Hello from Idaho!!

[MaggieSims]

Hello all! Newbie here, so excited to be here and start learning!! I see a wealth of information, and good thing, because I need it!
About me: stay at home mom of 3, wife, keeper of 2 mini horses, 7 goats, 5 rabbits, 4 chickens, 2 ducks, and a couple doggies and a kitty. I live in Idaho way up in some mountains. I plan on ever expanding my 'herd' as long as the hubs doesn't notice the head count growing too fast

 

[micah wotring]

XD Welcome to BackYard Herds from West Virginia!
Oh, there is a ton of info on here! (and I think we all need some of some kind)

So, I'm in WV where there's trees. Lots of trees. And I would like to know more about keeping animals in the woods. There's a lot of people here in TX and places with like no trees. We have clearings 'round here but I'm thinking goats, pigs, and chickens would be especially good in the brush instead of out in fields. Let me know if you have any ideas!

MW

 

[lcertuche]

Hello from Arkansas. Welcome. I've only joined BYH recently but really enjoy it. I'm jealous of your menagerie. I only have a dog and chickens and of course 'The Wild Bunch' aka my children.

 

[NH homesteader]

Welcome from New Hampshire! I am a stay at home mom also and have goats, pigs chickens and turkeys.

@micah wotring lots of trees here too! We put our goats in the woods to clear brush but we have to be aware of a couple of things. They will girdle trees so we pull them out and move them when the brush gets scarce to protect the trees we care about. Also if you are milking you lose control of their diet and raise the chance that you'll end up with wonky tasting milk. I deal with it because I would just save the milk for soap making or feed it to the pigs. When I am milking more than one, next year I will have three in milk, I might let the bucks take over brush duty.

Pigs do great in the woods, check out Joel Salatin in Virginia and how he does his pigs. Again, doesn't work too well if you love your trees and don't move them often.

Phew sorry that was long!

 

[micah wotring]

Yeah, I've read his stuff. John Suscovetch on YouTube is also doing pigs in the woods.
Thanks though, I hadn't though about girdling.

 

[NH homesteader]

Haven't heard of him, I'll have to check it out. My goats almost destroyed our only pear tree that we received as a wedding present!

 

[Latestarter]

Welcome Maggie! Glad you joined up! I know where I'm trying to purchase in TX is a jungle! If it isn't a field, it's thick enough you'd need a machete to get through it! Lots and lots of trees, but I'm buying on the East side closer to Louisiana. They get rain there. Quite a bit sometimes. Not like the west end of the state which is scrub and cactus.

Anyway... Maggie, we all love pics so if you have some of your animals that you'd be willing to share, we'll all OOOoooo and AAAaahhhh over them Make yourself at home!

 

[OneFineAcre]

Welcome from North Carolina

 

[Alexz7272]

Welcome from Colorado!
What kind of goats do you have?!

 

[madelynmccabe]

Welcome!!! Glad you joined