A Naughty Day at Naughty Dog Farm

A Day in the Life at Naughty Dog Farm

Welcome to Naughty Dog Farm in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, where our farm dog Bentley ran the show with his tail-wagging mischief. Nestled in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, our regenerative farm is a whirlwind of chickens, gardening, and chaos. Here’s a quick peek at weekend in our naughty life—buckle up for a wild ride.

Rowan enjoying the view of the Bitterroot Mountains

Morning Madness: Whinnying to start the day

Dawn breaks and we are up to start our coffee. Make sure to not let Rowan know you're awake or he will be more than ready for breakfast. Coffee in hand, feed bucket in the other we head outside. Every morning Rowan lets out a big whinny, and then a little nicker to let me know he is as excited to see me as I am him. He impatiently waits for me to feed him breakfast and fill his hay bag while i endlessly try to drink my coffee as I go (usually unsuccessfully, but another day is another attempt) Once Mr. Man is fed we head over to the coop, now a basket in one hand and coffee in the other, playing hide-and-seek with our pasture-raised hens. These divas scatter their golden-yolked eggs like they’re auditioning for a heist movie. Most are in their nesting boxes but I know they have some special hiding spots around the farm that I will find randomly one day and cook up to feed back to the hens. with a quick bribe of breakfast for the girlies I grab the eggs I can find, open the big door to the coop and head back inside. Nothing like walking out your door to grab breakfast.

Strawberry Showdown: Weeding Wars

Next, I tackle our strawberry patch, where juicy berries grow under the Bitterroot Mountains. The weeds, however, are naughtier than your dog spotting a squirrel. Armed with a trowel, I yank out dandelions that think they own the place and various other plants that i would prefer live elsewhere. Rowan supervises on his side of the fence waiting for a stray berry or some pieces of alfalfa that we keep in random patches in the garden just for him. Afterwards I am left with dirt-stained hands and a vision of strawberry shortcake. The patch is soon pristine, ready for some photos, and I’m one step closer to being a Montana gardening legend (in my eyes at least).

Coop Dreams: DIY Diva Den

Midday, I dive into research for a new chicken coop. Our hens deserve a palace for their egg-laying swagger plus we need to move them to their own little section where they can be safe from predators at all times. As of right now they live in a lovely 8x10 shed but we don't have an enclosed run for them to be safe in when we aren't home so we plan to move them to our lower field ASAP! Plus, not stepping in chicken poop on a regular basis would be great. So I scour DIY plans for a Montana-tough design—think sturdy roosts and Bitterroot winter-proof walls. Bruin our dog snores his approval as I bookmark a plan that screams Naughty Dog Farm chic. It’s all about keeping our feathered stars happy and those pasture-raised eggs rolling.

Porch Perfection: Dinner with a View

As the sun sets over the Bitterroot Mountains, we settle on the front porch for a farm-fresh dinner: a salad from our greens with hardboiled eggs and some strawberries and maybe some local steaks. We sip some sun tea, throw the chickens some scraps and watch them run around and then watch the sky turn pink. Rowan's munching in the back on his dinner, or sometime I let him graze in the front yard while we all hang out. This is why we farm—good food, epic views, and a whole lot of naughty charm.

Get Naughty with Us

Craving farm-fresh eggs, meats, or our whipped tallow balm? Visit Naughty Dog Farm's online store and stay up to date on our blogs to live vicariously through us, or feel free to send us some ideas for our chicken coop (must fit 20-30 chickens). Join our Naughty Dog Farm VIPs for exclusive goodies, and keep it sassy, Bitterroot style.