We have 15 acres. Besides yard area, there's about 4 acres of wooded area and the rest was a hayfield, but is now taken over by weeds. Have a Red Boer goat and 8 Red Orp. chickens. (Not sure which are rooster and hens yet) Their pens are done. Have about 1 acre electric fenced for Lucy, the goat.
We are wanting to add a couple of cows, a pig or 2, more goats, a couple of horses, a donkey maybe (read they are good watchdogs for goats?). Any advise on costs, shelter requirements, etc? I'm thinking young animals would be easier for me to learn as I go.
I'm not sure what a reasonable price is for the young animals. I paid $80 for my goat at 4 mo., but she is full bred. I see a lot of other goats for sale around here for $50-$75. But I have no idea what a calf and piglet(?) would run. I've heard of horses around here for sale starting at $400. Donkeys...not a clue!
We don't have a barn, but are building wood shelters as we go along.
Robin
Help! New to barnyard animals!
Years ago I was told that for here in Central KY it usually takes around 3 acres of ground to support one cow/calf unit. I think, if I remember correctly a couple of ewe/lamb units per three acres.
Are you sure you want pigs? I'd think you'd need woven wire fences with a strand of electric about 8-10 inches off the ground tacked to the bottom if you're going to field run them. Otherwise you'd run the chance of them rooting out the fence posts and possibly rooting under the fence. No one needs the liability of fresh road kill.
Newborn calves are running anywheres from $150-300 at the yards depending upon how old and what breed. A cow/calf pair can easily bring $1000-$1200. Most riding horses worth having are going to cost you $600-$1000 or more.
If you have absolutely no shelters the very least you need to have is a good cedar thicket for the animals to use as a windbreak during the winter. Ours get the tobacco barns after the tobacco is stripped. Usually by January 1 each year. I would think that a three sided shed facing the east or southeast would be suitable shelter in your case. You would need to be able to put up gates in it in order to restrain and treat ailing animals.
Young animals need good nutrition and decent living conditions. They don't have to be fancy but a bottle calf is a bit more delicate to raise than one that's attached to the teat of it's momma and needs a dry, draft free place to lay down, clean available water and decent hay and grain.
If you know absolutely nothing about animals I suggest that you make friends with a local farmer and see if they can guide you on the purchasing and care of any stock you may aquire. It could save you a lot of heartaches down the road.
Janet
Hi, Janet, thank you! That's the kind of info I am looking for. We're learning as we go and so far have been pretty lucky.
We'll be building shelters as we go along, but before we acquire a new animal. A small barn is planned for next summer, so horses are probably a year or two away.
I buy the bagged feed at Otis Bryants in Caneyville. They also carry the medicines and vacinations. Also buy the hay and straw there.
I'm not real sure about cows and pigs. My family was given a pregnant sow when I was a teenager. The old couple that gave it to us helped butcher the young ones at home. My husband is talking about raising a calf and a pig (aren't they called feeder pigs?) for butchering. Do you know if that is even cost effective these days?
What about a donkey? I see one or two in just about every pasture with other animals.
Thanks, again. Robin
Cost effective depends upon your outlook. If you kill and skin out your own cow you'll save about $50-$75 in slaughter fees. Processing fees is usually so much per pound of meat in addition to the slaughter fees. The flip side to that is you need equipment to raise the animal high enough to work (tractor with boom or manure bucket lift or skid loader etc. You also have to have a means to dispose of the waste. You have to kill in the middle of winter unless you have access to a walk in cooler somewhere. If you process the meat yourself you need a place to work, tables, saws, good knives, grinder if you're making hamburger etc. If you have access to meat processing equipment such as band saws and tenderizers that's great. Just keep in mind the bigger the animal the more labor and room you need to process. It's a heck of a lot easier to kill and pluck a 30 pound goose than it is to kill, gut and cut up a 1000 pound steer.
We killed and processed a three year old cow last year that tore her uterus calving. It's not rocket science but if you've never done it before it's quite intimidating. I'd never done a cow before but had watched my dad and granddad as a kid and have processed many deer in the past. Fortunately a gentleman in the neighboring community had a walk in cooler and the meat processing equipment at his grocery and graciously allowed us to use it and guided us through cutting the meat. I'm not sure I'd have wanted to do it if all I'd had was knives and a hand meat saw.
We have a 3 year old bull right now that we'd like to kill but this gentleman had his cooler break down and there's no place to hang the beef until we process. I don't know if we'll keep him around until cold weather and we can kill him or not. Depends on how much he tears up between now and then I suppose....
Don't know nuthin' 'bout no donkeys......
Janet
Already trying to talk hubby out of a cow. Still considering feeder pigs. Hate the thought of getting anything bigger than me until I get a little more experience behind me!