Do You Have Livestock on 3A or Less?

[Leta]

Because if so, I have questions for you!

I am very attracted to the idea of small space farming. Like, very, very attracted. Not just because it's less money upfront, and less in taxes/insurance, and less to fence, but because it's all there, easy to walk to and you can really get to know all the corners of your land.

But DH and I want quite a bit, livestock wise. 2 pigs (dunno if every year or every other year), at least 2 goats in milk, if not a cow (small, like Jersey size, or a mini if they ever become affordable), chickens for eggs year round, chickens for meat in the summer, a barrel of fish, and honeybees. On the maybe list are ducks, turkeys, and rabbits.

We'd also like a pond, at least 1/2 acre for a garden, and fruit trees.

We do not want a tractor. If we have to till that much, we want horses. Yes, I know what this means, and yes, we are serious.

I have the Backyard Homestead book, I've read the 1 Acre Homestead article in the MEW, I am a fan of the Dervaes and I've read Farm City. But the thing I keep running into is this: I don't want to be chained to the feed store the way we are chained to the grocery right now. I know that livestock cost money, and I'll need to buy things like vaxes and wormers and supplements. But I don't want to have to buy every scrap of food for them, because then we are basically dry lotting.

Nothing I've read about small space farming indicates how much land you need to grow food for a given animal. DH has raised meat chickens and pigs, and meat chickens and pigs will be easy, they'll eat scraps and only be around during warm weather. I'm more concerned about dairy animals, since they'll need a good amount of hay to get thru the winter (look at my location- winter here is LOONNGGG). DH and I have both cut hay before, we wouldn't be totally useless, so we could potentially work for trade.

So: based on what you know, and what we want to do (minimum: 2 pigs, 2 goats, many chickens, barrel of fish, bees, fruit trees, garden) what is the absolute smallest acreage we will need?

And, bearing in mind that we feel that the smallest possible is ideal, what is the maximum you'd recommend for our ultimate fantasy farm (minimum plus 2 horses, a small cow, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, and a pond)?

All thoughts welcome!

 

[Seven Hens Farm]

 

[danielle82]

Ive heard that for horses you need at least 2 acres per horse, 7 acres per horse if it high up and not much water for the grass to grow...I havn't heard anything about pigs goats etc...I would think they would be "hardier" than a horse? as far as eating diffrernt stuff?

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I'm in Zone 5 but my goats (nigerian dwarf) were fine even down to negative 35 last winter. We also have HUGE winds, including micro bursts (tiny localized tornadoes). They do, however, eat a LOT of alfalfa hay and waste even more.

As far as chickens, the ones with the pea combs could do better in cold weather as opposed to single combs but all need adequate housing. Dual-purpose chickens could provide meat AND eggs. And remember that many chickens reduce or altogether stop laying in the winter.

Growing corn to dry on the stalk would help provide for them. Stalks to the goats, corn to the chickens and cobs to the pigs (I think). However, goats shouldn't eat much actual corn, and for chickens it makes them fat but doesn't give them many nutrients. Sunflowers: heads to both chickens and goats, and stalks to the goats. Also we're growing amaranth and millet for the chickens. Chickens love kitchen scraps, including chicken carcasses from your stockpot. My goats are picky but they love bread but not many veggies. I hear that most love winter squashes tho (but ours are so weird).

Can't speak about the other critters.

Thinking about this too ... we have 2 acres but want to minimize in case I need to move closer. Bantam chickens in garage with an outdoor run surrounded by berry brambles and possibly mini pumpkin vines and green bean vines. No goats (we can do without milk and cheese). Rabbits for meat and fertilizer that doesn't need composting, and also for bartering ... no problem growing enough timothy hay for them and veggies. And possibly guppies to add to my dog's homemade food. I'd really miss bacon, and would even consider raising a teacup pig for a little pork from time to time but not so sure ... yeah, I'm sure... that I couldn't slaughter it! Fruit trees can grow a LOT closer than most places indicate. I've worked it out that I could do all of what I want to do (all that I wrote plus nut trees and some indoor gardening) on one acre or less. Especially if it's just me and my son.

Hope this helps.

 

[Seven Hens Farm]

Does anyone know how much room a breeding pair of mini cattle require? And what kind of pasture they need? Is there an animal that would suffice on just grass? As in lawn?

 

[Leta]

I have sunflowers, millet, amaranth, and corn growing like gangbusters right now on 2000 sq ft of cultivated land (1/10 acre city lot), so that is reassuring!

 

[SSDreamin]

I am a complete newbie to all this, but have been doing quite a bit of research on mini cows and working out a way to do everything we want to do on 3 acres, so here's my two cents:

Leta- research has shown mini cows do alright on 1/2 acre per animal, but 1 acre is better. The gentleman we bought our mini Jersey from has 2 acres per animal, divided up. They rotate around, allowing for recovery. We decided we could do a smaller version here, on our 3 acres- 2 1/2 acre fenced areas for her to rotate through, plus our small front yard to stake her out in if needed. We do SFG, to conserve space. I am very happy with it, but want to try lasagna gardening/expansion. I have planted 10 fruit trees- to add to the 4 that existed, plus 4 nut trees as landscaping. Do you have the companion book to Backyard Homestead- Guide to raising farm animals? I just picked it up at TSC today, to make sure we are putting our acreage to its best use. We have a small, seasonal pond that only dries out in Aug/Sept. during hot years. We also have a small flock of dual purpose chickens. DH really wants a pair of pigs, and he says they can do well on 1/4 acre, if we provide excess milk, scraps and any toss out food our neighbors will supply. We also have space for a few hutches worth of rabbits if our DS takes an interest. I have no clue about horses- we don't have any and have no plans to get any- our neighbors have 4, that they willingly let me tend if I ever get horse-sick! I would think your biggest problem is growing enough grains/hay to get the animals through your hard winters (been there- Palmer- lived through it, LOVED the UP's beauty, but not the extended unemployment!). Hope some of this helps you!

 

[Wannabefree]

Does anyone know how much room a breeding pair of mini cattle require? And what kind of pasture they need? Is there an animal that would suffice on just grass? As in lawn?

Good pasture for a breeding pair of minis is an acre requirement. Sheep pretty much can eat just grass, and ducks are pretty darn good at it too, as are guineas.

 

[sufficientforme]

I am on 2 acres in the desert so I have to buy ALL feed, there is no such thing as pasture feeding here except when Monsoon rains come in the summer for a few months.
We have a horse, a donkey, 3 sheep, 4 turkeys, 20 free range chickens, and a garden and plenty of room for more if we wanted to buy more feed.
I think you could do what you wanted easily with pasture rotation (we have it divided into thirds so the ground is not destroyed)
We honestly did not think we could have as much as we do but it works and we don't have odor or fly problems, we keep the land tidy and organized and it works.
Taxes are low, water is cheap, we like being a little self sufficient on our 2 acres.

 

[freemotion]

Keep in mind that those acreage requirement you read about are averages, and sometimes ideals. Your mileage may vary.....do you plant to be dumping fertilizer on your fields and re-seeding regularly? Watering in a drought year? Then sure, 1/2 to 1 acre per mini cow would likely work. If you will be depending on your land to provide all the needs for all your livestock, you will need much, much more.

Study Joel Salatin's work and also get Gene Logsdon's book on growing grains on a small scale.

I have less than four acres and a good chunk of it is a seasonal swamp, and a small part is used as an access road by my neighbor farmer. I probably have a couple acres of pasture and a half acre of lawn/driveway/house/gardens/fruit trees.

I have five goats....four producing does and a buck. I have four pigs. I have....um.....thirty-something chickens. We had four turkeys at one time.

We cannot produce everything needed for the animals but have gotten very creative with gleaning and the sale of the goat kids will pay for the year's hay.

My ultimate plan is to do more cross-fencing (they laughed at the electric, even 5 strands!) but that takes money which is in short supply right at this moment. I want to implement a bit of Salatin, a bit of Logsdon, and some of ....what is his name....12 April's Dairy, overseeding crops on the rotational pastures so the cows (goats in my case) have access to rapidly growing plants for as many months as possible. I also want to fence more of the woods and run the pigs in there to reclaim it and be able to rotate the goats through it, too.

I went with goats over a cow (although I would prefer a nice little Jersey....ahhh, the butter! The cheddar! The cream!) because of my small space and because of the brush and weeds in my field (all gone now) and my wooded areas. They also are more efficient with feed conversion, cheaper, and all my eggs are not in one basket....if I should lose one goat or one lactation I still have three others, and can replace any doe with a doeling the following spring. I can also keep a buck without putting myself or my family in danger like I would with a very sexually frustrated bull who only has access to one or two cows and only when I say so. The buck is tough enough.

What are your ultimate goals?