what's a good farm animal besides chicks??

[Berynn]

Does anyone on this sight know about baby goats, or baby pigs? I have one acre, I have 7 laying hens, as long as they bahave they will stay their entire life with us. one chock lab, one african gray, one cockateil, two indoor cats, and a ten gallon fish tank. I was going to get a bigger tank, but I decided that I like furry friends that I can cuddle with. Can anyone advice me what kind of pet I should get thats a farm pet. I'm not ready for a horse, my neighbor has cows.
Before I got my chickens I spent seven months studying chickens and then I was lucky enough to find this sight.

 

[sunnychooks]

I vote for Goats!!!! They are fun to have around and have great personalities. There is a good variety of breeds so you would be able to choose the size or look you like. You could choose one of the dairy breeds or meat breeds, or you may like the minis, such as the pygmies or Nygerian Dwarfs. The biggest downside is that you would need a very strong enclosure because they are great escape artists.

 

[1acrefarm]

If you get a goat get more than one. They are social animals and need companionship. You can get by with two but it is better to have a trio. If you want them for pets and not milk or meat pygmy goats are nice because they do not get huge. Goats are great for weed control too. I would be wary of the pig. They eat alot of feed. If you are not careful in keeping them seperated from your chickens they will eat them too.

 

[countyroad1330]

Cows, get cows *haha* That's what we have. People are selling goats like popcorn at a movie! I hear pigs are hard to take care of. And supposedly goats don't need much space. Check on the Animal Classifieds group on Yahoo, if you have a Yahoo account. People have been advertising lots of goats on there!

 

[picklespickles]

if you get goats, i wouldn't start with an intact male or one with horns. get a de horned female or wether (neutered male.)

males and horned goats take practice.

i have always wanted a pig. that is the ONE thing my neighbors have let me know they wont' stand for. lol. oh, well. i guess we all have to draw the line somehwere.

pigs are supposed to be very smart. i have one goat that is incredibly intelligent. the other two are not stupid, but more regular.

i think goats take a lot more care than chickens and are more expensive in their needs.

the one thing actual negative i would say about goats is that they eat shrubbery and trees more than weeds. not saying they won't eat them, they do, but they seem to prefer shrubs. so you have to plan accordingly either with where you're going to have the goats or having them around mature enough trees that they don't destroy them. i had one goat eat a sapling in not even five minutes.

but i did't make goat stew. so you know they are worth it. oh, and they like roses bushes, too. just to let you know.

 

[hcammack]

If you want to get mild to I would get a pair of mini Nigerian Dwarf goats does. I now when I start my Sustainable farm I am getting Toggenburg goats and East Fresian Dairy sheep.
Henry

 

[kstaven]

Nigerians are nice. But to tell you the truth I prefer the Toggenburgs over most others. Really calm and easy going manner. Easy to milk. Personally I prefer goats to have horns but I am not sure I would recommend it to some one new to goats.

For sheep I would look at icelandics or shetlands. That way you have the option of wool, meat and milk.

We have cows here too. But I would have to say the goats and sheep are far more fun.

 

[MissPrissy]

If I read this correctly you live on 1 acre? I don't think 1 acre is enough room for a trio of goats, even the little pygmy goats, if your house is on this property as well. Perhaps some other type of fowl would be good for you? Ducks and a wading pool?

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I mentioned on another post that we had the little goat (Spike) a few years ago and kept him for alittle over ayear. You can't value anything green in your yard with a goat --that includes anything green that is as tall as they stretch standing on their back legs! Even with the goat chow and the alfalpha, he ate, and ate, and ate, and ate some more, all the green everything in my yard--looked like the bightmare before christmas yard! His horns weren't shaved off at birth either so when they grew (he was pygmy sized) the would get under the dog and try to slam his head backward to gore her, that's when we sent him back to the country where he originally came from. The continual stream of bb shaped poop was all over the yard and my patio too and it takes a millenium to break down and absorb into the ground --sooooo, while cute, and some are cuddly, the nubians I think, they eat all the time and everything in site and naturally the pooping all the time follows. Maybe a potbelly pig would be better, George Clooney has one so they can't be all bad....

 

[bantymum]

I would definately get an alpaca, they are very cuddly, you can wrap your arms around them standing up and they are wonderful stock protectors.
And if you like knitting you could also learn to spin their wool and make a nice fluffy cardigan, what more could you want!!!!