Plan B, whats it worth?

[GBov]

Well, Plan A has been veto-ed by hubby

I was going to raise some stealth poultry in the back yard of the new house but he says the potential $500 fine is just too much to risk. And thinking past my desire to have chickens again, I have to agree

But, being ever inventive, I now have a Plan B

Its to rent 2 to 5 acres and have the livestock I have wanted for YEARS and only gotten in dribs and drabs. But (there's always a but, isnt there?) But, I have NO money for rent

so when brainstorming with my mum she came up with paying rent in eggs and meat.

And that brings me neatly to my question to all you lovely people............................

How much meat and eggs equal rent on 2 to 5 acres?

I am planning - if I can pull this off - to have goats for meat and milk, meat chickens and egg chickens, 1 or 2 pigs and a couple of beef cows. Oh, and a few turkeys, just cause I love em

So, if you wanted good PROPER meat, eggs and milk and didnt want the hassle of doing it yourself, what would you think was a fair trade for your land?

Oh, and how does one go about finding someone who would like this kind of a deal?

 

[Wifezilla]

Are quail covered in that chicken ban?

 

[GBov]

Quote:
From my reading of the city ordanences they are

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Unless you are planning on buying feed for the beef cows that is not enough acreage for them. I don't know where you're located, but where I live it takes at least 7 acres to support one beef cow for the grazing season which is considered 6 months.

Is there an available well for water or will you have to haul water to them?

Another thing to consider is distance. Are you going to be willing/able to travel back and forth at least 2 times a day to milk the goats? To let the chickens out in the morning and shut them in at night?

Having animals to care for when they are not at your place of residence can evolve into much more headache.

 

[GBov]

Quote:
Unless you are planning on buying feed for the beef cows that is not enough acreage for them. I don't know where you're located, but where I live it takes at least 7 acres to support one beef cow for the grazing season which is considered 6 months.

Is there an available well for water or will you have to haul water to them?

Another thing to consider is distance. Are you going to be willing/able to travel back and forth at least 2 times a day to milk the goats? To let the chickens out in the morning and shut them in at night?

Having animals to care for when they are not at your place of residence can evolve into much more headache.

I havnt found a place yet so havnt started thinking about water yet

adn yes, I know that animals out of sight can make more headaches than not but realistically, there is no way on earth of us affording meat that didnt finish its life in a feed lot or chicken house unless I raise it myself.

I had planned on getting the oldest calves I could afford at the beginning of the rainy season come spring and having them on grass for the 6 months of rain freshened grass. Beef is good at any age so even if I find an older cow and calf pair or one of those "Friendly bulls cheap" from the livestock adds page or a couple of dairy calves, the meat will be better than anything I can buy now, without much more than the initial price of the beasts but if supplemental feed is required it will still be better than the carp stuff in the shops and cheaper than the grass fed local beef, esp. as I am more than willing to process it myself

The chickens will have to be tractor-ed, there are just too many things that can go wrong with free range, esp. when so much will be riding on them doing well. Still, moving the houses every day onto new grass and bugs will hopefully help a little tward that free range flavor

1 or 2 pigs are easy to get as I have a friend who live traps feral pigs so they will get all the left over bits and pieces, cause with the best will in the world, some left overs just cant be remade into another meal

The goats should be easy keepers feed wise and yes, going every day will be a bit of a head ache but as the kids have to go to school I am out of the house most days anyway and if I can find something close enough to not be using too much gas it shouldnt work out much more than the usual school run to go there and back.

Having had many different kinds of animals, both stock and pets, I know its perfectly possible to arrange your layout to only need hands on once a day. Even wiht milking animals it can be done and while we tried really REALLY hard to get land of our own so my animals would be close we just couldnt swing it wiht our budget and my husbands job area.

It may not be idea but this is my last, best hope of getting a set up while I am still fit enough to do it

Oh, and I wont be LEAPING out and buying all the animals at once

one kind at a time, settle the new routine, sort any problems, leave the new arrangement for a while and then go for the next kind when enough money has been saved to make it worth doing. Work up to the entire zoo in baby steps

Thought I would start with chickens but how many chickens equal rent?

 

[Wifezilla]

I am getting quail today so excuse my quail on the brain issues...

I would raise some button quail indoors. Check out this set up...

I would also get one of those giant water bottles and start stuffing it with "farm money".

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
Wow, Wifezilla, that was an awesome setup... is that what you're planning to do? (sorry about hijacking)

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
I wouldn't think you'd want to take wild, feral pigs that have been trapped, and try to keep them on a hobby farm...

I applaud the thought that has gone into the idea and can't blame you for wanting to try it, but it does seem like there is a lot that can go wrong. I worry enough about my animals in my own backyard, even when there is a chance I'd hear a ruckus if a predator tried to get them. But if they were some distance away, there is NO chance I'd hear any ruckus. Also, the number of animals you are talking about sounds like a LOT of work. I've kept some of the animals you mentioned at different times in my life, and it seems it always takes more work and effort than you'd think when you first get them. Water troughs need to be cleaned and refilled. Pens need to be cleaned and new substrate hauled in and laid down. Feed bins need to be refilled. Milking can take awhile.

Then there are illnesses and emergencies to deal with (if you're only there once a day you won't be as tuned in to animals not acting quite right, until it is pronounced).

Honestly, if it were me I'd rather wait until I could afford to rent/buy a place with some acreage to be able to do it on my own land.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Oh, but there is..

I dunno about where you live, but it's modern gun season for whitetail here right now. And when that's over, it's still squirrel and rabbit season, plus there's a gun season for Turkey coming up. Bow season for turkey is in until like February. Then there's a late season muzzleload on whitetail, and whitetail archery's in for a good while longer.

There's all kinds of "local, grass-fed meat" out there, practically free for the taking...you just gotta hunt it down and kill it. Still a lot of fish to be caught, too.

I get it, though...you want the zoo. Believe me, I understand. Think of it this way, though...if you don't have much experience processing animals for the table, hunting will give you that experience. Plus it will allow you to fill your freezers with food you didn't have to buy, and less buying equals more savings...more savings equals getting to your goal of raising your own animals that much faster. Not to mention (But wait! There's more!) looking around for hunting leases might yield friends and tips on small plots to lease for farming.

Could be a Win/Win/Win situation.

If you had a deer rifle like mine, you might even have a 30/30 Win/Win/Win/Win situation.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:
Nice rifle.................love the statement.