New to Texas

[brontesjane]

Just moved to Texas and we have an acre to enjoy. We are still trying to decide what or if we should raise livestock. I joined this group to decide what would be best. Any suggestions or ideas would be wonderful.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Start with chickens easy and very manangable for an acre. Also decided if you want a garden and how large. Then add other live stock as some might need better fencing to keep the out of your garden. Goats are great for milk and meat love them. Small bred of pigs or butcher pigs are good. Kuneknue are awesome adore them along with american guinea hogs. Ducks and geese are fun but very messy compared to chickens. Also turkeys are fun most can be very sweet toms can have a butt head additude so watch that with kids. Also when getting chickens pullets are females, straight run are a mix pf female and males. Males aka rooster when handle as chicks can get aggressive so if you have young children do not allow contact with rooster until older and have them chase his butt with a stick (not to hurt him or hit him but to make them look mean lol). Chickens establish beaking order basised off who tougher. Rooster we had that we were lovely dovey with became attack the kids chickens the ones we left alone as chicks and where mildly afraid of us(come to for food and even eat out of hand(can tame down after they calm down from hormones)) were as sweet as can be and respected the kids even if they grabbed a hen that yelled up a storm. Animals will act like animals so kids should be supervised when with the animals and both animals and kids need a safe place to play in the yard away from each other so things dont happen. We currently have a flock of ducks and chickens that are friendly enough they follow you inside the house. Not they are welcome but the kids love it mommy not so much. What ever you get dont just buy because its cheap or because they claim its healthy. When it comes to birds choose ones that are breeds you like and chicks less problems that way. Second younger animals tend to be easier for you to raise and not worry about what someone else taught it. Always look up certian medical test that need to be done prior to buying as some animals can carrry things that live forever in the soil like goats have certian things that last years. Make sure you animals are healthy prior to buying and so you have the best possible chance to have a good first experience one bad breeder can make you not want to get that livestock again and go through the heart ache. Also first aid kits for each animal is a must. Buy a book and do research and also make the pens prior to buying the animals will cause less stress on you and animal. And feed store people dont know everything. Also find vets for each animal so if you need one you know where to go.

 

[Alaskan]

Just moved to Texas and we have an acre to enjoy. We are still trying to decide what or if we should raise livestock. I joined this group to decide what would be best. Any suggestions or ideas would be wonderful.

Well.... Texas with rain? Or without?

In some parts of Texas it is so dry, one acre can probably handle only a single chicken. But, some parts have rain and even good soil, so could handle more.

Here is a general ball park for different Texas areas.

How many cows per acre in Texas? - Texas Landowners Association

Find out how many cows your property can handle! Learn how to determine if you have too many and what stocking rate really means!

landassociation.org

An AU is an animal unit.

One animal unit is a 1,000 pound cow with a calf. 4 to 5 goats equal one AU.

On a single acre, it might be easiet, to go with chickens, bees, and an excellent orchard and garden. With animals like goats etc. you might end up with just a bare lot.

I had musvovy ducks, and if you don't have too many, then their pen stays pretty. They would be great and not destructive if put into your orchard. I had raspberries in my muscovy pen, and they only ate up the bottom maybe 15 inches. So, the raspberries on the fence line worked well.

My apple tree was very happy in the muscovy pen.