What animals on 1 acre?

[Rysktal]

Hi everyone

I am about to move onto 1 acre with my husband and 4 sons. We currently have a dozen chickens, 2 dogs and 2 cats and plans to get a couple of ducks (for pet status) soon.

I have been dreaming of getting goats or sheep (for milk and/or fibre) but as we get closer to moving date, I am wondering...how much space do I truly need for those animals so they can have a good life? We plan on fencing about half an acre.

How would you experienced folk move forward? I don't want both goats and sheep, one or the other would be lovely- but which if any?

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

check out weed em and reap on youtube. they keep turkeys, chickens, pigs, ducks, goats and sometimes sheep on their 1 acre property(but i think the animals only have .5 of an acre

 

[Doublete]

Goats would be ok
But realize you would be best to set up for rotations on whatever you fence so they have fresh grass

And remember you’ll be feeding them hay through the winter

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Goats would be ok
But realize you would be best to set up for rotations on whatever you fence so they have fresh grass

And remember you’ll be feeding them hay through the winter

I agree with this. My daughter has rescue goats, she keeps them in a pen but free ranges through day. She feeds hay and I think feed through the winter and hay through summer. Good luck!

 

[Doublete]

I agree with this. My daughter has rescue goats, she keeps them in a pen but free ranges through day. She feeds hay and I think feed through the winter and hay through summer. Good luck!

They can certainly be kept in a small area (my two live with a horse in a 1/2 acre)
But they get fed twice daily

 

[Callender Girl]

I have -- in addition to my chickens, ducks and geese -- hair sheep and miniature goats. I LOVE goats, but my Katahdin sheep are easier keepers.

The sheep, which don't have to be sheared and so don't have their tailed docks, are more mellow and don't look to exploit each and every weakness in the fences.

Goats are constantly trying to figure out how to get to that greener grass on the other side of the fence. One of mine is a regular Houdini. I don't know that it's absolutely true that fainting goats aren't as good at climbing, but my little fainter/pygmy cross won't even climb on top of the goat house, where everyone else lounges.

Finding a reliable source of hay in the winter is crucial. Full-size hair sheep eat a lot more than miniature goats. All my ruminants are tame enough that I can herd them out of their own areas to graze across the property when their grass is getting eaten down.

My Katahdins, which were developed in the state of Maine and are pretty winter hardy, don't usually require hoof trimming. It is an adventure to trim the hooves of my goats, all of which have their horns.

BTW, good for you on getting the ducks. They are great entertainment, although my runners are not really cuddly. Eight of the nine will eat out of my hand.

Best wishes for your new adventure!

 

[DellaMyDarling]

I have two recommended animals!


Small breed goats such as Nigerian. Do pay a teeny more for good breed line, it's worth it.
Nigerians are excellent milk producers with a rich fat content. Nubians, or other larger breeds will yield more, but per body size Nigerians have the most milk to feed ratio.
Goats do not eat much grass, not like sheep. They're browsers rather than grazers. There are many plants you can easily seed out your pasture with for goats (check your growing zone, but most forage does well anywhere.) It's always recommended to have good hay and balanced minerals and grains for feed as well, but pasturing the goats will considerably decrease their bought feed needs. Just a caution though...many goats are not on pasture. Should you buy a bred doe (my plan, I'm buying two because they are herd animals and need buddies) make sure to inquire about their feed. Changing a goat's feed suddenly can make them very ill, mostly the deal with all animals! Your goats will need an adjustment period to get used to pasture.
Nigerians tend to be lazier than big breeds. When people complain of escape artist goats, they typically have big breeds. Nigerians are homebodies and lazy. I love this, and think they're perfect all around for many small scale farmer's/homesteading.

Rabbits!
I received some of our surprise hens in a "coop" that I'm fairly sure was meant for rabbits originally. I'll never put more birds in it, terrible for them, but I think it'll spur me into having a small rabbitry.
Why? There are a number of breeds that are good multipurpose bunnies (meat, furs, and pet temperament.) I am only hesitating because, well, cute factors. I do think it is consciously harder to cull and process such cuddly little creatures. However, I do think that rabbits make sense on our homestead.
Rabbits can be put to pasture as well. Same concept as a chicken tractor, you can use rabbit tractors. Again, check with breeder, they likely need adjustment time and always keep grains and hay available.
Rabbits can breed every 90 days. Young can be harvested around 12 weeks. It is estimated that one buck and two does will provide 180 pounds of meat per year.
You could harvest some as meat, process furs,a sell some kits as pets or meat rabbit starters for someone else's rabbitry.

I probably wrote a novel here. Hope this helps!

 

[Bunnylady]

Whether goats or sheep, you'd need at least 2, since they are herd animals, but you will need to feed them year round if that's all the land you have available (to someone who doesn't have land, an acre can seem like a lot, but by the time you get a house, etc, on it, it really isn't all that big). Half an acre can give a couple of goats plenty of room to bounce around, but even well-fed goats can be tough on fences. They will prop/lean on the fence to reach any foliage that hangs over the fence, and rub on the fence to scratch, stretching and bending and breaking it down. The best way I found to keep my fences intact was to put up welded wire to keep the goats in, and a hot wire at shoulder height to keep the goats off (but be warned - hot wire is a danger to free-ranging poultry!).

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

They can certainly be kept in a small area (my two live with a horse in a 1/2 acre)
But they get fed twice daily

Yup hers aren't in a huge pen either.

 

[happyhens1972]

I have an acre of paddock and when I just had goats, half of that space would have been plenty for my four. They are not big grazers so were easy on the grass and there was no real poaching it into mud either. I have always supplemented their feed with hay though as the browsing opportunities were virtually nil....just a few trees overhanging which soon got annihilated at goat level!

I did, however, need to install four foot high stake and pale fencing which was then covered in stock wire. It was expensive but it means I am fully confident they can't breach it.

I then got a trio of alpacas. They are amazing and live very happily with the goats but while an acre of SPACE is plenty for all 7 critters, the alpacas are constant grazers and the grass suffered badly. We have now split the acre paddock into two halves so we can rotate the pasture and give each side a bit of a rest. It's improved things enormously but we still have to heavily subsidise with hay.