Homesteading for beginners…?

November 2, 2012 | Filed under: Poultry | Posted by:

urban chickens
Image by robot_zombie_monkey
A bunch of us went out to St. Johns to visit Eric’s (and Ben’s) chicks. This was their second time outside and they were having a grand old time.

Question by Boppysgirl: Homesteading for beginners…?
My husband and I are going to close escrow on our new 5 acre property with a house…We have been urban homesteading for years now, raising chickens, turkey and rabbits, and growing lots of fruit and produce in our small back yard…We are very anxious to have so much room to expand, but are now having trouble deciding where to start…The issue is the place has been vacant for some time now, and the pastures (about 3-4 acres) are totally overgrown…Can anyone suggest which animal to begin with to help knock down the grasses…Sheep were recommended but we weren’t sure which breed, mostly because we weren’t planning to raise sheep. Is there a beginner breed of goat, sheep or cow that we can start with. Maybe something we can raise up and just resell???
We were hoping to do Dexters in the future but felt intimidated starting with one. Small goats are a great idea. Thx.

What do you think? Answer below!

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2 Responses to Homesteading for beginners…?

  1. Goats eat anything, use them first. Start with the Miniature Nigerian Dwarf Goats, small and easy to deal with and ca be milked. Once you get them understood you can add larger goats if you want more milk, fiber or meat. Sheep also do well with goats and are more timid, keep any male unaltered rams or goats separate from herd and be careful of them if you choose to keep, they can be more dangerous. One you have the goats and sheep sorted add a Dexter cow, a small breed cow that can provide milk, meat and act as oxen. If you breed her once a year can provide a yearling steer for meat needs or sale.

    nijin
    November 2, 2012 at 7:06 am
    Reply

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