VETERAN-OWNED
PROUDLY
WOMAN-OWNED
Sustainably-Raised Small Meats, Poultry, Eggs and Farm Products
OUR LIVESTOCK
We strive to deliver the best quality small meats, direct from our farm to your table!
Photo By: Dan McBride
Goats
At Bear Run Farm, we raise a Boer/Kiko cross. Farming at a higher elevation, we tend to have long, cold and snowy winters. And raising animals on pasture means high risk of parasites. So it's important for us to have hardy animals but we also want to balance that with a flavorful, lean meat as well as strong mothering skills. The Kiko originated in New Zealand and is known for its survivability while producing a lean, well-muscled carcass and good milk. The Boer originated in Africa and is known for adaptability, a docile temperament, and well-flavored meat. A cross of these two breeds gives us a well-balanced hybrid that has produced great results for us and excellent quality for our clients. Visit our Learn page to learn more about raising goats and the benefits of goat meat. (at left, Lucille and Lucky, two of our awesome goat mommas)
Sheep
Like our goats, we need sheep that are hardy, good mothers, and quality meat producers. We selected a Katahdin/Dorper cross - both hair sheep that don't require shearing (so it also saves us work!). Dorpers are known for being hardy, excellent mothers and producing a high-quality meat. Katahdins are adaptable, low maintenance with better shedding qualities than Dorpers, and productive mothers while producing a more mild-flavored meat. The cross-breed thrives here at Bear Run Farm and we've loved watching our herd multiply quickly! (at right, Angelina with her two late winter lambs!)
Pigs
What's not to love about the KuneKune breed? The KuneKune breed originated from the Maori Islands of New Zealand (it means "short and round" in Maori). They are a smaller breed of pig with unusually short legs and a thick body that carries a lot of meat. KuneKunes are lard pigs, which means that they have more fat than commercial breeds. Because of this, KuneKune pork is more marbled, rich, and fully flavored than commercially grown hog meat - truly delicious. The other primary reason we raise KuneKune's is that they are pasture pigs and make good companions for our sheep and goats. Grass is the KuneKune’s main food and because of their upturned snouts they don’t root (no mess!). These pigs grow and thrive on pasture with a supplement of hay in the winter. Being sweet-natured and sociable, they also make good companions for us! (at left, Petunia on a stroll)
Poultry
At Bear Run Farm we keep a flock of chickens and turkeys to meet different needs. Our layers are Buff Orpingtons and Wyandottes, both are prolific layers that produce a brown egg. We keep Brahmas for their broodiness and as the mommas that will keep our flock growing. Brahmas are also good layers of brown eggs so they also contribute to our egg production. We raise Royal Gray Broilers for meat. This breed grows faster and its confirmation includes larger breast portions with smaller leg portions than other chickens. Our turkeys are a heritage White Holland. Toms mature to 30 pounds, and hens weigh about 20 pounds. They’re good setters and mothers and are also calmer than some breeds. (at right, a couple of our Brahma mommas)
