We started our homestead six years ago. We threw ourselves into it fairly quickly, which brings us to our first tip; don’t do that. That’s what we call a mistake. A mistake that tons of us make because we’re so excited to get started! Bring in the cows, the sheep, the goats, and if you’re really daring, some might say dumb, bring in the 700 lb pigs, like we did! Or instead, make your life easier by employing these three tips:
1. Go Slow. Take your time. Start everything on a small scale and then build on that. Get the chickens set up, for more than a day, or even a month. Everything will probably be fine in the beginning. You might even think to yourself, this was easy! I’m brilliant! Be wary of those thoughts, that’s about the time your plans crumble under the weight of what the animals decide to do. If you were free ranging them they’ll suddenly decide to roost in trees instead of going in the coop. The eggs you were getting every day are now a game of hide and seek as you discover what new place your hens have decided to lay in. If you have them in a coop you’ll be trying to figure out why they all want to lay in the same nesting box at the same time. Fortunately, if this venture has been started slowly, you’re only managing these issues and not ten others at the same time! Things to consider, are you going to free range? How are you going to protect them from predators? We’ve found Lives Stock Guardian Dogs do well, but it does take time to train them. We also used a tube man, about 8 feet tall. If you have electric available near your coop this works well, plus they’re pretty entertaining to watch flipping around in the wind. The constant movement and noise keeps predators at bay, even when free ranging. Electric fencing is great, but pro tip here; don’t forget it’s on! So, get your chickens set up and established; as in surviving and laying. Then move onto rabbits, or ducks, or even quail. One animal at a time. If you’re pulling out the tractor to set up your garden, whoa! Slow down there! Start with a small garden, based on your favorite vegetables. Pick five to start with. Figure out your soil, is it clay? Rocky? Acidic? How are you going to control for weeds, bugs, gophers, rabbits and deer? A smaller area will mean less weeds to break your back over while figuring out how to control for them.
2. Water? This seems obvious doesn’t it? I mean so obvious why is it even on the list? Water… duh?! And yet, spend some time on just about any farming fb group and you know what you’ll see? “How do you keep your animals watered in the winter??? It’s all frozen!!! “ Or “How do you get water to your animals? Anyone come up with anything easier than hauling it in big buckets?!” It might sound silly, but it’s so easy to realize, after you’ve done all of the fencing, that getting water to that field is a lot harder than you thought! When you’re planning where the rabbits are going to go, or the sheep, think about their water needs and how you’re going to accommodate that. Is there an easier place that has electric so you can use heated buckets? Is there a better location based on where the water lines run and being able to put in a pump? Does one area have more low spots that rain water will collect in? Is one area more suited to building a pond? Water to the garden is also important. Even if you live somewhere that gets a decent amount of rain, do not rely on that. The first year you plant, by that very act, you will cause a drought in your area and not get a drop of rain. If by some miracle, that doesn’t happen, you’ll get plenty of rain, but all at once. All of the rain! So so much rain for three days, and then you’ll enter a drought. This cycle or some equally frustrating version will happen every year until you put in a drip system, irrigation, or figure out how to get a hose out there. Do yourself a favor, figure out the water before you plant.
3. Fencing. Again with the obvious, right? We’ve all heard the saying, “The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” A farmer had to have been the one to coin this phrase. It doesn’t matter how great the chosen area is, how lush and green the grass is, how plentiful and clean the water is, or how well the shelter protects them from harsh weather and roaming predators, it’s all inconsequential. They will eye a tiny piece of grass on the other side of the road and long for it. It will haunt them, tempt them, and beckon to them until they can not possibly resist. The fence will be pushed against, jumped over, shimmied under and even trampled, all for that tiny, nothing plot of land. By starting with something small, let’s say two goats, or three sheep it’s easier to get an idea on where the weak spots are, which areas really need to be reinforced, and where electric is a must, while only having a couple of animals to round back up, not an entire flock.
Even if it doesn’t seem like it, fencing the garden will also be important. It’s the best way to keep those rabbit and deer out of your tomatoes and peppers. Deer can jump, really high, so it’s guaranteed that the fencing will have to be moved and adjust several times before more of that produce is landing in your kitchen than in the wildlife’s stomach. Small patches are a lot less frustrating to be tearing down and standing back up
Learning from others mistakes isn’t something most of us do well, but if you’re taking the time to research then hopefully this is one of those times that it does happen. If not, we’ll be on the message boards together trying to figure out why the livestock keeps wanting that little patch of grass across the road! Happy Homesteading!
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