If you had to pick livestock to raise, very small scale

Haven · #41 10/14/12, 09:11 PM

Btw, why is everyone suggesting the Dexter breed for cattle?

CesumPec · #42 10/14/12, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliannG

Yes, CesumPec, you CAN milk a horse. In fact, in Russia (and other parts of Eastern Europe) they have "Dairy Horses".

actually, i knew that you could milk horse but had never heard it was a modern practice. During the time of the revolutionary war, and probably long before then, horse colostrum, if that's what you call it, was occasionally given as a mystery cure all for the seriously ill. perhaps it served as a vitamin and mineral supplement or maybe as an antibiotic, just guessing.

CaliannG · #43 10/14/12, 09:14 PM

Dexters are small, they are a miniature cattle breed. They are also said to be very hardy, with few, if any, problems.

fantasymaker · #44 10/14/12, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbyB

You would put up an 8' fence with 2 hot wires on top? WTH for?

And another hot wire a foot up isnt going to slow down any diggers.

Canines

The top wires are for climbers and jumpers ,the bottom wire is for the diggers.
It will STOP most things that dig right at the fence and those that start farther out usually give you enough time to spot them.
Nope its not perfect but ya gotta stop somewhere!

CaliannG · #45 10/14/12, 09:22 PM

~smiles~ Mares milk is actually much higher in lactose than cow's milk. In many parts of Russia and Central Asia, mare's milk is a VERY important commodity. It is used to make both Kumis and Airag, fermented products with an alcohol level similar to that of small beer.

It has even been distilled to make hard liquor. Your horse can help you booze it up.

ChristieAcres · #46 10/14/12, 09:33 PM

Your decision will be easy if you know how long it takes to raise each type to slaughter. Pigs win that one, hands down, as they provide max meat in the shortest period of time. Dexters only require 1/2 acre, and are ready for slaughter at around two years, read this is contingent upon feed, too. They produce one gallon or so of milk, supposed to be more efficient at eating less while yielding more meat (compared to reg cattle). Miniature goats follow similar reasoning, less land needed than reg size, producing less milk.

fantasymaker · #47 10/14/12, 09:43 PM

Lori you forgot sheep,with good management Finns can raise 3 litters in 2 years a total of 9-12 lambs per ewe.
I think that pasture will raise more POUNDS of either lamb or beef than it will pork per year due to their rumenation.
INFACT I bet if we ONLY used pasture the Finnsheep woul win by a large margin...no suplements or hormones to buy!

I doubt the OP WANTS to milk but if so there are milking breeds of sheep.

Wendy · #48 10/14/12, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Btw, why is everyone suggesting the Dexter breed for cattle?

Dual purpose. Meat & milk if you want to milk them. Mini so they take up less space & less feed than a full size cow. Very hardy. I love, love, love my Dexters!

PFS farmer · #49 10/14/12, 09:49 PM

Since you have rabbits and chickens if I recall the 1st post right then I like the nubian dairy goat with the boer cross. Milk and meat, but there is maintenance. I also like the pig idea.... What bout raising potbellies. Once you get past they are only pets in the US then its just a pig and meat like in any other country.

Small acreage, small animals. I say pigs, goats, or maybe the dexter cow.

When it happens keep us posted.

ChristieAcres · #50 10/14/12, 10:46 PM

Pigs = short term high output! They only take 6 months, usually max, if purchased at six weeks. We fed ours naturally, no hormones, no meds, nothing. Think Garlic for anti worming, etc... Just go read my thread. If the OP wants longer term livestock, I'd go with others, of course. Mutton? If the OP has a taste for it, why not!

Pony · #51 10/14/12, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CesumPec

geese are great and easy keepers if they have access to a pond. I've never butchered one but I hear they are more difficult than chooks but perhaps no more difficult if you skin them, skipping the defeathering.

As a person who loves roast goose, and someone who is not at all afraid of butchering/dressing just about anything, I will tell you that geese are a royal pain in the patookis.

They're no good w/o the skin (IMO), and plucking them is an adventure in pain.

Grow turkeys or large chooks. Run away from geese! LOL!

SpaceCadet12364 · #52 10/14/12, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendy

Dual purpose. Meat & milk if you want to milk them. Mini so they take up less space & less feed than a full size cow. Very hardy. I love, love, love my Dexters!

Highlands would be another good choice, similar to the Dexters. Heritage breed, smaller framed (but not necessarily "minis"), calving ease, good browsers, very hardy, milk has high butterfat content, and tasty meat.

Pony · #53 10/14/12, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorichristie

Great points about fencing made! Fortunately for us, we KNEW our pigs could stay in the fenced orchard, and were prepared to protect the trees, if/when necessary. In that orchard area, we have 18 fruit trees, semi-dwarf, maybe two dwarf, and a few full size. We lost zero, and harvested a much better crop of fruit than everyone else we know. Those piggies sure fertilized well!

Would you do me the kindness of directing me to your thread on piggies? I can't find it, and I'm too sleepy to keep looking...

TIA!

lakeportfarms · #54 10/15/12, 05:50 AM

I would add one more vote for the Dexter, and further define what TYPE of Dexter you should get if you're going to AI the cow. A short leg (Chondrodysplasia) Dexter is in my opinion perfect for what you describe. As long as you breed to a non-carrier bull, you will get 50 percent carrier calves. The carriers tend to finish out faster than the non carriers by 5 months or so as they seem to lay down fat more easily due to their shorter stature.

Haven · #55 10/15/12, 07:37 AM

So, the Dexters will need at least a year to grow out like other cattle? What about Lowline? An old friend I havent spoken to in a while raises grass fed Lowline on a few hundred acres around here. My impression is that they are kind of a newer trendy breed and I keep seeing people selling them for well over 1k on Craigs List?? Wondering what the difference is between those and Dexter?

Any reason no one has mentioned Boers or Boer x Kiko, etc. much, other than combining them with milkers?

A smaller hog breed is sounding pretty nice.

Callieslamb · #56 10/15/12, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haven

So, the Dexters will need at least a year to grow out like other cattle? What about Lowline? ............Any reason no one has mentioned Boers or Boer x Kiko, etc. much, other than combining them with milkers?

I think buying a dexter every year to raise for meat gets to be very expensive meat. Carrying a cow over the winter to raise her own calf is also expensive unless you have your own hay. And sometimes that calf is a heifer that you might not want to butcher. Since we don't know more of your situation, it's hard to give pertinent advice. I realize that you are just beginning a search and are free to go in a number of directions but the replies you are getting back are all over the board. That says people need more information. How long would you have to feed hay? Do you get enough grass to support your pasture or do you have dry spells where there is little pasture available?

All in all, Dexters sound like a good bet but that would depend on what price you have to pay. I do not think you can do 2-3 of them on 2 acres. Just like the lowlines, highlands, yaks and others - all possible suggestions but also animals at high prices. You'll have to decide if that price is worth it to you. That's the one thing that kept me from buying a dexter.

Your OP said you hadn't tasted goat meat and wasn't sure about them. They are higher maintenance than all the rest. That might be why no one suggested them.

lakeportfarms · #57 10/15/12, 09:19 AM

One of the reasons I mentioned a Chondro Dexter is their efficiency. Being smaller and then bred AI to a non-carrier bull, they don't eat as much as other breeds of cattle. If you're fortunate enough to get a chondro positive bull calf, they'll finish out quickly without heavy grain feeding. If you're keeping a calf on the cow for 7 months you also have the option of sharing milk, and if you're not in the mood to milk or need to go away for a couple of days, just keep it in "auto milk" mode with the calf on the cow.

Regarding putting up your own hay or purchasing it, it costs the same either way. If you're feeding your own hay to your cow, you lose the opportunity costs of selling it to somebody else. The only difference if you keep it for yourself is that no money changes hands.

pinfeather · #58 10/15/12, 10:10 AM

Third vote for turkeys. I've been thinking about them myself. Good meat, easy keepers, eggs.

pancho · #59 10/15/12, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haven

Btw, why is everyone suggesting the Dexter breed for cattle?

They happen to be the in thing right now.
That and many people who bought them would like to sell them at the price they originally bought them.
If you want to raise a beef cow or a milk cow it would be much better to get a real one and not a toy.

KimTN · #60 10/15/12, 11:05 AM

My sentiments exactly Pncho. I looked into small cattle and the prices were way up there. I went and purchased a really nice black angus steer and raised him for 18 months. He was in an acre lot and was supplemented with alfalfa pellets and beet pulp. Over the winter, we gave him a roll of hay. All costs considered, he ended up yielding enough meat for 3 families and cost almost $2 per pound head to tail. That was a real bargain for grass fed beef. He was really tasty and everyone still talks about how great that steer was. Don't waste money on small stock. Go with big and get the most bang for your buck.