Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Just Ducky10]

Oh, please tell more! We had discussed dexter cows once already but I didn't know there were other miniature cows.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I've also been looking into getting a cow (for milk) but don't have a lot of room (3 acres with only 1-1.5 acre of room to put a cow on, it's not the best quality of pasture but I plan on improving it) so I've been looking into small standard breeds & mini breeds.

Here's some info on some mini cow breeds
http://www.grameen-info.org/10-miniature-cattle-breeds-for-your-small-farm/

Here's a YouTube video of a mini Jersey being milked

 

[Bettacreek]

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I've also been looking into getting a cow (for milk) but don't have a lot of room (3 acres with only 1-1.5 acre of room to put a cow on, it's not the best quality of pasture but I plan on improving it) so I've been looking into small standard breeds & mini breeds.

Here's some info on some mini cow breeds
http://www.grameen-info.org/10-miniature-cattle-breeds-for-your-small-farm/

Here's a YouTube video of a mini Jersey being milked

Would goats or sheep be a better option? I milk the Shetland sheep without issue. Small (about up to my knee), eat your lawn (untreated, of course), hay and mineral and are pretty easy keepers. Plus you get wool

 

[fisherlady]

Well, call me crazy but I saw an ad last evening and just had to check it out. Someone with Cornish cross chicks, almost 5 weeks old, for $3 each. Hubby called and today we have 32 of them occupying a pen we just shut down and closed up last weekend to make winter chores easier! Just hard to pass up that deal and my mom and my step son both are out of meat from the last batch anyways.
Here we go again!

 

[chiques chicks]

Well, call me crazy but I saw an ad last evening and just had to check it out. Someone with Cornish cross chicks, almost 5 weeks old, for $3 each. Hubby called and today we have 32 of them occupying a pen we just shut down and closed up last weekend to make winter chores easier! Just hard to pass up that deal and my mom and my step son both are out of meat from the last batch anyways.
Here we go again!

Hard to turn away those deals when half the work is done for you!

Like my goats, decent price, they castrated, debudded and weaned them! The way they behave, they probably bottle fed them, as they are very friendly and crave attention. Granted, they aren't registered, but they are wethers, so not really an issue.

 

[fisherlady]

Hard to turn away those deals when half the work is done for you!

Like my goats, decent price, they castrated, debudded and weaned them! The way they behave, they probably bottle fed them, as they are very friendly and crave attention. Granted, they aren't registered, but they are wethers, so not really an issue.

Yep, sounds like you got a great deal with that buy also! Just avoiding some of the early hassles makes it worth it to me!
And I paid for 30 and the fellow told me to take 2 extra, so if we loose a couple we are still ahead.

 

[Just Ducky10]

Would goats or sheep be a better option? I milk the Shetland sheep without issue. Small (about up to my knee), eat your lawn (untreated, of course), hay and mineral and are pretty easy keepers. Plus you get wool

I've also been considering dairy goats or sheep. Goats seem to be the best fit as we have about 3/4 - 1 acre that's mainly brush and weeds, plus the 1 acre of weed & grass pasture. But so far I haven't liked the 2 types of goat milk I've tried (pure Nigerian & pure Nubian), but still seeing about trying other breeds milk (mainly Saanen, Toggenburg, & Boer or Boer cross) So far I haven't found anyone with these breeds to try the milk raw and not mixed with other breeds milk, but still looking as this seems to be the best option as I can't afford to buy/rent more land plus fence it, etc.

I've also looked into dairy sheep since I've heard it tastes similar to cow milk since they also graze, but that it's sweeter and that it makes amazing cheeses. But my family doesn't seem too keen on sheep and I have no idea what the local market is for selling dairy lambs since the closest I can find any is New York. I've also heard that the feed conversion rate to milk is only good if it's a dairy sheep breed, and that even dairy sheep breeds only give about 3/4 - 1 gallon per day and that they don't let down easy (sometimes not at all and they just dry off after their lamb is sold/weaned) and that they have a short lactation.

Since my family drinks/uses a lot of dairy it makes more sense to get an animal that milks out more per milking rather than having to spend more time on cleaning/ sterilizing, milking and carrying for a small herd of goats or a mid size herd of sheep.

We're thinking on either a small standard Jersey (800-950#) and just feed more alfalfa hay (we'd probably still save money considering how high milk prices are) or a mini Jersey or mini Holstein cow. The only problem is finding a breeder that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for a mini just because it's a mini or even just finding a breeder that's close enough.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I have 6 young chickens that pile on the corner of the run every night that I have to physically catch and put in the coop every time. 3 of them are like 16 weeks old the other 3 are about 12 weeks maybe? I've tried bribing them with treats, Keeping the coop light on, everything. They still refuse to go in. They've all been out there with the flock since they were 7-8 weeks old.

maybe they are intimidated by the big girls in the flock....I have one Omega that moved 'up' the ranking when new chicks were added....she has no problem bullying the youngins....

The evening of the day that I quote that, they started print themselves to bed on their own. Go figure lol. At least now I don't have to crawl insert the coop to get them anymore at night

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Oh no! I think my husband has finally joined me on the dark side! He's actualy becoming an enabler himself which I didn't think was possible. About a month ago, when he found out that I had secretly bought another incubator and had an old one up for sale, he said why don't I just keep the old one for when the other two are full? WAIT, WHAT!? Since someone said they wanted it, I didn't think too much of it but then the money order that they were supposedly sending me never came so I guess I get to keep 3 incubators lol. Then, today, he said he'd been thinking and when spring gets here, he wants to build me a nice, new brooder for in the garage, not just one made of plywood and he wants to put it on wheels so we can move it around, anywhere we want. He also knows that I'm already planning on starting to hatch again. I don't think he wants to admit it, but I think he's getting excited for hatching season and babies again lol. He doesn't know that I plan on surprising him and ordering some fancy cochin and really poofy silkie hatching eggs (he thinks cochins are awesome and likes the way the poofy silkies look). I'm getting really excited. Now, I just need to talk him into some little goats I think it's also time to start trying to save some money for more land lol

I love when they secretly get excited!

I don't remember all the details. Just that they are cute and I think the smallest gives a quart a day.

That sounds perfect. Mental note for the future...

Oh, they were found! Turns out that they managed to escape their pen and went on an overnight romp through the woods. The person had just assumed they were stolen because they couldn't find them anywhere :/ their enclosure is being reinforced now from what I understand.

Love a happy ending!

It quit raining here... and started SNOWING instead!!

Well, call me crazy but I saw an ad last evening and just had to check it out. Someone with Cornish cross chicks, almost 5 weeks old, for $3 each. Hubby called and today we have 32 of them occupying a pen we just shut down and closed up last weekend to make winter chores easier! Just hard to pass up that deal and my mom and my step son both are out of meat from the last batch anyways.
Here we go again!

Wow, that is great deal! Was that on Craigslist?

 

[fisherlady]

I love when they secretly get excited!
That sounds perfect. Mental note for the future...

Love a happy ending!

Wow, that is great deal! Was that on Craigslist?

Pennswoods.net
I see the ad is gone now since I got the birds....also picked up a nearly new dog cage to use for a 'hospital room' for about half price this evening. Both were close to where I live, so didn't even have much gas or time in them.

 

[Chaos18]

Well, call me crazy but I saw an ad last evening and just had to check it out. Someone with Cornish cross chicks, almost 5 weeks old, for $3 each. Hubby called and today we have 32 of them occupying a pen we just shut down and closed up last weekend to make winter chores easier! Just hard to pass up that deal and my mom and my step son both are out of meat from the last batch anyways.
Here we go again!

How come people around my parts can't offer deals like that? Nice score