Starting a farm

I am looking for advice on starting up a farm. **very small scale farm**

I'm saving up now so my plan is to buy a house,maybe a fixer upper with large yard for animals. I want a goat,pig,rooster,chickens, and of course my dog and cats. Maybe even a horse.

I told my friend about this and she asked if I'd consider a commune. Yeahhh,no. Once upon a time,yes,but I'm not down to deal with people's drama. I may welcome couch surfers,but eh. They would have to work the farm.

So just animals. Im even thinking about having foster kids there. This is not something that is going to happen right away . This will be couple years in the future.

Anyone have something like this going on? Do you have tips on taking care of the animals? I will also try growing some fruits and vegetables. Maybe a pumpkin patch!

 

Animals are very expensive to keep unless you are off-setting the cost by breeding to sell or having them sold for meat...

 

They'll be Pets. No killing or breeding. Maybe I can have a petting zoo. Possibly sell eggs.

 

That was what I figured... and that's why I mentioned the cost.

 

I'll start with chickens

 

It is hard work, even growing fruit and vegetables on a small scale can take up several hours a day and unless you have greenhouses everything will be seasonal, leaving you with very little in the winter months.

Animals are even more difficult. They require 24/7 care, making even a day out a problem. If you breed them, you will require veterinary assistance and not all animals live together. Also the need for enough land to forage them may be a lot greater than you think. As others have mentioned, the animals will become pets and slaughtering them will not be pleasant. It is also a professional task, you can't just clout them on the head with a hammer, even if you wanted too. Then chickens have to be plucked, their inner's removed and the blood disposed off, while larger animals require a professional butcher. Then you have to store the meat, so that will require a commercial cold-store.

Sadly, your dreams are a far cry from reality.

The horse, cats and dogs, along with a few laying chickens are a great idea. Growing SOME fruit and veg is also practical. Possibly a few goats for milk.
But beyond that everything will be thwart with problems and will not be cost effective.
Imagine the cost of keeping and feeding a cow for 2 years, then it contracts a disease or dies, then costs you £500 to get the corps removed and incinerated.

 

I'm in no way slaughtering animals. I've already said this.

 

You could grow the food the chickens eat . They like some grain , which one could also
grind for bread-making . Compost their poops . Protect their nests . Read chicken poems .

 

If you see me wander naked on all fours onto your farm and eat a chicken, please don't shoot me.

 

Might use a sling shot

 

get ahold of the book 'five acres and independence' (M.G. Kains), it might be nearly 100 years old (first published in 1935), but the theory's still sound, and it'll give you starting ideas for a small scale farm.

 

Goats are life goals

I plan to buy some land in the next 10 years too. But i don't have a ton of advice. I've never kept livestock before and my thumb is pretty black, although we have done a small garden the last few years to some success. Gardening is trial and error. Keep trying. Do a compost heap, it will give your plants wings. Free range chickens sound like a good idea but hawks like chickens that arent in enclosures, especially smaller breeds (is it called a breed in the chicken world?) or young ones. I learned that from a friend of mine

Thats all i've got

 

Yes,I think I will start with couple of chickens and a pot belly pig. Goat is the goal lol. I basically just want lots of animals to hang out with..and seriously considering a petting zoo. I could locally travel with the animals to kids parties or maybe even have my home to host parties.
We can have a Hipforums meet up there.. x_x

 

It's doable. I used to know a guy who kept two jersey cows as pets. He never bred them or milked them; he certainly never ate them. But caring for livestock that don't make you money is an expensive hobby. I'd start with some laying hens and a garden. Even if you have more than you can eat, you should be able to sell some eggs and fruits and veggies at your local farmer's market. It's a noble goal to want to care for some animals and expect nothing in return from them, but unless you're kind of rich, it can be expensive.

 

for composting - earthworms!

and talking about critters getting your veggies... gah. I set out some tomato plants earlier this year, and wondered why i hadn't been getting fruit? there's a squirrel the size of a cantaloupe (not counting his tail!) that's been raiding my plants. and he's not exactly fat... he's just /huge/ - but even the local feral cats won't mess with him.

 

If you're hiring for the position of "loveable barnyard horse" I'll drop off my resume.

 

My first farm chore at age 9 was feeding and watering the chickens . I left the farm at age 20
to hitch-hike about the country . One of my favorite little stops was at old woman's farm and
there would study her chicken flock foraging about for insects and tasty greens . Two roosters
were with the hens . While one ate with the gals , the other would be looking all about for
danger , and they'd trade off doing that . She also had a clever and loyal little dog who was friendly
to the chickens , or just as well - may not have been much interested in them at all . The farm
had strong family feeling .

Me and a rainbow dog have been camping at the old farmhouse where I was raised . My
brother the farmer lives down the road ; the old folks are gone .