STATION #2:  BEES, CHICKENS, GOATS & GREENHOUSE

Bees

The number of hives fluctuates throughout the year, usually between 4 & 6 hives.  Depending on the time of year, hives are inspected every couple of weeks to check progress and health.  The hives are also registered with PA Department of Agriculture to help keep up on the health of bees in the region so if there is a disease in our area they can treat it.  

FUN FACT:  Sometimes we mark the queens with a dot of paint.  There is a color code among beekeepers for marking queens so you know how old they are based on the last digit of the year they were born.  This year they have a green dot.

Chickens

16 chickens at OVS, and their breeds are as follows:

• 9 year olds:  Buff Orpington, Black Giant
• 4 year olds:  Cream Leg Bar, Cuckoo Maran, Olive Eggers, Barnevelder, Blue Rocks
• 3 year olds:  Silkies
• 1 year olds:  Wyandotte

They are let out at dusk to free range. They like to dust themselves in the arena, eat lots of scraps, and lay eggs. 

AMAZING CHICKEN FACTS::

• They can distinguish between 100 faces
• They see more colors than humans
• They make friends and will grieve
• They can taste salt but not sweet
• They have dreams when asleep
• The world’s oldest chicken lived to 16
• There are more chickens on earth than humans
• They are the closest living relatives of the T-Rex
• In the wild they navigate using the sun
• They cannot sweat
• They can run at 9mph

Goats

Biscotti and Muffin, the OVS goats, are always a hit!  Biscotti is a 3-year-old Mini Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf, and Biscotti is an almost-3-year-old Nigerian Dwarf.  

FOOD FACTS:  They eat hay, grains, watermelon, love banana peels and grapes.  They like to play on the toys and climb on the picnic tables.  We use the block for trimming their feet or checkups.