Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Stout.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We started our farm back in 2018 with just a small flock of chickens. We have had chickens, geese, ducks and goats between 2018 & 2020. Our plan was to use our Nigerian dwarf goats for 4H for our sons, but then 2020 changed our plans. We ended up changing course and started our breeding herd registered Kunekune pigs in 2021 and that’s when the farm really took off. 2023 came and we had our first two litters of piglets along with working on our Earthy Egger flock of chickens. We now have an established flock of chickens that lay wonderful shades of earthy tone olives and chocolates after years of work; along with our herd of Kunekunes that we’ll be breeding again this winter/spring.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It for sure has not been a smooth road. We have dealt with our fair share of pig illnesses in the beginning and finding a pig vet is next to impossible. I spent endless hours and nights surfing the webs, talking with other pig owners and on stop learning on how to “self vet” our pigs when we have an illness pop up. That has truly been the hardest part of farming this far! When we dealt with an incredibly sick pig after bringing them home I called every farm vet in the area and no one could help me. No one was familiar with the breed and/or her symptoms. Unfortunately I was only able to save one of our two pigs after weeks of non stop caring for them and loosing sleep day in and night. I did what all I could, learned more then I could ever imagine and now am even more prepared for the next time if/when an illness hits!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Here at Luciah Acres, we truly shine through our Earthy Egger chickens and is what we’re becoming known for locally in the chicken community. I spent years picking hens that had a specific color eggs and then multiple years finding the perfect roosters to breed to our hens to get the deep earthy colors we have now. And while we also have our Kunekune pigs, those have become more popular the last few years. I am also extremely proud of the work we do there, but it seems like our chicken flock is really what really draw people into us!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Talk to people is my biggest advice! Find people who will sit and talk things through with you and you’ll slowly find those who are willing to help you along the way and help mentor you. Just by striking up conversations with people, I have found some great people to walk through questions I have when they arise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.Luciahacresllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciah_acres_llc
- Facebook: HTTPS://favebook.com/Luciahacres
