6/20/2023 0 Comments Hobby farm layout![]() ![]() Looking back, I do feel that the additional three cows on our small farm were too much for the land. This was a tricky addition but the price was right. We did not choose to use that option, but we had it available.Ībout a year after acquiring the first two feeder cows, we purchased three more. This also gave us the option of possibly breeding. Yes, you can raise the heifers for meat too. We began with two Black Angus feeder heifers. What is many? Of course, that is a vague term. In other words, when learning how to start a cattle farm, do not start with many heads of cattle. My first recommendation for people who ask how we raise cattle on small acreage is to start small. Miniature cattle should also be considered.Ĭattle farming for beginners can be an overwhelming project or a huge success. Some cattle breeds are chosen by what is available in your area. There are many cattle breeds to choose from. There are some breeds, such as the Jersey, which can fill all three of the needs. Breeding for feeder calves, milk production and meat for your table or market are the three main reasons to raise cattle. Knowing why you are raising cattle on your property should be decided first. Cattle are large beasts and require strong fencing, water, grazing land or feed and a plan. I highly suggest reading up on some great permaculture books to learn more about making it work on your homestead.Learning how to start a cattle farm throws you into the deep end of the homesteading pool. Our long-term plan is to plant a permaculture food forest close to our chicken coop. Pigs or goats can help clean out new areas to plant later on. Chickens for example can help make composting easy or clean up fruit in orchards. Basically, you’re trying to get your animals to do some work for you. This type of design strongly integrates animals and gardening together. If you end up with any tree stumps on your homestead, you can kill the tree stumps so the roots don’t keep growing. Remember that many fruit trees also come in dwarf or semi dwarf and take up less space. Most trees will have the height and width space required on them. You need to make sure you’re planting them in a space where won’t shadow other areas. Planting trees and bushes can be expensive but worth it in the long run. Often fencing for animals or to keep pests out is one of the first homestead expenses. Most homesteads require large fencing for their livestock or to keep the garden safe, this adds up in cost. If you live in an urban setting perhaps you need to build some rodent proof garden beds. This is a big one, you might need a large fence to keep out large pests like bears or elk. You might only want to start with 10 egg laying chickens, but you might want 30 later on and design a larger coop. Are you adding any farm animals to your land? What do they need? Do you need new buildings for them to live in? Do you need an outbuilding for feed such as hay or a clean area for milking? Size of your buildings is important too. Learn more about garden planning with my gardening book which comes with a bonus planting guide. You’ll also need to figure out if you’re planning a large or smaller garden so you know how much space to leave. If you plan on building things like chicken coops, you’ll need to make sure that they aren’t creating shadows over your garden area. Look at the sunlight throughout the day, seasons and months to see what outbuilding are creating shadows. In general however, 8 hours is preferred. Other crops like leafy greens or root veggies can handle less sunlight such as 4-6 hours. You need 8+ hours for most of the sun loving plants like tomatoes and corn. Garden sunlight exposure is very important when planning your homestead garden.You can google your location and state or provincial laws, or find out from your town or city. Where we live in ‘rural residential’ for example, we can keep a certain amount of chickens per acre but they have to be 30 feet from the neighbor. ![]() Many locations won’t allow front yard gardens either. There’s often a distance required in-between neighbors, or regulations in place for what animals you can keep or how many. If you live in an urban area, you need to find out the zoning laws for animals or gardening.Some important things to keep in mind for backyard farm plans & design ![]()
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