Chicken ranching versus chicken farming?

[kk454]

This actually came up when my wife and I were first dating. I grew up on a "ranch" that had a considerable amount of farm ground. We raised cattle as our primary source of income, and farmed to supplement and rotate alfalfa out of production. My wife grew up on a farm with no animals whatsoever. She would always correct me when I asked if we were going out to "her folk's ranch" due to the lack of livestock. Her parents purchased a few chickens three years ago, so I informed her that her parents were no longer farmers, but chicken ranchers. She just informed me that this was alright to post.....hehehe

Moral of the story: If you have no animals, you are a farmer. If you have any animals whatsoever, I reserve the right to call you a rancher.

 

[greathorse]

Dariy ranch never heard of one. Dairy farms lots of them

 

[PunkinPeep]

At my current level of production, i think i'm just a homesteader, who has chickens.

My husband says we're going to have a 'full blown chicken farm.'

My friend, who comes to visit, calls our place a ranch, but all we have are chickens and 1 1/2 acres of mostly woods.

 

[FireTigeris]

I always thought if it moves under its own power and you kill it to eat its a ranch.

 

[greathorse]

Lol

 

[Tala]

Quote:
But we all teach our kids about ole McDonald's FARM that included many different ANIMALS
We often call dairy cows, chickens, pigs and sheep "farm animals"

See I tend to think of non-commercial farmers as glorified homesteaders. In my mind, they have a bunch of crops and different animals. The images of Charolette's Web movie comes to mind.
I tend to think of the term "ranch" when you have a bunch of one kind of animal.

Really though, I don't put a lot of daily thought into it. Call it whatever you like. lol

I unofficially call ours a "farm" and I call the backyard a "pasture" (albeit the smallest "pasture" you ever saw, lol)

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Ranch is a term never used in our area. If someone is raising cattle or producing food as persay a business,...it is farming.
Like us, we have but a few animals on our property for our own purpose,...locals here just call it homesteading.
Now if you aren't from these parts and are tryng to "homestead" here,..you're just a hippy.

 

[greathorse]

I also frequently hear these terms used by the folks that either own it or care for it or sell it or trade it as:

Ranch land


Farm ground

I.E
So and so is selling he his farm ground

So and so runs cattle on his ranch land

I have never hear anyone refer to a property as ranch ground

I guess I have heard of "farm land" "duh" huge brand huh?

Any way why is that?

 

[Overeasyplz]

They are part of my rabbitry, although maybe a chickenry. Me, I'm a rabbit herder..lol

 

[Katy]

I have a solution to what to call it......If you don't make your only income from either farming or ranching or a combination of the two maybe you shouldn't call it either.