Help==moved to country sort of

[redron]

Hi,
We are in the country sort of. It is not in a big city, but there are lots of restrictions. I will have to get a variance to have animals on this land. We have a total of .52 acres. Not much, but my husband didn't want a farm. I do. We do have irrigation water that will help with the garden.

As soon as the ground thaws, I am going to have the back plowed and cross fenced. Here in lays the question. I would like to have some farm animals and a garden. I have some chickens now, but would like to add to my flock. I would like to have some goats for milk and cheese. Should I get pygmies or some other small goat? I would like to have lots of critters, but I am afraid with the space that I have available that won't be possible.

Also, should I just garden and forget the animals. I know that I can;t put them down or slaughter them myself. I could take them to be slaughtered somewhere else though.

I know alot of this is personal preference. I am just seeking some feedback. I haven't had farm animals since I was a teenager and that was a long time ago.

Also the land hasn't had a garden on it. So this will be the first year for the land. I haven't had time to get the land ready for planting. I use the Ruth Stott method. Should I keep my garden small this year until the land improves?

Well, that is enough for now. Except does anyone know where I can get hens that lay blue or pink eggs. I have hens that lay green and I would like to add those colors to my flock.

Thanks to all of you who respond.
Veronica

[insocal]

You can definitely fit chickens and rabbits on half an acre. MAYBE a dairy goat.................and plenty of room for a garden and dwarf fruit orchard. Think of all the lawn you WON'T have to mow!

[js2743]

.52 isnt much with a house and maybe a out building i dont think i would get any livestock you dont got enough land for them to graze they need grass to eat. and with a garden and chickens i wouldnt think you got enough room. i have .86 and its not enough room to turn around on.

[Maura]

One half acre is a large lot in the burbs, but it's really too small for livestock. Chickens are good, rabbits would work. If you are going to garden, you have a lot of room for it as long as you plan carefully. Yes, I think you should plan on a small garden for the first year. In the meantime, you can begin layering your beds and maybe think about footpaths (boards or straw or gravel or patio blocks). Set up your chicken coop. Think about chickens that are good foragers. I don't know how well Aracaunas forage, but good foragers will make a huge dent in the insect population. Don't forget flowers around the house

[keljonma]

Go to your public library and see if you can't find Paul Heiney's book Country Life: A Handbook for Realists and Dreamers. He provides lots of ideas for people wanting to be more self-sufficient on land of varying sizes, including on a city lot. Some ideas - gardens, bees, rabbits, a few chickens or ducks, some fruit trees.

Don't forget that instead of regular landscaping, you could plant edible landscaping. This came from a Jackie Clay column in Backwoods Home Magazine :

Most folks have shrubs and trees in their yard for shade and beauty. Why not plant shrubs and trees that also give you food? Instead of a plain old hedge for privacy or a windbreak, why not plant a hedge of food? Hansen's bush cherries and hazelnuts make a great hedge and will give you more than beauty. Likewise, instead of planting a flowering crab in the front yard, why not plant a North Star pie cherry? This wonderful, hardy pie cherry has beautiful blossoms in the early spring, and gorgeous red cherries later on.

Clematis vines are pretty to look at, with their colorful flowers, but how about planting a clematis and a grape vine next to each other so that you have food for your soul and your pantry as well?

Foundation plantings are often green shrubs intermixed with flowers. Why not plant several bushes that bear food in there, instead? There are pretty blueberry bushes, dwarf fruit trees, current bushes, highbush cranberries, and more that have not only flowers but food on them as well.

And don’t forget ground covers. Today you can buy bog cranberries that don’t need a bog. These creepers do well in a partially shaded flower bed edge. Next Thanksgiving you could be eating your own cranberry sauce.

Then there are hardy kiwis, plums (shrubby tree), quinces, semi-dwarf apples, nuts, strawberries and so many more. It is surprising how many foods you can grow right in your yard, replacing unproductive landscaping for a very full harvest.


good luck!
keljonma

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I too, have 1/2 an acre, don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't have larger livestock. I currently have 4 goats, 4 ducks, 8 rabbits, and 8 chickens, and there have been many more than that in the past including a sheep. And I am convinced that I could do a steer or hog if my wife would let me. To grow this many animals you have to be willing to buy outside feed, there is no way you can grow enough for several larger animals. It is all about managment, you have to be able to manage the land so they do not destroy the grass and turn it into a dirt lot. You may need to do things like penning the larger animals for a period and feeding them hay, in order to let the grass recover. Remember that hay (always get round bales, they are worth the trouble) is cheaper than water, so don't try to irrigate your grass. If you are going to do this type of intensive management, you should be planning to "process" most of your animals in the fall, only keeping a few through the winter. Our place is pretty much divided in half. The back is for livestock and the front is for the garden and orchard. You could try to intermingle the two by protecting every tree/bramble patch and garden, but I feel the risk for destruction is too great. There is so much I have learned about maximizing a small lot, if you have any questions post them on this thread and I will check back and answer.

[redron]

Hi,
Sorry it took me so long to get back to this site, but I am still in the process of unpacking. What a chore.
I want to thank all of you for your wonderful insight. You sure gave me alot to think about.
I am excited to me all of this land means that I will be able to grow more food for my family and not have to depend on the commerical grower. Who more and more means out of the country==US.
Soon I will get the back of the lot plowed and have compost or hay mixed into it to help get the nutrients into the soil. My chickens are doing their bit, but it is way too much land for them to cover. LOL LOL
Again thank you for all of your insightful inputs.
Veronica

[COSunflower]

Do you have city water or a drainfield? I have 3/4 acre but most of it is covered with 2 drainfields that I have to alternate between because I am on a volcanic plateau and the ground is not very deep...however I have it fenced in half. One half is house, yard and dog yard. I plant veggies and flowers in whiskey half barrels all around the perimeter of the yard. I have raspberries at the end of my yard beside the clothes line. In the other half, I have my chicken coop and out buildings. My chickens free range there. I have had potbelly pigs and 3 goats there also. The potbellies and goats have since in the last couple years gone on to goat and pig heaven due to old age so now I can garden in that area again. I have made one big raised bed with local rocks and hope to make 2-3 others there this summer. I can make wire "caps" for them to keep the chickens out until the plants are larger. You can do ALOT with the small amount of land that you have but I would recommend starting off small and going slow so that you don't get overwhelmed. Plot your acreage on paper and make a good plan there first. I know that I have made MANY changes over the last 30+ years and you will too! Have fun and don't get discouraged!!!