From Michigan

codymi · #1 01/28/14, 10:42 AM

Hello,
I live in West Michigan, new to this forum but not 'homesteading', although we've always just called it 'life'. We have a huge vegetable garden, small orchard and vineyard, pretty extensive ornamental gardens, dogs, cats, fish, ducks, chickens and snakes. I went to school for horticulture and spend a lot of my time breeding plants. up until recently it was just ornamentals, but I'm leaning more towards heirloom vegetables now and will begin my own seed saving. We've always supplimented grocery store food with what we grow, but I'm switching that around to supplimenting what I grow with grocery store purchases. I mostly joined this group to gather as much info on keeping goats as possible. I'm looking into getting Nigerian Dwarfs does, but was offered kids from a ND x Alpine cross, in May. I want them for milk, cheese and soap. I'm thinking two, maybe three does. Thoughts? Nice to meet everyone.
Cody

nappy · #2 01/29/14, 03:13 PM

Welcome aboard codymi! We're also Michiganders who own a 40 acre farm in northwest Mi. In the 20 plus years we've lived here, we have tried many types of critters from meat cows, dairy goats, turkeys, chickens (meat and layers) but the most profitable so far have been the pigs. Of course, the chickens have been a blessing too for many reasons especially the homegrown meat in the freezer. An advantage of free ranging egg layers, besides needing less feed in summer, has been a decrease in insects around the yard. Milking ND goats might be a challenge....they usually have small teats. Even full size goats having this issue are difficult to milk. You probably should try to milk one before settling on them. I like them because well, they are actually cute (did I really say that?) and have an easier to manage smaller body but have never milked or owned one. Good luck on your venture.

codymi · #3 01/29/14, 05:28 PM

We're slowly working on the meat thing. I have a really hard time eating something that I raised from a baby, even just chickens. My animals have always been pets first, they breed, We're overrun and I get burned out. We're doing everything on about 8 acres. the other 72 are in a family trust and are leased for corn. I've heard about the small teats things with ND's and already have the intention of buying a small hand milker.

Aozora · #4 02/15/14, 05:10 AM

Hi codymi, nice to see there's some cross pollination between cornsnakes.com and here. I'm also looking into raising goats and keeping an orchard and an heirloom veggie garden. I never would have guessed that people would share such disparate interests as goats and snakes :P

codymi · #5 02/18/14, 04:57 PM

If it's a plant or an animal, then I'm most likely interested in it. My main problem is jumping in full force and then getting burnt out. I want a dozen goats, but I'm making myself stick to just two (maybe three). I can pretty honestly say 40 snakes is a bit too much for what my intentions were. I wish there was a better market for them here.

BlackWillowFarm · #6 02/18/14, 06:08 PM

Welcome from another Michigander/Michiganian. Which is it anyway?

We're in West Mich between K'zoo and GR. I started out with a couple goats thinking I could milk them and raise a few babies, but turns out we don't like goats milk. I loved the goats while they were here though. My best memory from them is the baby kid climbing to the top of the hay and walking along the rafters of the barn. It's a pole barn and not real high but still I thought for sure he was going to fall and break his back or worse, but he didn't.

We have Jersey cows that I milk and raise our own Jersey beef, chickens for eggs and meat, pigs now and then and we grow vegetables in the garden that we freeze, dehydrate and can.

This is a great place to share and learn. Glad you found your way here.

codymi · #7 02/18/14, 07:54 PM

Carla, what kind of goats did you have?

creeklady2000 · #8 02/19/14, 05:15 AM

Welcome Cody i live in Northern Lower mi we have a small farm of 35 acers and we have alpone goats and kiko cross goats, we have a few horses, chickens, ducks, turkey;'s and sheep, we garden and i make all kinds of stuff with my goat milk , from yogurt to cheese going to do soap this year , welcome it is a great place for chatting with like minded people and advice.

BlackWillowFarm · #9 02/19/14, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codymi

Carla, what kind of goats did you have?

I had two Lamancha's. I chose them because Lamancha's were supposed to have a good temperament which they did. After I bought them I found out they weren't purebreds, but most likely had Alpine mixed in. I bought them as unbred yearlings but one of them kidded a few months after I brought them home. I sold them shortly afterward.

I had trouble keeping them fenced in. My three strand electric fence wasn't enough. They would take the shock and come through it. Many many times I came home from work and had two goats sitting on my backporch waiting for me. I wasn't willing to re run fence so I didn't keep them.

LittleRedHen · #10 04/24/14, 10:19 AM

Welcome

I am West Michigan too.. Depending on what part of michigan you are in, there is no shortage of Nigerian Dwarf or Alpine goats for sale. Two edged sword, cheaper and easier to get (supply and demand) but later on when you have kids to sell, harder to sell and not as much to gain (supply and demand) I have raised dwarves, Saanen, Nubian, Toggenburg and Alpines. After they wouldn't stop escaping and eating my fruit trees, bushes and raspberries I went with a JErsey cow. Best decision ever! LOL! I also have grapes, small orchard, berries etc.. I grow a nice sized garden. Welcome to the Forums! West Michigan is a great place for homesteading

codymi · #11 04/26/14, 07:41 AM

LRH, where are you? I'm in Hart. I ended up getting a one year old ND doe, a two year old doe and her two day old kid. They're hilarious! The younger doe is supposed to be pregnant by a mini nubian, hoping for some little floppy eared does.

Riverdale · #12 04/27/14, 08:25 AM

Welcome, Cody! I am near the Gratiot/Montcalm county line, a bit south of M46

HuskyBoris · #13 04/27/14, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codymi

LRH, where are you? I'm in Hart. I ended up getting a one year old ND doe, a two year old doe and her two day old kid. They're hilarious! The younger doe is supposed to be pregnant by a mini nubian, hoping for some little floppy eared does.

Walkerville here,,not anyone close I trhink

Breezy833 · #14 04/27/14, 06:51 PM

Theres so many people from michigan here. We're in flint.

I hope to see pics of ur little goats! Welcome!

codymi · #15 04/29/14, 07:52 AM

Walkerville huh? I wonder if you're family, lol. I'll see if I have some pictures.

HuskyBoris · #16 04/30/14, 08:36 PM

I doubt we are related LOL,,most of my family lives in Whitehall and Muskegon