Getting ready to farm

[Newflowers]

Hello all,

I am so glad I found this site. My husband and I are planning a move from urban to rural to build a small farm. I am the researcher reading about animals and their needs - dogs and cats I know; sheep, goats, geese, and chickens not so much...yet.

We are planning for Katahdin sheep, three ewes, one ram; Nigerian Dwarf does, 3 for milking; three Pilgrim geese and one gander; and chickens - Jersey Giants and Speckled Sussex.

I plan to lurk and read, maybe ask a question or five or six so that I can learn from your experiences. Pleased to meet you.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Welcome to BYH, we have jersey giants, nigerian dwarfs, chickens and NZ meat rabbits and Flemish giants....you will find tons of help and infromation here from some awesome people. Make yourself at home, and welcome to the herd

 

[Newflowers]

Welcome to BYH, we have jersey giants, nigerian dwarfs, chickens and NZ meat rabbits and Flemish giants....you will find tons of help and infromation her from some awesome people. Maky yourself at home, and welcome to the herd

Thanks so much! My husband wants rabbits and a llama. The llama sounds interesting but I would have to medicate for rabbits as I am terribly allergic.

I have read that NZ or Californias mixed with Flemish Giants is a great cross. Is that your experience?

 

[AmberLops]

Welcome to BYH from Tennessee!!
Sounds like you're going to have a nice farm!
I raise Holland Lops, Lionheads, Angoras and Netherland Dwarf rabbits.
There are tons of goat/sheep/chicken people here to answer all your questions

 

[Newflowers]

Welcome to BYH from Tennessee!!
Sounds like you're going to have a nice farm!
I raise Holland Lops, Lionheads, Angoras and Netherland Dwarf rabbits.
There are tons of goat/sheep/chicken people here to answer all your questions

Thank you. Tennessee is our planned place! He will still work - elevator mechanic - so we will likely be outside of Nashville, Memphis or Knoxville. We'd both prefer a more rural area but have to be close enough not to have a terribly long commute. We're going to visit next spring.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Thanks so much! My husband wants rabbits and a llama. The llama sounds interesting but I would have to medicate for rabbits as I am terribly allergic.

I have read that NZ or Californias mixed with Flemish Giants is a great cross. Is that your experience?

I am getting ready to experiment with that, but I have been told the same thing. We have eaten some of our NZ, and they taste good, but since I am the one (husband can't ) that dispatches them and gets them to freezer camp, I want more meat for my work. Will be cross breeding this fall

 

[Baymule]

@Mike CHS and his wife live south of Nashville, he can enlighten you on the area. They also raise Katahdin sheep and would be a great source for a breeding start for your flock. We drove from east Texas to buy his ram Ringo.

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you here! Ask all the questions you want, we are a friendly bunch.

 

[Sheepshape]

Welcome to the forum......and WOW that sounds ambitious.

Personally, I'd advise a very gradual increase in species. All of them are so different and there's so much to learn about each.

Maybe start off with chickens and either sheep or goats.....chickens being (probably) the easiest starter animal. Jersey Giants are lovely birds, but tend to be broody types. Decide what you want from your chickens....meat/eggs/eye candy? If it's eggs you want, brown hybrids are the best layers and very rarely go broody. If you fancy beautiful stately hens with (relatively mild roosters) and want your flock to increase, Jersey Giants, Brahmas, Buff Orpingtons.....huge, docile, and born to brood.

Over here (Wales) we have wool sheep mainly. Our vet calls sheep 'white things that lie around in field thinking of ways to die'.....now that's a very pessimistic view (or, if you're a vet, it could be considered optimistic). There's a lot to do with sheep.....drenching for worms and fluke, vaccinating,shearing for woolies,giving vitamin boluses, foot care etc etc. and lambing can be hard work. They are amazing animals, though, and such bright and individual characters.

I don't keep any goats at present, but when I did I didn't find them so much easier than sheep to care for.....and much more likely to escape. Again, lovely animals, but goat care is complicated (and different from sheep).

Llamas....fantastic....different again...etc.

It is, of course, achievable, but take it in baby steps in order to avoid 'burn out'.

With regards to questions, most of us love 'em. There is no such thing as a 'stupid' question, and this isn't the type of forum where somebody is going to say "You did WHAT???' "Don't you know it's wrong to do......????" and all those other ' smart a**e things that is prevalent on some fora (and discourage all of us from using them.)

Some of us are a bit prone to ramble at times......but we can't help it, it's age-related.....just apply your personal 'spam filter' if you need to.

Good Luck.