What livestock did not work out and why?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Thought this may generate some interesting conversation and save some heartache!

For us:

Rabbits=took me almost as much time as large animals to butcher, and I liked the flavor of the big ones better.

Muscovy ducks=Meat tasted a lot like roast beef only not as good, plus they chit everywhere!

[nduetime]

Ducks - poo poo everywhere and we got tired of stepping in it and/or cleaning it off the grandkids shoes

[foxtrapper]

Guinea fowl. Noise noise noise. Crazy birds. Predators ate most of them. Virtually no eggs. Not all that good tasting.

Bantam chickens. What was the point? Tiny eggs, no meat, even squirrels hunt and eat banties.

Free range chickens. The foxes and coyotes sure liked them.

Quail. Suicidal, microscopic, expensive.

Ducks in general. No market for eggs. Very messy. Kinda fun though.

Geese. Probably the closest to successfull. Big enough to eliminate a lot of predator problems. More easily fenced in. No market for eggs. No desire to eat the eggs myself. Darn good meat. So not cost effective.

[D Lynn]

I'll never do turkeys again. Too much food, too much sickness, too much money on meds, too much stink and poo, just all around too much! Chickens - goooood!

[plowjockey]

Suffolk sheep.

Not enough time, talent or money, to keep them sheared.

We now have Katahdin hair sheep. Pretty low maintenance.

[PulpFaction]

LOL, I'm trying to think if there's anything I wouldn't own again and though I've definitely not had a perfectly easy go with any of them, I think I would give almost all of them another shot under different circumstances. (So many variables!)

Except Guinea Pigs. Don't like 'em. (Hey, they're livestock in S. America!)

[jassytoo]

Originally Posted by D Lynn

I'll never do turkeys again. Too much food, too much sickness, too much money on meds, too much stink and poo, just all around too much! Chickens - goooood!

Yep, agree totally! Also won't do ducks, we don't like the meat. Goats, sheep, chickens and rabbits work great for us.

[chickenista]

Pigs.
We just weren't set up properly for them at the time. DH wants to try again. He'll have to pay me.

[farmergirl]

Sheep. We discovered that they are simply too hard to raise in our hot, humid climate; not to mention our losses from coyote attack. The parasite control necessary in our part of the country was something we just weren't willing to do as it would have meant us using chemicals to deworm them every 6-8 weeks!

[farmergirl]

Originally Posted by chickenista

Pigs.
We just weren't set up properly for them at the time. DH wants to try again. He'll have to pay me.

Just saw this, and allow me to say
Pigs are fantastic creatures! My DH and I always enjoy seeing and hearing the pigs as we step outside first thing in the morning. They are just plain cool to be around.

[FarmboyBill]

Hogs. Although ive raised them for 40 yrs, and we had them always when I was growing up, theres just no money for them here in NE Okla anymore. Cant grow enough grain here, and corns HIGH now. Had cows when I was a kid just moved from home. Had a creek run through the place. They would always be gone after a hard rain, the gates would be washed out. I know now how I could have handeled that, but thats 40 yrs to late, and Ive just got this big mental block against cows, I WOULD try a jersey again. Had them 23 yrs ago here. Loved the milk. Theres no market here for hogs, but I probably would raise 3 just to have them around, butcher one, and the udder 2 pay for themselves and the grain, HOPEFULLY, but that even goes out the window if I have them butchered.

[Menglish]

Goats. Partly my fault as I did not get set up quite right for them. That being said they are the most frustrating animal I've ever dealt with. But the deal breaker was the amount of meat I got off them at butchering time. Sure was glad when the last one went in the freezer a month ago.

Mike

[mtman]

i find all are easy keepers even goats if you have the right yard and barn however im starting to think anything that eats sucks

[Danaus29]

Chickens, too beaky, too flighty.
Pigeons, too sucessful at breeding and too cute and small to butcher. Wish I could get rid of mine.
Rethinking the turkey idea, too flighty, and in my fenced garden too much.

Now the ducks we love! They eat slugs, japanese beetles, and mice. For the most part they behave themselves and we like the meat and eggs.

[SLD Farm]

Donkeys, had 2 for 3wks and they got out 2x. Took the horses each time for a 1-5 mile jaunt. Never again.
Muscovy Ducks, hatched out 40 and the 'coons and coyotes feasted all summer. Still have 2 big males, but that is one experiment I won't try again.
Guineas, no eggs and they are aggressive towards the hens. Let you know everything that comes around though.

[Oldcountryboy]

Breeding Goats- Went into the Boar goat business one year and started out with 5 does and 1 buck. The cost of feeding them all winter, stray dog attack-vet bills, and approximately 50% mortality rate of new kids made it all not worth it. However, buying weening aged kids in early spring and selling them in late fall proved well worth their keep.

Rabbits. Bought some breeding rabbits to supply food on the table and to sell to the public didn't work out either. Wife and children wouldn't eat them, and nobody around my area would buy and eat them either. The only time I could sell any was at easter time.

And same with quail. I loved them but family wouldn't eat them because of what they are.

Wife wouldn't eat home grown cornish hens either. Nor any free range eggs if I have a rooster running with the hens. We now have 7 hens and no rooster.

I'm married to a city girl who grew up in the country but not on a farm.

[palani]

Charlolais
Pasture queens. Three Angus can be supported on the grass required of one of these.

[nehimama]

Ducks! They turned all the livestock watering tanks into cesspools. Won't have 'em again.

NeHi

[Rockytopsis]

Ducks-nasty critters.
Rabbits-kids got too attached to the babies.

[MaineFarmMom]

Livestock, unless it's here briefly. We barter for our beef and pork.