We are moving soon and the new place is on 1/4 acre, which is bigger than our current 1/5 acre. However, the lot is long and narrow. DH wants the animals (chickens and mini goats) as far from the house as possible, out by the driveway. This posses several problems. One is gwakers who stop by like it is a petting zoo. Our current situations has the animal pen right along the street and this is a big issue as we have a lot of tourists.
Secondly, DH doesn't help care for the animals much and come winter, it is going to be a long schlep for me out there and back in up to 3 ft of snow, lugging hot water and such.
Third, it will make parking difficult as he wants to put them where we could make another space or two of parking and have room to turn around and so forth. If he puts them where he wants, I will barely be able to get in and out and there will be no where for guests to park.
I want to divide the yard into thirds lengthwise. First third, which has a carport, would be parking and a small garden under the trees where we can't park.
Then I will put up a nice cedar fence and the have the second third, which has two sheds and I would like to put the animals in that section with the shed we will be moving and have their pen as part of our garden. Third section is where our house, patio and veggie garden is.
DH does not want the animals this close to the house, but it would make my life oh so much easier. Since I am the one doing the daily care and cleaning, I think I should get what I want. DH thinks I should get rid of all the animals or do it his way.
Do you have animals close to your house and if so, is it a problem? DH says our current set up stinks but that is because he hasn't cleaned out the barn in 4 years and I don't have the strength to do it. He set it up so it is extremely difficult for me (he has heavy 12 ft tall doors that constantly fall off their hinges and I have been hurt more than once just trying to get them open wide to clean the barn out. And there are several other issues as well) to function out there. I plan to have the new set up user friendly for me, so I can clean weekly. What do you think? Will it smell? I don't think our current set up smells unless it rains. I keep the coop very clean and have a cement floor in there. It is the goat house that gives us the most problems, but I think I can solve that issue once we get the new housing set up. Thanks.
Secondly, DH doesn't help care for the animals much and come winter, it is going to be a long schlep for me out there and back in up to 3 ft of snow, lugging hot water and such.
Third, it will make parking difficult as he wants to put them where we could make another space or two of parking and have room to turn around and so forth. If he puts them where he wants, I will barely be able to get in and out and there will be no where for guests to park.
I want to divide the yard into thirds lengthwise. First third, which has a carport, would be parking and a small garden under the trees where we can't park.
Then I will put up a nice cedar fence and the have the second third, which has two sheds and I would like to put the animals in that section with the shed we will be moving and have their pen as part of our garden. Third section is where our house, patio and veggie garden is.
DH does not want the animals this close to the house, but it would make my life oh so much easier. Since I am the one doing the daily care and cleaning, I think I should get what I want. DH thinks I should get rid of all the animals or do it his way.
Do you have animals close to your house and if so, is it a problem? DH says our current set up stinks but that is because he hasn't cleaned out the barn in 4 years and I don't have the strength to do it. He set it up so it is extremely difficult for me (he has heavy 12 ft tall doors that constantly fall off their hinges and I have been hurt more than once just trying to get them open wide to clean the barn out. And there are several other issues as well) to function out there. I plan to have the new set up user friendly for me, so I can clean weekly. What do you think? Will it smell? I don't think our current set up smells unless it rains. I keep the coop very clean and have a cement floor in there. It is the goat house that gives us the most problems, but I think I can solve that issue once we get the new housing set up. Thanks.
Since we have done that we have no issues with mice or such. If you have problems with bugs in your feed use diatamious earth just make sure it is food grade.
Plus the water hose is next to the outlet so it is super easy to clean out and refill their water. So far even in the heat no smell and as far as snakes and mice, we have those anyway being in a wooded country area so I don't think the chicks being too close to the house will be a problem as far as that goes.
