First Farm Animal Recommendation?

[daveshoot]

I am in about the same boat as the original poster, with 2.5 acres.

Right now I am working on infrastructure... irrigation, septic, fence repair.

Did you totally rule out ducks? At least they're not chickens (like your neighbors). Khaki Campbells are supposed to be both decent layers and eaters. That's what I've been thinking about.

For the pasture, which will be a renovation project after irrigation is finished, I have been thinking Boer meat goats. I waffle between them, and sheep. Or both. Goats are more interesting but for the same reason, more prone to escape.

 

[mbosma]

We're on 8 acres, but only have 2 acres of pasture. We started with chickens this year. Good eggs and fun for the kids. They free range and crap everywhere. I now keep my barn doors shut. So far they are pretty easy to care for.

We're planning for pigs next spring. I've heard that two fenced in on an acre of pasture won't stink at all (they spread the fertelizer around) and will stay inside the electric fence if there is plenty of food. I'm hoping they will also help keep the invasive weeds down (garlic mustard and honeysuckle) on the edge of the woods.

Start slow and make sure you like it. Pigs are a 6-8 month investment in time, but I'm looking forward to trying it.

 

[MikeD74T]

Another good way to keep pigs is to make a pen that can be moved. As small as 10x12 will keep 4 pigs if it's moved as least twice a week. Pigs usually "go" in the same area of the pen so it just has to be moved out of the soiled area, usually 1/2 the length of the pen. Pen on wheels or on ground pulled by tractor. Electric fence on the inside perimeter will stop burrowing under the pen. Move it in a straight line & plant the vacated ground. MikeD74t

 

[dmccarty]

If you have fowl think about how you will protect them from critters. We might get chickens next year if I find time to build a chicken house and run. They will HAVE to be protected at our place due to Hawks, Owls, Foxes and maybe coyotes.

They also need to be contained so they don't poo in places you don't want. Two neighbors bought Guineas years back. They pooed all over the porches and garages. They never did protect them and after about 18 months not one of the 75 Guineas were left. The Foxes, Owls, Hawks and the Coyote ate good for quite some time. Then the foxes found someones chicken house to our south west. The foxes ate quite a few chickens AND eggs.

Those Guineas are noisy. No way I would have them on my place.

Later,
Dan

 

[4720 OWNER]

I have had great success putting the butcher chickens in a chicken tractor. Similar to the portable pig pen talked about above. My design used chicken wire and 4" pvc. Chicken chores lasted about 10 min at the most per day. Never lost a chicken due to varmints.

 

[HiddenHollow]

I put 8 cute little piglets into an overgrown(small trees,briers,weeds) 75' x 50' pen. Six months later I had 8 220lb pigs and a muddy moonscape. There was not a single patch of green in that pen, even the trees where gone. Don't do pigs unless you have the room or proper facilities. We have Nigerian Dwarf goats and they are the easiest animal we have had. The little ones go for good money too!

 

[Freds]

My neighbor had ducks. He got rid of them when the kids had grandkids. Duck poop everywhere. And yes, you DO need a water source for ducks and geese to be able to eat. My vote is for chickens. Very easy to keep, but you do need some kind of comittment. The layers can be kept for years and meatbirds are slaughtered fairly young. 6-8 weeks maybe?
I guess the question is, do you want to slaughter whatever you decide on yourself? If not, you'll need to find someone and see if what they charge is feasible to make it a break even situation for you. That's why I just have laying hens. I have no inclination to slaughter, pluck and clean a dozen chickens for the freezer myself. But that's me.

 

[maybar]

Try a dog first. They are similar to having a 2 yr old kid the remainder of your life and if you can take that you can take anything.

 

[dave1949]

Many years back, I raised a few feeder pigs a year for our own use and shared with family. Feed was cheaper then I think, but even so, I couldn't raise them any cheaper than pork goes for in the grocery store. Much better meat though, no soybeans or fish waste in the feed. The main attraction for me would be the smoking and curing, bacon and sausage possibilities that become available to you when you have your own pork to use. You should be able to make things that cannot be easily found otherwise, or are very expensive.

The trick is having the right facilities (sheds, fencing, water supply, electric) and close feed supplies for any type of farm animal raising. For pigs, maybe most challenging part is getting them loaded to go to the slaughter house. You cannot outrun or out wrestle a 220 lb hog. :laughing: You need to be prepared with chutes and gates and ramps.

For personal use, you can save a lot by doing your own butchering; but you need the right equipment and that can add up cost wise. Maybe start by raising a pig to 80 lb to get the hang of it, then have a little pig roast. If you raise a large home garden, pigs will gladly eat what you don't. Just throw it in the pen and let them sort through it.

Once laying hen chickens get to the end of their useful egg life, the meat is only fit for politicians. Very rubbery even after a long time in the soup pot. A pressure cooker might work but, it will never taste like a young fryer.

It is fun but does take dedication to the task.
Dave.

 

[arrabil]

Wifey said no to pigs. And she is right, thats too much work for us. Chickens or quail is what its gonna be. And I hear why quail are tough, I've done a good bit of reading about them in the last two days, but I'm a quick learner. Not gonna get more than six of either one for the first year no matter what.

Amazing how many of you have good experience at this!!!

 

[/pine]

...thats too much work for us...

having raised chickens, rabbits, pigs...and some experience with cows...pigs are by far the least amout of work for the return...

and honestly, pigs are hardly more work than the average pet dog...
...just my opinion but if you are not prepared to put your heart into an endeavour that concerns livestock of any kind...you should think twice about animal husbandry...

 

[arrabil]

...you should think twice about animal husbandry...

Noted. Any other soapbox sermons you'd like to get out of the way? Or can I go back to making my decisions based on what everyone has posted and not just your opinion?

 

[aczlan]

We have 4 Llamas (1 "Broken" male and 3 females), 8 Goats (1 Alpine, 1 Toggenburg and 6 pygmys) and 15 chickens (various kinds, 14 hens and a rooster).
Of the animals, the chickens are probably the least work, but I like the llamas and goats better.

Aaron Z

 

[/pine]

...making my decisions based on what everyone has posted...

...Out of the mouths of babes...

 

[arrabil]

Why do you have to booger up a perfectly good thread with insults because we had a disagreement in another thread?

 

[MikeD74T]

arribil, For what it's worth, I agree with /pine on the committment aspect. animals will undoubtably take over your time at some unexpected time. You'll have to make decisions whether to commit money & time to recovery VS just letting them die, or just spend time capturing loose animals when you're leaving for work, etc. all /pine's saying is , if you can't meet the commitment to animals simply don't start. I don't know any foul was intended. MikeD74T

 

[dcyrilc]

arribil, For what it's worth, I agree with /pine on the committment aspect. animals will undoubtably take over your time at some unexpected time. You'll have to make decisions whether to commit money & time to recovery VS just letting them die, or just spend time capturing loose animals when you're leaving for work, etc. all /pine's saying is , if you can't meet the commitment to animals simply don't start. I don't know any foul was intended. MikeD74T

Well put Mike.

arribil,
Having any animal will put demands on your time at some point. Doesn't matter if it's a dog or cat or livestock. Some are worse than others. The worst for me, came when I was at work and busy in the middle of something important and got a call that I had cattle and llamas loose in the road and eating neighbors flowerbeds in the housing development behind us.:ashamed: I had to leave work, spend 4 hours rounding up and catching livestock, then figure out how they got out and make repairs. All I'm saying is that things happen.

 

[bp fick]

I cannot imagine anything easier to raise than two barrows (cut pigs) in a good pen, with a good feeding/watering system. Done it countless times.

Regardless the choice, all livestock do indeed intrude into one's life in countless and innumerable ways. What was that parable about counting the cost before beginning? Likely, that is all /pine was referring to and no harm was intended. I've seen him get a whole lot meaner than that!!:laughing:

That last bit was also meant in humor /pine.

 

[arrabil]

Thats awesome. A number of people said how much trouble the manure is. Mentioned the easiest ways to feed them is by having a large garden. Talked about how they destroy all the land they inhabit. How its hard to wrestle 200lbs beasts. Etc, etc.

And one rude comment (that was intended to be rude whether you want to believe it or not) makes a handful of you think I'm irresponsible and not ready for caring for animals because I decided that I agree chickens or quail are simpler/less trouble/easier for ME to care for. Which was the unanimous consensus if you read all the posts. That is, until I said something about the pigs.

 

[Redgoatea]

I think about two months after we got the cows and goats the thought finally occurred to us that we can never go on vacation again. I have also been late to work countless times because either the goats got out, no one fed the cows, or we were calving and I just wanted to watch.

Still don't regret it. It's time well spent IMO. 7