Attorney Shayna W. Borakove, of Borakove Osman LLC in Middleton, Wisconsin, has more than 14 years of experience as a farm continuation practice leader at her rm.
She agreed getting advice is important.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Borakove said. “The outcome of planning one’s own farm transition without the advice and counsel of their attorney, certi ed public accountant, nancial advisor and/or other farm transition advisor would be about as predictable as a game of Plinko. With the advice and counsel of (a specialist), the client can understand the potential
consequences of a plan and make better, more objective decisions.”
Borakove also helps families clarify their vision and set goals.
“To prepare, rst the family should ask themselves, if there were no rules, no taxes, no restrictions or judgment of any kind, what would we want to happen with the farm if we couldn’t make the decision?” she said. “Second, having a sense of the time horizon as to when a transition could or should happen, from the farm owner’s perspective as well as the farm successor’s perspective, would be helpful.”
Advisors agreed that planning, inclusion and communication are key.
“Farms that do the planning are much more likely to have a successful farm transition than those that do not plan,” Molenaar said. “It doesn’t guarantee success, but it improves the odds.”
Consider using supplemental lighting and a timer in the morning before sunrise. This strategy supports chickens’ poor vision in the dark, avoiding a chicken being stranded on the oor overnight that could result from evening light. The light should not be overly bright; excessively bright lights can increase incidences of pecking. A good guideline to follow is that you should be able to read a newspaper in an appropriately lit pen.
Many smallscale chicken owners can forget about ock safety until animals are directly threatened. This aspect of animal management should not be forgotten because many hungry predators clearly remember these waiting chicken dinners. Ventilation openings can be an open door for predators to access your birds. These openings should be covered with sturdy wire or screens, a job typically easier said than done. Not only chickens but stored feed may be on the menu. Pest proof water sources and feed against rodents, wild birds and predators with secure
containers. Preventing them access will pay dividends not only in ock safety but toward quality biosecurity for your ock.
Managing poultry in our nippy weather is no easy task, but it is completely achievable. With mindful management of your ock, your chickens can nestle into a comfortable and productive winter season.
Residents of Stearns, Benton, Morrison and Sherburne counties can direct questions to adam1744@umn.edu or 320-255-6169, ext. 3.