expecting not to connect with this man; as a conservationist I assumed I couldn’t find common ground with a person I knew had killed threatened wildlife in an effort to protect his stock. I was wrong. He took our little group into his living room for a chat where he told us how much he respects the wolves who call his pastures their home. He was amazed by their beauty, their power, and their complex social structures. Then, close to tears, he picked up a picture of his teenage daughter. He explained that while he understands these animals are just expressing instinctual behaviors, every time a cow is run too hard and is left open that season (without a calf) or every time a calf is born only to picked off by the pack, it’s money taken from his pocket. The lost revenue troubled him that he could not help send his daughter to college. How could I blame someone for defending their business and their livestock when it directly competes with how he is able to care for his own family?
The program itself made me realize working directly in wildlife conservation wasn’t the right path for me. The politics and bureaucracy were more than I felt I could handle. It seemed I could be more effective on a local level if I got into agriculture and farmed in a sustainable way. When I went back to school I applied for, and was accepted into, our intensive dairy program. It is designed to prepare students either to apply to veterinary school, or to have a strong enough background to start a dairy of their own. Since then I have been farming in a variety of different capacities, primarily with small scale diversified livestock – most often in dairy.
Last summer I completed my first season of vegetable farming as part of the Farmer in Training program at Carnation Farms; this is a two year program geared towards farmers with some previous experience who are ready to start a farm of their own. I now run my own farm on Carnation Farms property, it is called Tangled Willows Farm and I raise French White Muscovy ducks. My animals are pasture raised and allowed to live out the duckiest life they can. This means flock sizes are kept small to reduce fighting and feed competition, they are given access to swimming water so they can splash and play to their hearts’ content, and we never give feed that contains corn, soy, or GMO-ingredients. Commercial duck operations keep their animals in huge ‘barns’ for the entirety of their lives. They never get to see the sun, they never get to swim, and they are often subjected to all kinds of cruel and unnatural treatment. I believe this is fundamentally wrong so I choose not to farm this way.
Back to Coyotes
So what happened to the flock? Working with our local game warden and implementing a game camera to get an idea of evening activities we found out how the flock escaped. Usually ducks hunker down for the night in a covered space and keep quiet to avoid drawing attention from lurking predators. For some reason still unknown, the flock had a behavior change. Rather than sleeping under their poultry shelter like they typically do, they huddled as a massive single unit in the corner of their fence. I use portable electric poultry netting which is generally very effective against most predacious species in the area. Predators will check fencing for electricity through nose bumps, whiskers, and by the electricity that seeps out into the ground through their foot pads. While coyotes can jump a 5 foot fence, they generally won’t try if the fence is electric. With the ducks lying as a flock along the interior of the fence, they actually grounded out the electricity with their own bodies, rendering the barrier useless. It should be noted the fence was installed properly, this was not a mistake of inexperience or negligence. The fence was tight to the ground without gaps, the grass beneath had been mowed to keep the electricity at its highest voltage capacity, and the fence had been tested for strength and was on. Sensing electricity wasn’t flowing, a coyote or two hopped the fence and panicked the flock while the remainder of the pack waited on the outside of the fence. The flock, in a terrified frenzy to get away from the coyotes inside their enclosure, crowded against the interior of the fence with such force that they were able to loosen some of the prongs from the ground and escaped into the greater pasture. The pack members waiting on the outside of the fence pushed the birds down into the forested area behind the fields. While ducks are excellent swimmers and capable flyers, they are not meant for land travel. Just a week too young to be able to fly, they were driven down into a gully where they were picked off one by one with no chance of escape. Every member of the flock that left the safety of the electric fence perished. Out of 164 animals, only 46 remain. These animals were only a week away from being harvested and sold.
I had to confirm there were no survivors outside of the enclosure so I went down into the forest to look for my birds. What I saw was absolutely horrific. Plump white bodies, stained scarlet, painted a stark contrast to the dull greens and browns of the forest floor. While livestock are not pets or family members, there is still a profound bond that forms between the farmer and her animals. Raising livestock, while a joyful and satisfying career, is also a tremendous sacrifice. Farmer’s don’t get days off, weekend mornings to sleep in, or many opportunities to leave their farm for long periods of time. To see those broken bodies I had raised from day old ducklings lying twisted and battered was devastating. Knowing I had failed to give them a death that was clean, humane, and with minimal pain and fear, breaks my heart. With all that said, I never blame wildlife for expressing instinctual behavior. It was a highly unusual circumstance that allowed this event to occur and I am still a supporter of non-lethal wildlife conflict mitigation.
However, as a new farm and company now even further away from making sales, I am concerned. After the event we greatly increased security so this never happens again. Each outdoor enclosure now is double fenced and has two strands of hot wire above the fence as greater deterrents. The double fence creates an uncertainty in depth perception, most animals won’t try to jump it because they are unsure of where the fence ends and the pasture begins. It also means if the flock has another behavior change in the future, the perimeter fence will stay electrified even if the inner fence is grounded out. The upper hot wires help keep even the most capable leaping predators, mountain lions, from going for the high jump. The major problem I face now is I need double the fencing and electric energizers I had originally budgeted for. Since I won’t be generating revenue from my ducks sales for another 6-8 weeks, I can’t afford to purchase the additional fencing infrastructure needed to keep my flocks safe. I am asking the community for donations of any size to help me purchase the equipment necessary to keep my animals, and my business, safe. Care to help this fledgling duck farm leave the nest?
I am asking for $7,000 dollars and will break down what that capitol would be used for if generated for full transparency.
7 Solar IntelliShock® 60 Energizer Units - $1,806.00
8 Lengths of PoultryNet® 12/48/3 (164' x 48" white/black roll), Double Spike - $1,552.00
4 PoultryNet Gate (8 ft x 48" tall) - $276.00
2 Large Metal 20x10 ft Chicken Coop - $1,180.00
Mounting Lumber and Screws - $250
The remaining funds would be used as a financial buffer for the business to stay afloat until sales are made in mid-summer. The expected lost revenue from this first round of sales and the lost costs associated with feeding those animals until near harvest weight were a significant loss.
Carnation Farms (www.carnationfarms.org) is a nonprofit organization on a mission to transform the way that people want to eat. We celebrate delicious and nutritious food produced in a sustainable manner by providing inspirational and educational experiences that positively affect health, the environment and local economies. We develop the next generation of food citizens and grow new farmers. Rooted empowers young adults to be agents of change in our food system. Our farmers-in-training receive the hands-on experience needed to be successful farmers in the Snoqualmie Valley and beyond. We empower kids to make better food choices for life-long good health through hands-on farm and cooking camp experiences. People of all ages enjoy field trips on our beautiful, certified organic farm. Join us at Carnation Farms!
Organizer
Nadja Wilson
Organizer
Carnation, WA
Carnation Farms (Carnation Farms)
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
