Archive for the ‘Icelandic Horse News’ Category

Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc. Farm Animals and Pets

Friday, June 10, 2011@ 11:50 AM
Author: Sibella

Mountain Valley View Farm is proud to introduce our growing family of farm animals. We love our farm animals and take great pride in raising them organically, the way nature intended.  Take a look at some of the farm animals you can expect to find on our family farm!

 

Birds

 

Chicken, Araucana 

This unusual breed gets its name from the Indian tribe of Chile where they were first discovered. Araucanas lay beautiful, tasty eggs of blue-green shades from turquoise to deep olive.

Chicken, Plymouth Barred Rock 

The quintessential American chicken, the Plymouth Barred Rock is an all-time favorite that was first bred in the 1800s.

Chicken, Red Star Hybrid 

The Red Star is hardy bird that is sex-linked: that is, at birth, it easy to determine which chicks are male and which are female depending on their color. Females chicks are reddish brown and males are white.

 

Duck, Blue Swedish

 

This unusual duck has beautiful silvery blue, white, and black feathers and comes from the coastal areas of Holland, Germany, and Belgium.

Duck, Cayuga  

 

Once the primary source of duck meat, Cayugas are an unusual and beautiful bird with glossy, iridescent black plumage that eventually turns white as they age.

 

Duck, Chocolate Runner  

 

This is an ancient, hardy breed from Southeast Asia, and are sometimes called Indian Runners because they were originally imported to England on a ship from the Indies.

 

Duck, Gold Star Hybrid  

 

Calm, even-tempered ducks that are excellent layers. Like Red Star chickens, their gender can be distinguished at birth by their color.

Duck, Khaki Campbell 

 

A popular and famous breed, Khakis are some of the most reliable domestic layers. They were developed in England in 1901.

 

Duck, Welsh Harlequin 

 

A beautiful, more recent breed with an excellent laying ability and unusual markings. They are quite popular.

 

Duck, White Layer 

A lovely all-white duck that lays only white eggs, as opposed to the mixed blue and white eggs produced by the Gold Star that is its cousin.

 

Goose, African  

 

Despite its name, this goose is actually descended from the wild Asian Swan Goose of China. They are active and somewhat noisier than other geese.

Goose, Brown Chinese 

 

A smaller, lighter goose, the Brown Chinese has a more pronounced forehead knob than the other Asiatic geese.

Goose, Buff  

 

A calm, friendly bird with coloring that is unusual for a goose. They were originally bred for meat, since the pinfeathers are easier to pluck.

Goose, French Toulouse 

 

Hardy, commercial birds raised primarily for their meat. These Toulouse are directly descended from French birds.

Goose, Sebastopol 

 

The gorgeous, unique Sebastopol comes from the countries around the Black Sea, and they have been around for hundreds of years. They were originally known as Danubians to the British or Danubio to the Spanish and Italians.

Goose, Super African  

The Super African is a direct descendent of China’s Lion Head goose, including the pronounced dewlap on the throat. They are a fairly noisy breed, one of the best guard geese.

Goose, Toulouse 

This popular goose originated in France, although nowadays many come from England. They are an excellent meat duck, a sturdy breed.

Goose, Tufted Buff  

A hardy, pleasant breed that was developed as a cross between the Buff goose and the Roman Tufted goose.

Goose, Tufted Toulouse  

A calm breed with all the characteristics of the French Toulouse, but with a tuft on its head like the Roman Tufted.

Goose, White Chinese  

A pure white goose descended from the wild swans of China, although interestingly enough, the swans did not have the forehead knob. They are a sociable bird.

Goose, White Embden 

A large white goose similar to the Toulouse, but orginating in Germany. The breed has been in existence for about 200 years.

 

 

Dogs

 

Cockapoo  

The Cockapoo is a cross between the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle, making an intelligent and affectionate pet. Reggie & Ginger, our first generation purebreds, have already had two litters of sweet puppies.

Icelandic Sheepdog  

Our two Icelandic Sheepdogs are quiet, mild-mannered, and sweet. The breed is sturdy and energetic, still used to herd sheep in Iceland today. They are descended from dogs brought to Iceland by the Vikings.

Newfoundland 

 

Lily, our 6 month old Newfoundland, is an absolute delight. This large, strong breed is famous for rescuing sailors and fishermen from icy waters. Lewis & Clark were accompanied by a Newfoundland named Seaman on their journeys.

Rottweiler  

Cocoa is still a puppy, but she is quiet and well-behaved. Contrary to popular belief, Rottweilers are not violent or dangerous. Rather, they are loyal and reliable, with an even temperament.

 

 

Livestock

 

Goat, Fainting (Myotonic)  

These adorable goats are bred more as pets or for their meat than for milk. When startled, their legs will go stiff and they will fall over in a faint, a harmless condition called myotonia. For a full list of the fainting goats in our herd, please click here.

Goat, Nubian  

The Nubian is an excellent dairy goat, known for its rich, creamy milk that is high in butter content and gentle on the stomach. Many lactose intolerant people discover that they can drink Nubian milk. For a full list of the Nubian goats in our herd, please click here.

Horse, Icelandic  

A strong and sturdy breed despite its smaller size, the Icelandic is also friendly and docile. A truly beautiful and unique horse, we are thrilled to have a small group on our farm.

Sheep, Babydoll Southdown  

This ancient British breed of miniature sheep makes a gentle, friendly pet, and their cute teddy bear faces are instantly lovable. Their wool is also excellent for spinning.

Sheep, East Friesian  

The East Friesian comes from Germany and is known as the best dairy producing sheep in the world. They are polled, or naturally hornless.

Sheep, Icelandic 

The Icelandic sheep has been prized for its meat, milk, and wool. It is one of the oldest breeds of sheep in the world. They are very sturdy and do well in cold environments.

Urgent–Icelandic Horses Need Your Help!

Monday, November 15, 2010@ 12:45 PM
Author: Sibella

savepony1

Dear Readers,
I received the following distressing email this weekend and was very disturbed to see this. We do not know which farm or farms sent these Icelandic horses to slaughter but it was definitely not our farm. These horses are currently located in Toppenish, near Yakima–not a far drive at all to save a life! Please be careful who you sell your horses to and help us rescue these wonderful animals!
Thank you,
Karen Hood
~

savepony3

You may have been reading about the herd of Icelandic ponies that were dumped at the feedlot in Toppenish over the weekend and are available for adoption this week.  There were 60 originally, and there are about 40 left.  The slaughter buyer from Canada is coming on Sunday Nov 21 to pick up the ones that aren’t adopted.  If you are interested in saving one of these ponies’ lives or know anyone else that might be, call Sam at (509) 952-3866. Sam is trying to convince the feedlot to give her another week to find owners, so let’s hope. They are selling them for $475 for the smaller ones, and $575 for the larger ones.  They looked to be mostly 12-14hh, and very stout.  I’ve heard different versions of how they got there, and haven’t confirmed any yet.  Sam said they are from an Icelandic breeder, and they are 2-14 years old, and should be halter broke at least.  Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.  Because there were so many, and they were moving in a herd, I couldn’t really single any out to examine them, but they seemed healthy and strong as far as I could tell.  As with any horse adopted from the feedlot, they would have to be quarantined for a few weeks in case of illness they might have picked up at the feedlot.  If anyone adopts one and doesn’t have a place to quarantine, you can put it in my round pen with mine, as long as you provide the hay. The mares have been exposed to stallions, so some may be bred. I’ve asked Dr. Root if he would consider offering a discount for a vet check for people that have adopted these ponies, and am waiting to hear back from him.  I have no idea if there are any geldings, or if they are all still stallions.  I can say that not one of them acted studdy last night though.
There were lots of sorrels with flaxen mane/tail, a few grays, a gruella, a buckskin, solid blacks, and some paints.  I think most of the paints were spoken for though.  We adopted a white one.
These are awesome ponies, very gentle disposition, intelligent, and gaited.  It would be a tragedy for them to go to slaughter, as it would be with any sound horse.
Please pass this on, and keep them in your prayers.
~

savepony2

All photos in this post are photos of the actual horses in question. They were taken with a cell phone in low light; please excuse the poor quality–they really are beautiful animals.

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A New Foal!

Friday, July 9, 2010@ 11:36 AM
Author: BevK

On July 7, 2010, Vinda, our Icelandic gray mare, had a filly.

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