What livestock have you?

[crowjoy]

I'm curious to know what others have by way of livestock! I love hearing about all the different ways people come into livestock and what they do with theirs. Tell me your livestock story, I want to hear all about it!

[Anne Marie Whelan]

We've got chickens for the first time this year. Started with 11 Golden Comet pullets in early April. Lost one. They're sweet birds – a good variety for downtown as they're quite. Sacrificed two for 4th of July, but they were pretty scrawny. Starting to get a few little eggs a few days ago! How about you?

[crowjoy]

I was figuring Amanda would reply and tell you our story, but she's unusually quiet! I guess I'll spill our crazy beans. :D

I'd never heard of Golden Comets before, they sound delightful! You processed the 4th of July birds yourself?

[Anne Marie Whelan]

They are very sweet. My partner does the slaughtering. He's a carniovore; I'm borderline vegetarian - willing to cut them up and cook. To me the chicken broth for soups is more valuable than the meat. The eggs are very nice - we're up to almost one egg per chicken per day now.

[Sharon Berger]

We've got chickens. We started with layers last year - barred rocks, rhode island reds, buff orpingtons, speckled sussex and black austrolorps - and raised a small batch of meat birds - cornish rocks. That was all successful and rewarding, so this year we got a few more layers - auracanas and silver-laced wyondottes - plus 40 meat birds! We were not that impressed with the Cornish Rock breed while alive (very inactive, ate a ton of feed, etc) so this year we went with Cornish Rocks (as the known quantity), plus Kosher Kings and Freedom Rangers. They are all growing well so we'll see how this experiment goes.

My hope is that we will have sheep sometime in the next few years. I would like to raise them for wool, my husband would like the meat. So we may be getting a few different breeds. My concern is the expense for the fencing. Anyone have opinions/thoughts on types of fencing for sheep?

I grew up in the 'burbs on LI, and knew NOTHING about livestock when we moved to the country several years ago. I love learning about it all!

[crowjoy]

Oh I hear you! I am a suburban girl all the way and then suddenly I'm homesteading in the great white north! I love it too, it feels so REAL. Guess I never got over the urge to be Laura Ingalls. :D

[Mo Barger]

Sheep fencing can run the gamut from panels to woven wire to 3-strand hot wire to portable electronet. IMO it all depends on how many you have, what the terrain is like, and your local predators.

This is a fencing vendor but they are also a good source for info:
http://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep/species.php?mode=article&...

Before you get sheep be sure you have a hay source if not your own. With years like this year, good and affordable hay is scarce and hard to find.

[crowjoy]

Ok, no input from Amanda, I was going to let her have all the glory! :)

We are in deep. We had a few hens in Florida but in less than 2 years we've gone ... possibly crazy!

We started with a group of wild turkey cross pullets. They escaped, flew away, refused to get in the barn but ultimately managed to be very tasty meals. It was a real learning experience. Then we got a few already laying hens because we missed the eggs so much. Come spring we went full on chicken experience with heritage breeds for meat and laying. Fifty some odd roosters roaming about the place taught us about the need for fencing. Last spring we also got White Midget turkeys and a set of ducks, Cayugas and Buffs. Butchered the roosters and 4 of the turkeys plus 3 of the ducks.

This spring we ordered CornishXs for meat birds. Heritage was a luxury we couldn't afford this year. They're doing great, but thankfully aren't as challenging as the heritage roos. Tom the turkey has actually managed to figure out his job and so far we have 4 turkey poults! The one mama duck hatched out 2 of the turkeys and 4 ducklings, they're almost as big as she is now. And one chicken chick. So far anyway.

This spring, early, we also delved into the mammal realm with 3 goats. An alpine, an alpine/nubian cross and a saanan. They are SO sweet and I love them and the milk they produce. It will be insane next year when they have kids, holy moly. Then, on an impulse we got 2 bull calves. We plan to butcher them before snow flies. They help drink up all that milk the goats produce.

Oh, then there are the angora rabbits. Our doe had her first litter (kits for sale!) and we're afraid she may have broken into the buck's cage again, her belly is feeling weird. Keep your fingers crossed for us we can sell all the kits before winter, I cannot imagine where we would put them all. We have them for wool (and meat if one turns mean.)

What else? Worms under the rabbits... eventually hope to be able to sell those for composting too.

And that's just the livestock. Don't get me started on pets. Yoooooo boy. :D

[crowjoy]

Correction! Five turkey poults!

[karyn ryan marion]

We have many many chickens- too many to think only a few varieties, dutch bunnies, a wonderful coon hound named "princess lucy lou lou"-- i let the kids name her!!! and a few piglets are in the near future.........i guess the cow will come eventually:)

[Katie Quinn-Jacobs]

Do you raise the dutch bunnies for meat? If so, do you butcher them yourself?

[karyn ryan marion]

I started with 3 and of course, now I have 17...We sell them for feed money- $5 each- for the other animals. I have had people come to get them for meat, but no, I have not made any rabbit stew yet! My kids are okay with the harvesting issues with deer, chickens, ect. however, I dont know how they would feel about butchering the bunnies. :) I am lucky in that Rick (my hubby) does most of the butchering though. The only rule here is "if you shoot it, you clean it!" as in deer hunting... glad to hear you had a successful day of hunting, Katie!

[Mo Barger]

Hi - new here today but not new to livestock! I have raised chickens for 8 years, and soon branched out to raise turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, goats, sheep, cattle and pigs. Last year we bought a pair of horses. Turkeys are my favorite of all and the only one I raise for fun.