North Carolina

[NewHomesteader2010]

Cost? Varies tremendously. Really. But you could likely pick up a doeling at weaning time...a reasonably good one....for around $75. And instead of getting a second doe for her company, you could get a wether, or castrated male. They would be much cheaper. If you get a doeling, get one that's been handled, and keep handling her, including rubbing under her as if she had a developed udder. She'll "squat" for you if she's comfy with the handling. It'll make milking her much easier later on. Once she kids, you can pull the kid/s and bottle feed them, or depending on how much milk you want, and how lazy you are (ahem), you can do like I did (ahem), which was to separate the kids from mom at night once the colostrum time is done. Then I got morning milk. Let the kids back with mom the rest of the day. She'll bump up production to meet demand. I made sure my does were vaccinated for things that go through the milk, and I wasn't worried too much about transfer on other things. Plus, I just preferred the kids got mom time. If you choose to go the "lazy" route, and find it's not enough milk for you, just raise up one of her doelings to keep, or buy a second doe, and do the same with both. Watch the Agricultural Review for sales of dairy goats. I've had Nubian, Saanan and Alpine, and they were all lovely girls. I did end up preferring the Alpines, but it was personality reasons more than anything else.

Hmmm...I just re-read your question, and I neglected the sheep aspect. For the breeds that milk, you'll pay much more than for a dairy goat. A couple hundred dollars, anyway. But that also means that you can resell their offspring at a higher rate. And you can get sheep wethers too, for company.

Good morning everyone

NH- my friend raise pygmy goats and has a 2 and 4 year old boys. She gets about 4 gallons of milk a week. And they have a high fat content, for good cheese and butter. Pygmy goats are kinda an unkown dairy breed, being listed as dual purpose, but mainly used for pets, and they are easy to resell. Around here, you can find an expecting doe for 100$ and wethers go for around 30-50$, doelings(bottle babies) go for about 50-75$.

Hollow & Wild - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! You all have been truly helpful. Now to convince the DH that we don't NEED a cow!

First things first...building the fence on our property and as that goes...I guess I can drop "hints" along the way....hehe

I thought I might get lucky.

 

[Chasity]

Good morning all!

The temp has dropped a bit, an I am finding time to think this morning about plans for the coming spring year. I really want to add turkeys, and Pea fowl. I have been told by a few old timers in our area that the pea-fowl could have clipped wings until they acclimate to the run, and that they should be able to coexist with chickens. Turkeys on the other hand I have heard are susceptible to diseases that are in chickens and are tender to many respiratory problems.

I am open to ideas, and insight. I lived in a home that had many animals and birds when I was a child for quite some time, and would love to bring much of that to our home. I know it was good for me, and I think that many of us are teaching our children things that can only be learned by seeing and doing. Children need to explore the natural world before they jump into video games and get lost. This may give them some balance to their lives.

About the new large fowl groups... I don't know how trainable they are, but if so, that would be awesome. I would love to be able to turn them out during the day, and house them at night (for their safety).

Can you guys from this area drop some personal knowledge, and experiences on me so that I might make good decisions regarding the ideas, and choices.

 

[we3chickens]

Cameron, NC

 

[ramirezframing]

Chasity I raise my turkeys with the baby chicks till they get big enough to go in the turkey side of the yard. They can be let out during the day and I put them up at night. The hens seem more hand-able than the toms. But if you don't get them in well before dusk, they will take to the hen house roof or trees. They will try to eat about anything, including a garden and little pieces of trash.

 

[ramirezframing]

we3chickens

 

[ramirezframing]

Hollow you can put wire under the kennels that go over the edges and than put dirt or sand on top of it for the birds. Makes it hard to move the kennels but should stop stuff from digging under and in. Just a thought

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Morning folks

Having a ' I can't get warm' day here........old age sucks!!!

Hope you all are staying warm and cozy

 

[Chasity]

Chasity I raise my turkeys with the baby chicks till they get big enough to go in the turkey side of the yard. They can be let out during the day and I put them up at night. The hens seem more hand-able than the toms. But if you don't get them in well before dusk, they will take to the hen house roof or trees. They will try to eat about anything, including a garden and little pieces of trash.

Thanks for the input. We put chicken wire fencing around the gardens to prevent the local wildlife from destroying; would that help?

We have so much space out there, I would hate to keep them cooped up if it was not necessary. No pun intended, but yep. Cooped!

 

[crazyhen]

Yes ,old age is for the well, I don't know what it is for. Right about the time you figure life out, somewhat ,your body falls apart.
Why can't we stay healthy until time to be dead? oh well , it is as it is.
I went out this morning and my black orp. Sassy welcomes me and is very chatty. I love to hear her being that way. She is a happy girl. The other 12 not so chatty but nice. I am getting about 5 eggs a day . I still have lots of last yrs hens that are molting. It seems to take forever for them all to come back into lay. One will look so pitiful for so long it seems then another. Not all at once.
How is everyone this morning? My hens are shaking their heads like they have bugs but there is no bugs, I think I may have MS again in my flock. They look healthy, no sneezing or other symptoms though. I hope it is the mild one that a lot of flocks seem to have. I did a run of Denaguard antibiotic. Thats put it in the water for 5 days wait 2 weeks and do it again. I lost a flock about two yrs ago to a very vicious strain. I got rid of them all and sterilized as best I could the coop, run etc. I have a new coop and run now. BUT! I still have the same neighbor who opps!!! ( that one got out of his flock and they couldn't catch it )kind of thing going. Hens come over here sneezing etc. I do sss so many times but they go around my run before I catch the runaways. I have 4 acres but his always come here. He has 29 acres but is too close to me. Sigh! I love my place. Why couldn't I have a good neighbor? Gloria Jean .

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Hollow you can put wire under the kennels that go over the edges and than put dirt or sand on top of it for the birds. Makes it hard to move the kennels but should stop stuff from digging under and in. Just a thought

Yeah, that's probably all we're gonna be able to do where they are. We won't be moving those runs again though, that's for sure! But digging down around them to place wire is not going to happen with those roots, so it'll have to be wire on the floor. We've got plenty of wire. Anything to keep the foxes from fine dining on my new birds!

Chasity, our turkeys have coexisted with our chickens since 2005 when we got turkeys. The property is free of turkey diseases like blackhead. And oddly enough, the turkeys were the survivors of the MG, which is the first illness we have ever had with our birds. I also brood turkey poults with chicks, mostly because the poults are stupid. The chicks teach them how to eat. Sometimes they'll simply starve because they're too stupid to figure it out or take human hints. But the turkeys are otherwise fabulous. The only issue I have with them is their tendency to steal nests in places I don't want them nesting. If I can find the nest, then I'll pop the eggs in the incubator, so the fireants don't get them at hatch.

I now have the Juvenile Detention Center set up and on stand-by for incoming chicks! Woohoo!

In less than a week I'll have peeps!

And about the time they'll be ready to move into a chickenhouse, I'll have the first lot of English Orp chicks hatching (At Beths!) to go into Juvie Hall.

Then spring will be here and I can order the rest of my chicks!

This place will be back to normal in no time!