Welcome from southern California (soon to be northeast Texas). We have currently 50 White Dorper sheep, a mule, a TWH, 1 mustang, 3 Anatolian LGDs, about 100 coyotes (surrounding us). We used to raise and show Nubian and LaMancha dairy goats. Our older 4 kids were in 4-H and raised everything they could talk us into, including roller pigeons, fancy bantam chickens, egg laying chickens, geese, turkeys, ducks, rabbits (several breeds), hogs, replacement heifers, veal calves, had breeding flocks of Dorsets, Hampshires, for market lambs , Boer goats - Gasp for breath here. Kids rode their horses all over the hills and showed in Playdays. Husband bred his TWH mare and had a foal that he imprint trained, he also showed winning NZW rabbits all over southern California until the kids slowly took over his barn and replaced the rabbits with their larger livestock. Also, had herding dogs (not well trained LOL) and many barn cats. Had 2 guardian llamas once. If it was out there and the kids could get hold of it, we had it. The downside of this was that the other club kids decided to do whatever my kids did so since we had no leaders for these livestock projects, I had to learn everything I could and become their leader.
It was exhausting but we learned a lot, and all the kids grew up with a good work ethic. We had more fun raising our kids with the livestock than you can imagine. You will have a blast with your calves.
from the Shenandoah valley area of Va. Have had most of the animals except goats.. and a few rabbits for pets... have beef cattle now, a couple dairy nurse cows and have raised many many calves.....sheep, chickens, turkeys off and on... going to try to get back into more show typed chickens again... we run quite a few head of beef cattle and do some buying and selling... big garden this year and planning on more/bigger next year... selling some of the produce besides filling the larder for keeping the bills down....
