If you like spinning your wheels, being stressed, frustrated and watching your bank account dwindle little by little with ZERO return, these are the animals for you!
Just some thoughts on the older chickens for those for whom they just WILL be pets ( my husband, good reasons, fell in love w chickens during a traumatic time in his life, during which he was also new to chickens & had at 1st feared even getting any).. . Also, by feeding them to other pets, I’m assuming these other pets have jobs as well, otherwise it’s a horse apiece, whether you want dogs or chickens for pets… .
So, for older hens and the hopefully rare rooster your spouse can’t hear to kill &/or part with, you COULD ( I guess maybe not here in NW WI… winter…) let them live free range on your property, separate from the layers. Or, fenced in a large area to do so, to keep them from, say, eating your corn crop ( if you don’t have your whole garden fenced such that they can’t get in). As long as they’ve been pastured/free ranged enough in there life prior that they have learned how to forage for food. Just an idea. My husband and I have had to move some distance, or lost whole ( small) flocks, and haven’t had chickens for several years now while renting, so we haven’t gotten to this place really yet.
1st get laying hens. 2nd get meat birds chicken/pheasant. 3rd get dairy goats Alpine/Nubian/Saanen. 4th get Sheep hair/meat. 5th get beef cattle. Each step prepares for the next, also generates useful produce as you’ll need it. Eggs, meat, dairy, meat, meat. I keep our old hens, they don’t eat much and keep the flock in line. Spend time with all your animals, keep the sheep, goats, cows in the fence 😉
We had a horse, donkey and a mule a few years ago. They were actually quite cheap to keep! Hay was $50/bale and one bale would last the three of them for three weeks, Farrier was $40/animal twice a year. Dewormer $80/year. Shoeing is actually not good for horses, and boots aren’t all that expensive and you can get ice studs for them 🙂
A mini horse or donkey would be useful as draft animals, but so are dogs and sheep – we use our dogs to help us haul stuff when the ATV is down or can’t get to where we need to go, but my head ewe leads very well so I could easily use her, and she is STRONG!!!
When we feed chickens and ducks to our dogs, we literally just “put their lights out” and hand them whole to them. Rabbits I skin and gut before giving to the dogs and give the digestive tracts to the pigs.
Totally agree with you on the goats! Heathens, they are! The only way we’ll ever get a goat again is if it’s stupid-cheap or free, and once it’s home it’ll go straight for dog food!
I’ve found that why the goats are annoying with their shenanigans they don’t try and off themselves as much as the sheep but are not compatible with gardens. Good point with the donkey, I’ve found dead coyotes in my parents pasture stomped to death by the donkey. I’ve heard Lamas can be a good substitute for northern climates though.
I remember when some new people bought an acreage down the road. As usual, they started out with chickens and goats and fenced off a cute little pasture with things for the goats to play on. Every time I drove by there were goats in their yard or in the ditch along the highway. One day as I passed I swear every goat was on top of their vehicles playing, some with windshield wipers in their mouths. Jumping back and forth between their car and their truck. The next time I drove by there were no goats to be seen LOL and there are now no livestock at all on the property. Dairy goats are a lot of daily work, but there is a market for goat milk. That market has been saturated in many popular homesteading areas. I have considered getting a couple of goats for weed control on tens of acres that are impossible to get into to maintain except on foot, but I’d rather rent some for a couple weeks a year and call it good if only someone would get some around here and I adore goats (I just like other people’s goats better). I agree on the horses not being a homesteading choice. If you use them as a part of your life for recreation, competition or business great, but they are expensive to keep as pasture ornaments. I will say that I had an Arabian mare that was just as efficient at coyote dispatch as any donkey or mule out there. I had to be sure to properly introduce any new dogs. I’ve owned over 100 horses and she’s the only one I’ve actually seen do it. Shearing is a science and a serious skill not to be taken lightly and there are areas where it’s difficult to find a professional. I’m starting to see the miniature cows on homesteads now. I also see many new homesteaders who get a few cows and a bull without any idea what they’re getting into especially with a bull and proper fencing. Most bulls do not make good pets once they’re mature and never underestimate their strength. Bulls have sent many homesteaders to the hospital. They are not a big dog. Hogs can be difficult too, but most homesteaders are getting the smaller heritage or Asian breeds that I don’t know much about their temperament. I see homesteaders buying some “rare” breeds of livestock that they raise and sell to new homesteaders essentially creating their own market. If they catch on with the public it works, but if not it could be a bad investment once the market dies out. Do your research!!
Completely disagree about goats!! Been raising goats for 10 years and absolutely love them! They take care of dairy needs and I can male soap that is actually really good for my eczema! My goats have never destroyed anything either, my sheep are the destructive animals on our homestead.
goats electric fence win , i use 2 wire and have no trouble, a really good scared of fence not cheap thats why people don’t succeed . if you arent scared of fence not good enough . its the joules not volts
I think goats can be ok if done right and taught to behave well. A friend of ours had a big goat with horns that gave me a nasty bruise because it attacked me, it was a female too. If it was not for the fact that i grabbed it by the horn and held on tight, till help arrived and I did not freak out, it would have been much much worse for me.
A horse done right can also not be a drain. Horse shoes are not usually necessary… learn to trim hoves and have space to let them graze and wear down hoves and teeth. Being able to grow your own hay would be ideal. And put your horse to work on the farm. Find ways to make them useful, especially if you’re older and it is harder to pull things like heavy wagons and you don’t want to do all the big tractors and stuff.
Someone else said it. Make the animals useful to you and your situation, that is the key.
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I’m homesteading in Missouri raising South Poll Cattle and St. Croix sheep. I have 30 horses… under the hood of my Honda Foreman ATV.
Just some thoughts on the older chickens for those for whom they just WILL be pets ( my husband, good reasons, fell in love w chickens during a traumatic time in his life, during which he was also new to chickens & had at 1st feared even getting any).. . Also, by feeding them to other pets, I’m assuming these other pets have jobs as well, otherwise it’s a horse apiece, whether you want dogs or chickens for pets… .
So, for older hens and the hopefully rare rooster your spouse can’t hear to kill &/or part with, you COULD ( I guess maybe not here in NW WI… winter…) let them live free range on your property, separate from the layers. Or, fenced in a large area to do so, to keep them from, say, eating your corn crop ( if you don’t have your whole garden fenced such that they can’t get in). As long as they’ve been pastured/free ranged enough in there life prior that they have learned how to forage for food. Just an idea. My husband and I have had to move some distance, or lost whole ( small) flocks, and haven’t had chickens for several years now while renting, so we haven’t gotten to this place really yet.
1st get laying hens. 2nd get meat birds chicken/pheasant. 3rd get dairy goats Alpine/Nubian/Saanen. 4th get Sheep hair/meat. 5th get beef cattle. Each step prepares for the next, also generates useful produce as you’ll need it. Eggs, meat, dairy, meat, meat. I keep our old hens, they don’t eat much and keep the flock in line. Spend time with all your animals, keep the sheep, goats, cows in the fence 😉
Everything we raise are ornamental but that is the last reason we have them. They produce something we are eating and then we eat them.
I totally agree with you on everything you say. Love this video.
We had a horse, donkey and a mule a few years ago. They were actually quite cheap to keep! Hay was $50/bale and one bale would last the three of them for three weeks, Farrier was $40/animal twice a year. Dewormer $80/year. Shoeing is actually not good for horses, and boots aren’t all that expensive and you can get ice studs for them 🙂
A mini horse or donkey would be useful as draft animals, but so are dogs and sheep – we use our dogs to help us haul stuff when the ATV is down or can’t get to where we need to go, but my head ewe leads very well so I could easily use her, and she is STRONG!!!
When we feed chickens and ducks to our dogs, we literally just “put their lights out” and hand them whole to them. Rabbits I skin and gut before giving to the dogs and give the digestive tracts to the pigs.
Totally agree with you on the goats! Heathens, they are! The only way we’ll ever get a goat again is if it’s stupid-cheap or free, and once it’s home it’ll go straight for dog food!
I’ve found that why the goats are annoying with their shenanigans they don’t try and off themselves as much as the sheep but are not compatible with gardens. Good point with the donkey, I’ve found dead coyotes in my parents pasture stomped to death by the donkey. I’ve heard Lamas can be a good substitute for northern climates though.
Old hens who still brood chicks well are the only ones who stay alive
I remember when some new people bought an acreage down the road. As usual, they started out with chickens and goats and fenced off a cute little pasture with things for the goats to play on. Every time I drove by there were goats in their yard or in the ditch along the highway. One day as I passed I swear every goat was on top of their vehicles playing, some with windshield wipers in their mouths. Jumping back and forth between their car and their truck. The next time I drove by there were no goats to be seen LOL and there are now no livestock at all on the property. Dairy goats are a lot of daily work, but there is a market for goat milk. That market has been saturated in many popular homesteading areas. I have considered getting a couple of goats for weed control on tens of acres that are impossible to get into to maintain except on foot, but I’d rather rent some for a couple weeks a year and call it good if only someone would get some around here and I adore goats (I just like other people’s goats better). I agree on the horses not being a homesteading choice. If you use them as a part of your life for recreation, competition or business great, but they are expensive to keep as pasture ornaments. I will say that I had an Arabian mare that was just as efficient at coyote dispatch as any donkey or mule out there. I had to be sure to properly introduce any new dogs. I’ve owned over 100 horses and she’s the only one I’ve actually seen do it. Shearing is a science and a serious skill not to be taken lightly and there are areas where it’s difficult to find a professional. I’m starting to see the miniature cows on homesteads now. I also see many new homesteaders who get a few cows and a bull without any idea what they’re getting into especially with a bull and proper fencing. Most bulls do not make good pets once they’re mature and never underestimate their strength. Bulls have sent many homesteaders to the hospital. They are not a big dog. Hogs can be difficult too, but most homesteaders are getting the smaller heritage or Asian breeds that I don’t know much about their temperament. I see homesteaders buying some “rare” breeds of livestock that they raise and sell to new homesteaders essentially creating their own market. If they catch on with the public it works, but if not it could be a bad investment once the market dies out. Do your research!!
Completely disagree about goats!! Been raising goats for 10 years and absolutely love them! They take care of dairy needs and I can male soap that is actually really good for my eczema! My goats have never destroyed anything either, my sheep are the destructive animals on our homestead.
goats electric fence win , i use 2 wire and have no trouble, a really good scared of fence not cheap thats why people don’t succeed . if you arent scared of fence not good enough . its the joules not volts
Most useless thing on my homestead? My husband. Got rid of his ass! Lolololololol
I think goats can be ok if done right and taught to behave well. A friend of ours had a big goat with horns that gave me a nasty bruise because it attacked me, it was a female too. If it was not for the fact that i grabbed it by the horn and held on tight, till help arrived and I did not freak out, it would have been much much worse for me.
A horse done right can also not be a drain. Horse shoes are not usually necessary… learn to trim hoves and have space to let them graze and wear down hoves and teeth. Being able to grow your own hay would be ideal. And put your horse to work on the farm. Find ways to make them useful, especially if you’re older and it is harder to pull things like heavy wagons and you don’t want to do all the big tractors and stuff.
Someone else said it. Make the animals useful to you and your situation, that is the key.
Take care!
As soon as you said goats you lost me. Been raising goats most of my life.
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Miniature chickens need to be in that category as well. Too small to eat.