Devonviolet Acres

[Devonviolet]

Tough decision Devon I wish I could buy your Maremmas but I bet they know how to bark as well as Merlin did and that wouldn't fly with DW.

Actually, They usually only bark when there is a threat. Although, they do seem to think the adjoining 65 acre hay field and the 1/2 mile road leading up to our property, belong to us, so when a truck drives up the road, they bark to warn it off. They also adore me and when I go out the back door, they bark until I go give them some love.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a thought that I wanted to share. I know that you love the goats, and that they were for the milk and that you can no longer tolerate it. Have you ever given any thought to perhaps replacing them with a FEW sheep??? They could be meat in the freezer, could utilize the pastures/lots the goats have, would not require near the feed if you only had a few and could rotational graze them some. You would not have to milk them, and would still have healthy "clean" meat for your freezer. You could just raise up some lambs and do a seasonal thing or have a couple ewes and maybe use Ringo for stud service??? Or one of his sons????? Plus, you could still keep the dogs for now and have something for them to do. If you could get the goats re-homed, then you could take your time about having to rehome the dogs that you obviously care alot about. Maybe you could do like @Baymule and be able to have a couple butchered and sell some to offset the feed costs. It could be much less restrictive time wise, and you don't have to put the amount of feed into them that an animal that you are milking requires. You also will be able to have a flexible schedule. Not that you wouldn't be taking care of them, but they don't have to be "checked on" everyday if you had to be gone, as long as they weren't due to lamb. Plus, look at @Mike CHS and Bay..... they usually go out and find the job done and the ewes have the lambs up and going quick as a wink.

I agree that the unproductive chickens and all need to go, and soup/stew is a great thing for older cull birds. Eating the wethers is also good. Maybe you and @Baymule could work out a deal of some sort, I know you are not real closeby but still........

 

[Devonviolet]

Thanks for the suggestion, Jan. That’s not an option, for me though. I also test sensitive to lamb. I seem to have a lot of food allergies. It makes it really hard to eat anymore.

 

[Mini Horses]

If you can't even drink the milk that you both work so hard to produce, then what's the point? Y'all are making the right decision, a hard decision

I agree, even tho you have a special connection with each milking goat, it will work out. Many years ago I got rid of my goats. Then I wanted a milking one and now, I have 15. I am selling off several once they kid and can go as "in milk". Just don't need this many and will cut back to probably 4 does & 1 buck. I'm planning to get a small group of Boer just to sell meat goats....also to stock the pastures, since I have 15 acres. But THEY need minimal hands on from me, unlike the dairy. My mini horses are slowly aging out on life (20-34), so those are dwindling. That's ok, they've had a good life. One day I will retire as they have done and just walk the pastures. LOL

So, you see.....a lot of us are reducing the load of both work and cost. It is difficult, I sure know that. It is also the wise move. You will get far more pleasure from your garden and 5 acres can be cut with a good mower. Some of yours is wooded, so less to mow?

I believe that you just built a hay shed? Maybe it could be wrapped in plastic and become a greenhouse?? You know, people buy cut flowers & started plants at those farmers markets. Couple $$ here & there pays for gas.

Please check in and update us once in a while, we miss one another when there is no post. And we care!

 

[WolfeMomma]

I agree, even tho you have a special connection with each milking goat, it will work out. Many years ago I got rid of my goats. Then I wanted a milking one and now, I have 15. I am selling off several once they kid and can go as "in milk". Just don't need this many and will cut back to probably 4 does & 1 buck. I'm planning to get a small group of Boer just to sell meat goats....also to stock the pastures, since I have 15 acres. But THEY need minimal hands on from me, unlike the dairy. My mini horses are slowly aging out on life (20-34), so those are dwindling. That's ok, they've had a good life. One day I will retire as they have done and just walk the pastures. LOL

So, you see.....a lot of us are reducing the load of both work and cost. It is difficult, I sure know that. It is also the wise move. You will get far more pleasure from your garden and 5 acres can be cut with a good mower. Some of yours is wooded, so less to mow?

I believe that you just built a hay shed? Maybe it could be wrapped in plastic and become a greenhouse?? You know, people buy cut flowers & started plants at those farmers markets. Couple $$ here & there pays for gas.

Please check in and update us once in a while, we miss one another when there is no post. And we care!

Cut flowers do sell really well, upwards of 5-10$ for one sunflower. And those are super easy to grow

 

[Devonviolet]

I believe that you just built a hay shed? Maybe it could be wrapped in plastic and become a greenhouse?? You know, people buy cut flowers & started plants at those farmers markets. Couple $$ here & there pays for gas.

Cut flowers do sell really well, upwards of 5-10$ for one sunflower. And those are super easy to grow

Growing flowers is part of my plan. I stopped in a flower shop, a block away from the Farmer’s Market, and was told she would pay a whopping $1.75/sunflower. That made me even more determined to grow and sell sunflowers and other flowers, as well as bouquets at the market. I don’t intent to do all the hard work and let the florist rake in the profits!!!

We never built the hay shed. We couldn’t come up with a firm plan, for how to easily put a floor in the shed, without over building. With DH’s limitations, we need to keep the work to a minimum. He kept balking at every suggestion I made. That is what got me thinking that we needed to re-evaluate what we are doing. Now the plan is to build a carport on the back of the barn, which is 24 feet long. I would like to build the car port 12X24. the truck is 8‘ wide and 19’ long. if the carport is 12X24 we could put the truck in it if we are expecting hail. The remaining 6 feet could be used for parking the tractor and storing a round hay bale. Eventually, we could extend it and add a green house. The back of the barn faces South and the end of the barn faces West. So with some judiciously placed shade cloths, we would have a nice greenhouse.

 

[farmerjan]

If you are sensitive to lamb, but you can eat the goat meat, as you were talking processing the wethers..... maybe a couple of Boer goats like @Mini Horses is going to add. I just feel that you really like the goats and the meat goats can also be very affectionate if raised from little ones that way. And you would have meat for the freezer.
Here cut flowers are very popular also, and you don't have to charge an arm and a leg for them, and if you succession plant, you will have lots to sell. The water system you were talking will take care of needing water to keep them growing....

Whatever you do, keep us posted.....it's great to hear what others are doing.

 

[Devonviolet]

If you are sensitive to lamb, but you can eat the goat meat, as you were talking processing the wethers..... maybe a couple of Boer goats like @Mini Horses is going to add. I just feel that you really like the goats and the meat goats can also be very affectionate if raised from little ones that way. And you would have meat for the freezer.
Here cut flowers are very popular also, and you don't have to charge an arm and a leg for them, and if you succession plant, you will have lots to sell. The water system you were talking will take care of needing water to keep them growing....

Whatever you do, keep us posted.....it's great to hear what others are doing.

Thanks Jan. For my husband’s sake we need to eliminate the work of the goats. Today we were talking about adding a few turkeys, to put in the freezer. It wouldn’t be any extra work, to put them with the chickens, and we would have organically raise turkey.

 

[farmerjan]

Wish you were close, so that I could share the meat chickens that I get for nothing when they ship the broilers. They really do adapt to the being outside, sure they eat alot, but all the hard work is done, like heat and baby chick brooding.... They wouldn't be truly "organic" but they sure are "free ranged" and after about a month, are pretty well, "cleaned out" of the effects of being inside a "factory chicken house"... The price is the real kicker.... who can beat free. Sure, I lose some, but it isn't like they cost 2-3-4 dollars a baby chick either....

There is one guy I have gotten turkeys from in the past too.... about 4-5 weeks for a couple of dollars each.... sure they are the white BB ones, but they still do fairly good if you get them out in the "air and sunshine" on grass or pasture.

I think adding some turkeys is a good deal....

 

[Bruce]

Actually, They usually only bark when there is a threat. Although, they do seem to think the adjoining 65 acre hay field and the 1/2 mile road leading up to our property, belong to us, so when a truck drives up the road, they bark to warn it off. They also adore me and when I go out the back door, they bark until I go give them some love.

Merlin never barked at anything other than at night when he detected potential threats. That is what kept DW from sleeping. There is a road up the side of the property that goes to 8 houses. If someone was walking on it he would walk the fence but never made a sound.