Getting Dirty

Oh how I long to leave the corporate world behind and spend my days in rain boots and dirty hands...

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Livestock Basics

I was reading a modern homesteading piece on MotherEarthNews.com today. The article was about planning the perfect homestead. It had a small side piece on the perfect livestock for your space. Many people dream of running off to the country and buying a large acreage. However, space shouldn't necessarily be a deterrant if you don't have 10, 20, 40 acres. You CAN live a self-sufficient life anywhere and zoning aside, you can keep animals on small holdings too.They provided a general guide for the most beneficial animals to keep on your land and what they would require of you as an owner/carer. Just goes to show you can start as big or small as you want.

This is what they say...

Bees
Suggested minimum space for one animal:  
One hive, or wooden beekeeping box for (Average 20,000 bees/colony)
Type of food: Pollen, nectar
Benefits: Honey, wax, pollination  garden and orchard

Chickens
Suggested minimum space for one animal:
Housing: 3 to 4 square feet/bird
Types of food: Pasture, greens, insects, cracked corn, a balanced poultry ration
Benefits: Eggs, meat, pest control

Ducks
Suggested minimum space for one animal: 
Housing: 5 to 6 square feet/bird
Pond access optional 
Types of food: Pasture, greens, snails, insects, cracked corn, supplemental pellets
Benefits: Eggs, meat, pest control  

Goats
Suggested minimum space for one animal: 
Housing: 20 to 25 square feet
Pasture area: 0.2 to 6 acres
Type of food: Pasture in the summer; hay and  supplemental grain in the winter; salt and mineral mix
Benefits: Meat, milk, manure, control of brush

Sheep
Suggested minimum space for one animal:  
Housing: 15 to 20 square feet
Pasture area: 0.2 to 8 acres  
Types of food: Pasture in the summer; hay and supplemental grain in the winter;
trace-mineralized salt at all times
Benefits: Meat, milk, manure, wool, "mowing" grass, weed control

Pigs
Suggested minimum space for one animal:
Housing: 48 square feet with exercise yard 
Types of food: Pasture, corn and soybean meal, small grains (wheat, oats, barley, etc.
Benefits: Meat, manure, "tilling" garden spaces

Cattle
Suggested minimum space for one animal: 
Housing: 50 to 75 square feet
Pasture area: 1 to 40 acres
Types of food: Pasture, supplemental feeds such as shelled corn, soybean meal, molasses
and rice bran, crop residues, hay
Benefits: Meat, milk, manure

*The acreage and feed requirements above are general guides. The lower ends of the pasture suggestions are for rainy areas, the higher figures are for arid regions. The types of food that animals need can vary widely depending on the farming methods being used.

One Little Acre

This is what you can do with one acre!

I would have my farm laid out differently.. and I'm intending to have considerably more than one acre. But this photo is just an inspiration to show what you really can do with an acre of land. If you want a few animals, want to grow your own veggies... you can. :)

The Changing Plan

My ever-changing goals...

I used to just dream about a country property that could be used as a farmstead/ farm-stay operation. I had intention of raising some livestock, but not to be culled. I thought of chickens for eggs, dairy cows for milk, bees for honey and some small produce. Any other animals on the farm would purely be for companionship.

However, I was lucky enough to attend a farming conference earlier in the year. I was so inspired by the farmers I met. I was like a sponge, taking in every bit of information I could. Meeting and talking with a few farmers in particular changed my view on livestock. People are going to eat meat. It is a fact. Sadly though, many people don't care about where their meat comes from. They don't know the source of the food they consume. And chances are that if they don't know the source, it is probably a good thing. (I say that loosely.) Factory farming is a terribly sad existence for animals that end up on our plates all across America. I'm guilty of eating meat that isn't organic, isn't farm-raised, isn't grass-fed. Most Americans are. So... What can I do about it?

Well, if people are going to eat meat they should be able to have more choices in what they eat. Biodiversity. They should be able to buy local. They should have an opportunity to know their farmer, if possible. I want to start a farm. I want to make an income. Do I necessarily dream of raising animals for meat... not really. I don't love the idea of an animal dying at my hands. However, I realize that there is a need... a need for what I'm wanting to do. Couple that with a shifting view on eating local. More and more people are beginning to care about where their food comes from and what they are feeding their families. Again... people are always going to eat meat. So I can meet that need, but in a better way. Instead of just raising livestock for meat, I can do it in a humane way. I can raise these animals in a caring environment. I can let them live as they should, on a pasture, not in cages or factories. I can let them forage and graze as nature created them to. I can supplement their diets with real food, not fillers. I can give them the best possible life until their time comes. And when it does, it'll be humane. 

About that time as well I became interested in the Slow Food movement and Ark of Taste. I then started to develop my idea about the type of livestock I would potentially like to raise. I started to find my niche.

Slow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It was the first established part of the broader Slow movement. The movement has since expanded globally to over 100,000 members in 150 countries. ^[1] Its goals of sustainable foods and promotion of local small businesses are paralleled by a political agenda directed against globalization of agricultural products.

The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of heritage foods in danger of extinction which is maintained by the global Slow Food movement. The Ark is designed to preserve at-risk foods that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and part of a distinct ecoregion. Contrary to the most literal definition of plant and animal conservation, the Ark of Taste aims to maintain edibles in its purview by actively encouraging their cultivation for consumption.^[1] By doing so, Slow Food hopes to promote the growing and eating of foods which are sustainable and preserve biodiversity in the human food chain.
Foods included in the list are intended to be "culturally or historically linked to a specific region, locality, ethnicity or traditional production practice",^[2] in addition to being rare. Which foods meet these criteria is decided by an adjudicating committee made up of members of the Slow Food non-profit organization; all candidates go through a formal nomination process which includes tastings and identification of producers within the region.^[3]
Since the foundation of the Ark in 1996, 800 products from over 50 countries have been included. The list includes not only prepared foods and food products, but a great many livestock breeds as well as vegetable and fruit cultivars. All foods in the catalogue are accompanied by a list of resources for those wishing to grow or buy them.

I started to develop my thinking and therefore my long-term plan into something more substantial, sustainable and profitable. My new(er) plan focuses on heirloom cultivars and heritage livestock breeds. If I'm going to raise livestock I am going to create a niche for myself. I'm going to raise pigs that produce a different tasting bacon. I'm going to raise cows that produce a richer milk. By doing this, not only am I helping keep heritage breeds around, I'm also helping the consumer have more choices... and hopefully making a decent income for myself.

Still have full intention of having a farmstead, down the road, where I can welcome guests to my property to stay and appreciate the farm life and the beauty of nature. But in the meantime I am developing a plan whereby that property can be more profitable by raising livestock on a larger scale for a niche market.
More to come... :)

Heritage Breed - Nigerian Dwarf Goats

A healthy Nigerian Dairy doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet milk for her small size - up to two quarts per day or more. In addition, Nigerian goat milk is higher in butterfat (6-10%) and higher in protein than milk from most dairy goat breeds. Because the milk is high in butterfat and makes excellent cheese and butter. Many Nigerian goat owners raise their goats for milk production but others raise them for the pleasure and companionship these little caprines bring to their lives.

Their small stature means they do not require as much space or feed as their larger dairy goat counterparts and their gentle and friendly personalities make them good companion pets. Nigerian goats are easy to handle; even for small children.

Goats should be kept in clean pens free of dampness, drafts and pests like flies and rodents. They also require adequate fencing due to their small size. Nigerian goats should not be housed in airtight buildings; they need to have ventilation for optimum health. For one to just a few goats, many owners find that an oversized dog house or two does the job. Pens or houses should be kept clean with fresh hay or straw for bedding. Many owners find that providing a few "toys" for the goats provides them with hours of caprine entertainment. Tree stumps, rocks or large cable spools are great for "king of the mountain" games and jumping. Just be sure to keep them away from the fence to avoid giving herd escape artists means to roam your neighborhood!

Nigerian goats breed year round. Many owners breed their does three times in two years, giving the doe at least a 6-month break. Of course, this is a personal choice for each breeders. The gestation period for a doe is 145 to 153 days. For the most part, Nigerian goats are a hearty breed with few kidding problems. New babies average about 2 pounds at birth but grow quickly. Watch out for those little bucks! Bucklings can be fertile at as young as 7 weeks of age. Make sure you wean does and bucks separately to help you avoid unintentional breeding.

Does can be bred at 7-8 months of age if they have reached a mature size. Some breeders prefer to wait until they are at least 1 year or older. Nigerian goat does can have several kids at a time, 3 and 4 being common with some quintuplet births occurring. Nigerian goats are generally good mothers able to take care of their babies should you leave them to do the raising of the kids. They can also provide a surprising amount of milk for their size if you decide you want your own delicious goat milk or cheese.

Bucks are able to be used for service as young as 3 months of age and easily by the time they are 7 or 8 months old. Nigerian goat bucks are vigorous breeders but are gentle enough to be used for hand breeding (contained) or pasture breeding where one buck is available for several does as they come into estrus. Both methods are used successfully.

Average cost for registered breeding stock is between $300 and $500 per head, with champion pedigrees, milk production recorded animals and unusual coloring at premium prices. Pet quality stock often costs much less with wethers (neutered males) generally available for $50 to $100.

Heritage Breed - Chantecler Chicken

A great general purpose fowl. The breed is noted for being very hardy, is an excellent layer of brown eggs with a reputation as a good winter layer, and has a well-fleshed breast.

The Chantecler can still be found in both of its original colors, White and Partridge; both having yellow flesh and legs. It is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a productive fowl that will excel in a wintry climate. The breed is noted for being calm, gentle, and personable.

Heritage Breed - Red Wattle

They are known for hardiness, foraging activity, and rapid growth rate. They produce a lean meat that has been described as flavorful and tender. The sows are excellent mothers, farrow litters of 10 – 15 piglets, and provide good quantities of milk for their large litters. They have a mild temperament. They adapt to a wide range of climates. Their active foraging make them a good choice for consideration in outdoor or pasture-based swine production. Their gentle nature recommends them to the small-scale, independent producer. Mature animals weigh 600-800 pounds, but may weigh as much as 1200 pounds and measure up to four feet high and eight feet long.

Heritage Breed - Gloucester Old Spots

Excellent foragers and grazers. The pigs are thrifty, able to make a living from pasture and agricultural by products, such as whey from cheese making, windfall apples in orchards, and the residue from pressing cider. Its disposition and self‑sufficiency should make it attractive for farmers raising pasture pigs and those who want to add pigs to diversified operations. Boars reach a mature weight of 600 lbs (136 kg) and sows 500 lbs (125 kg) and are perfectly suited for to the production of lean, streaky bacon.