June is Jam & Bake Month for Livestock Owners
You have land. Now you want to raise livestock for profit?! This month’s newsletter will cover which livestock are best for a small new farm. Before jumping to livestock species though, are you sure you’re ready? Do you live in Texas, like us?
When you have livestock in Texas, June and July are jam and bake months – the months you jam as much fun and chores as you can fit in between checking automatic waterers and filling backup buckets while trying not to bake, yourself in the 100+ degree temperatures.
The earth has changed in what seems like a week; cracked and baked beneath our feet, which means its Summertime! Time to repair leaning fences caused by dry clay soil. Most important chore this month though is monitoring animals for heat tolerance. We check our alpacas for hydration and body score, and we look at the color of their eye membranes for worm load (FAMACHA). We track their general health and comfort basically. With chickens, we look for signs of lethargy; droopy head and feathers, refusing to leave the nesting box, etc.
It’s HOT. So hot that I can’t stop worrying about poultry waterers, paca waterers and dog buckets. Seems like forever ago that I was grumbling about potential flooding in the pasture. Now, “water, water, water” is my checklist. No more complaining about rain and busted pipes.
Raising Livestock in the Summer in Central Texas
Do you want to raise livestock? Here’s a snapshot of one Summer day with animals…
One Summer Day with Alpacas, Chickens, Ducks, Dogs & Cats (the Wynley Parkers)
- 6:15 feed dogs
- 6:30 feed True & alpacas – Eating grain is better for them when temps are cooler. We add electrolytes and a frozen water bottle to the auto waterers, then make sure they have free-feed minerals and hay for the day.
- 6:45 feed Poppet & chickens – Coops and the outdoor run get two waterers each. We also add a few shallow pans with open frozen water bottles in case the chickens feel like wading to cool off. Poppet swims in her pool while I water the vegetable garden.
- 7:00 Let LGDs out – Our LGDs eat in crates and stay crated for 30 minutes after eating. We lost a Great Pyrenees to gastric torsion, which is common in deep chested breeds. We feel better letting them rest awhile in the A/C after eating, especially during the hottest months.
- 7:05 Feed barn cats, water flowers and check dogs’ water buckets. Dump any scraps from the day before into compost and water, if needed. Training session for boarders.
- 8:00 Coffee break for the humans
- 9-10 Scoop poop
- 10-12 Work*
- 12pm potty break for Honor. Training session for boarders.
- 1:00 Check livestock waterers
- 2:00 Water animals – Poppet swims while True & the boys get their legs and bellies hosed down. Our female alpacas park in front of their a/c, where they’ll stay until around 5.
- 2:30-6 Work*
- 6:45 feed dogs
- 7:15-9 Work* (pet visits for me). Dinner for the humans.
I went ahead and added blocks for work because most livestock owners (us included) have fulltime jobs aside from farm duties. What is not included in the schedule is caring for a sick animal which inevitably happens. For instance, we give our girl, Honor, a medication to support her liver and kidneys an hour before we feed her breakfast.
Still Want to Raise Livestock for Profit?
Obviously, raising livestock is an investment. Even a small-scale farm, like ours takes some muscle and time, of course. But the real time-muncher is the amount of time it takes to research and learn about your animals’ needs. In addition to taking your money, energy and time, your new animals will walk right away with your heart. This is why it is crucial to research and find a veterinarian and mentor before bringing home new livestock. You just won’t have time after they move in.
Ranching, farming, homesteading, whatever you call it, it is a labor of love. Labor that comes with a monthly feed and vet bill that rivals our house payment. We choose this lifestyle because we can’t imagine a life without these animals.
There are easier ways to make a dollar, that’s for sure. So, if you don’t love a specific specie of animal simply for the enjoyment you get from watching it just be a chicken/goat/alpaca/horse, etc., then ranching, herding or breeding probably is not for you. If you do love animals and want to add one or two species to your lifestyle, get some! The secret will be figuring out ways you can profit from them, and that requires more research, so that you choose the species that makes sense for your circumstances…
Which Livestock Should You Choose? Top Five Livestock for a New Homesteader
Our top 5 recommendations for people who are new to livestock is based on our own research and personal experience. We have listed our top 5 livestock choices in this order based on: 1. the relative ease in getting started with them (ie. land, set-up costs), and 2. the likelihood that you might make a profit from them.
#1 Chickens
Chickens are fairly simple to care for on a daily basis. Give them grain and clean their waterers often. Add vitamins to the water to help them remain healthy and fight off parasites. We use Rooster Booster Poultry Cell and Manna Pro Hydro-Hen supplements, alternating between them each week.
Importance of fresh water for poultry cannot be overstressed. Without adequate water, which chickens hold in their crops, undigested food dries out and presses on the carotid artery. The pressure can decrease blood flow to their small but mighty chicken brains. Drinking water also lubricates the chicken’s joints and helps her regulate body temperature. A freshly laid egg is around 75% water, so inadequate hydration can lead to no eggs.
Your chickens will need protection from extreme heat and cold and predators, but otherwise, a simple coop will suffice. Let them free-range if you can keep them safe from dogs and hawks. Our bantams have a covered run as small chickens are more susceptible to flying predators, as are chickens wearing pom poms atop their skulls. Our full-size chickens are able to free-range during the day, and they put themselves to bed at night (which is cute). I try to let chickens be chickens, but the fluffier and smaller the chicken, the more work you will have to keep them safe and comfy.
Broilers vs. Layers: Meat or Eggs?
Chicken breeds are usually categorized as broilers and layers, although a few breeds are dual-purpose. Broilers are raised for meat, so they grow very quickly and get quite a bit larger than layers (as in egg-layers). They are ready to be slaughtered in about eight weeks. Visit Melissa K Norris’ site for information on how to raise meat birds, https://melissaknorris.com/raising-chickens-for-profit/
She’s one of my favorite farm experts to follow because she is so knowledgeable (and frugal). Her site is chockful of helpful information for new homesteaders!
Layers can also be eaten, of course, but they are smaller and leaner, and they are really meant to produce eggs. Layers will give you one egg per day at their optimum. Commercial egg producers slaughter layers when they stop producing daily, which is when they’re about 18 months old (good reason to get your eggs from your local small farmer).
Backyard chickens can give you eggs for 3-4 years. Most backyard chicken keepers love these feathered goofs, and we let them live out their lives which can last 5, even 10 years with proper care. Unfortunately, vets who are willing to treat chickens are becoming hard to find, so when one gets sick, you will be your chicken’s nurse! One of the most informative sites for caring for chickens is this one, https://the-chicken-chick.com/ Consider yourself forewarned that you will very likely fall in love with your chickens!
#2 Ducks
Ducks are pretty easy to care for, especially if you have a tank or pond. We started with ducks and one goose when we first moved here. Duck antics are a lot of fun to watch! Our ducks come when called to eat, and they are not aggressive towards people. Ducks do run a higher predation risk than other livestock on the list. However, we have lost significantly fewer ducks since utilizing livestock guardian dogs. Even with the presence of LGDs though, our momma ducks still struggle to keep their eggs safe long enough to hatch them. In the fifteen years we have free-ranged ducks, we have only had one brood of ducklings hatched here.
Meat or Eggs for Profit?
Ducks are super easy to train to go into a duck house at night, so if you want to collect their eggs for profit, or let them hatch as meat birds, cooping them is your best option. Duck eggs are richer than chicken eggs and delicious when used for baking. Duck meat is a great source of iron. It also provides protein and B vitamins. Duck fat can also be healthy for cooking as it contains monounsaturated fat and omega-3, as does extra virgin olive oil.
If you decide to get ducks, please learn about sexing them first as most ducklings are sold as straight run. I advise against purchasing straight run, unless you plan to raise ducks for meat. We do not eat our ducks, but we often threaten to eat our adult male ducks who can be be complete jerks to the females. If you want to breed, plan on having four hens per drake. Any fewer will result in harassed hens. TIP: to differentiate an adult drake from hen, look a the tail. Males usually have one tail feather that curls up. They also whisper quack, as opposed to chattier females.
#3 Honeybees
You may be eligible for an agriculture exemption for honeybees! You will need to meet the agriculture exemption land requirement, which is 10 acres in Texas. Once your hive is up and running, expect to spend 30-45 minutes per week, on average to care for your honeybees. If you decide to become a beekeeper, there will be much to learn, so do not expect to see a profit from product anytime soon. Around 70% of beekeepers quit in their second year.
Having a minimum of 6 colonies is required to qualify you for an ag exemption, and you don’t have to take care of the bees yourself. Bees come in at first place for ease because you can hire a professional beekeeper to set up and care for your colonies! What could be easier? If you do decide to hire a professional beekeeper, a portion of any profit you may make from honey-related product will go toward their services. However, the money saved by having the ag exemption will be worth it, in our opinion. We do not have honeybees as our current farm doesn’t meet the size requirement, but we will definitely consider leasing them when we expand. A friend on a nearby farm keeps her own bees and has excellent honey you should buy if you’re local,
7/10 Don’t Step on a Bee Day 2023
#4 Rabbits
If you are looking for an animal that is fairly simple to raise and small, be sure to research rabbits, the other other white meat. Rabbits can be raised for profit by harvesting either their meat or their fur (not necessarily hides). Did you know that rabbit meat is actually healthier than chicken meat? Rabbit meat can replace chicken in pretty much any recipe. Rabbits, like broilers, can be ready for processing in eight weeks.
Did you know you can shear a rabbit and sell their fiber? Look into crafter groups to see if there is a demand for rabbit hair in your area. Short-haired bunnies will need to be brushed every other day or so. Long-haired bunnies, like the angora, will require daily brushing to stay clean and tangle-free. Other than their grooming needs, rabbits are as easy to care for as chickens, requiring a coop and daily feed and water.
Charley and I each had a pet bunny when we were younger, so I don’t know if either of us could raise them for meat. Raising meat rabbits does, however, seem like it could be a productive endeavor. Morning Chores has several informative articles about rabbits, https://morningchores.com/breeding-rabbits/
#5 Goats and Sheep for Profit (are tied for 5th place)
Goats and/or sheep are also good livestock considerations for new farmers and may qualify your land for an ag exemption. Neither goats nor sheep are picky eaters, and they do not require as much space as other popular livestock, like cows or pigs. Around twenty ewes and their lambs can be raised on a minimum of 5-7 acres by dividing it into three pastures and rotating the flock. Rotational grazing is good for both livestock and land regeneration. We are looking forward to incorporating rotational grazing soon! It is a fascinating land management practice that we hope you read about before getting your livestock.
Deciding to raise sheep or goats (or both) for profit is your choice to make. In 2023, lamb meat is earning the highest dollar per pound. Should you decide to get both goats and sheep, they can live and graze together as one herd. They are susceptible to many of the same parasites, so you will need to learn how to manage worm load for both species and treat each individual animal as needed.
Parasite Management
One natural solution to parasite management is to move your herd before grass is grazed below four or five inches high. Taller grasses mean that livestock ingest less parasites, as their larva remain on the first two inches of growth just above the earth. Another best practice for parasite management is to raise two different livestock species who do not share parasites. Cattle are not host-friendly to the same parasites as goats, for instance, so they can graze a field after the goats/sheep have been moved to the next field. Of course, you will need a minimum of one acre per cow, so larger acreage is necessary to implement this practice.
If you’re thinking about getting sheep, you will enjoy following the Shepherdess, located near Dallas, https://www.youtube.com/c/theshepherdess
Additional References for Raising Livestock
My favorite farmer to watch is Anne of all Trades, because she is also a city-gal-turned-farmer. She shares many valuable lessons she has learned, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCkFJmUgzrZdkeHl_qPItsA
Another farmer to watch and learn from is Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farm. He moves his cattle every day and his chicken caravan follows the cattle. Much can be learned from his practices, https://www.youube.com/watch?v=a0DX4Flzjrs
Other farmers rotate pastures once a week or every month. Linessa Farms moves their sheep and goat herds once a week. Here is a good video of his movable fencing system, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnjpj7Yo8hM
Camelids
As you may have noticed, camelids did not make it into our top 5 Livestock Recommendations for New Owners. We love True and our alpacas, but we suggest gaining livestock experience with a non-exotic species before investing in camelids. Alpacas and llamas are expensive to buy. They can also be expensive to feed and shear. The hay needs of camelids is different than that of livestock who are native to Texas. We thought horse hay was expensive… Orchard grass, alpacas’ favorite hay, has to be shipped to Texas. We usually get ours from Colorado. A bad crop year means scrambling to find other quality hay that alpacas will agree to eat. Let your first herd be a little less challenging. BUT, pack a picnic and come visit our llama and alpacas! Fish in our pond or make fireside smores. We promise you’ll have fun!
While you’re here, ask us about all the different products that come from alpaca fiber; rugs, clothing, toys…If you’re interested in buying alpaca products, we suggest visiting our friends at Hummers Homestead, https://www.facebook.com/Hummershomesteadalpacas
Research Before You Buy: What to Consider Before Bringing Livestock Home
As soon as Charley and I got land, we started daydreaming about what kind of livestock to get. We were so excited! For Wynley Park, we envisioned an adorable and profitable herd that could defray the cost of its food bills, at least. We already had a handful of ducks and a goose that came with our pond, but we wanted to expand.
So, we bought 2 alpacas. We didn’t have a barn. Not even a fence. We jumped the gun. In our defense, we had researched alpacas. We had found a vet and visited a local farm, and we visited a second farm while we were on vacation in Colorado. Well, that farm was dissolving due to divorce. They offered us a gorgeous fawn-colored alpaca with a 3-month-old female cria for a great price, and we jumped. May our experience serve as warning NOT to visit a farm with available baby animals before you have built your parameter fencing. Also, visit SEVERAL farms before you purchase any livestock because where you’re getting ready to put that new barn may not be your best choice. You will also be more likely to buy from the right seller, the more farms you visit.
Resources You Need for livestock: Land, Finances, Physicality, Ethics, Record-keeping and Management, Oh My!
Your research assignment is to learn how (and when) to feed, shelter, protect, groom, vaccinate, worm, breed (or not breed), train, track and clean up after the livestock of your choice.
Finances and Physicality
I think that for a lot of people who have land, the next logical step is to get animals. Livestock can have unanticipated expenses, just like pets. For instance, do you know what the going rate is for farm sitting? Just like budgeting for boarding before getting a dog or cat, you will need to have a plan for your livestock. Do you have a livestock vet? And a shearer? Do you know how to train your animals to be handled by these folks? Check back soon for tips for lead-training smaller livestock.
Do you have a plan for extreme weather? And predators? Lean-tos are often spouted as the only shelter that livestock need in Texas. While it may be true more often than not, heat stress can permanently damage an animal and last Winter, remember that 5-day ice storm in Central Texas?…
Livestock Management
Are you proficient at record-keeping? Running out of hay or supplements or forgetting to schedule annual shearing that you want done in March is big. It will happen. It happens to every new livestock owner and you will feel terrible.
Visit several different farms. Pay attention to their layout; what works and what could be improved upon. Talk to livestock owners, the more the better. Ask them everything you can think of about their livestock; inquire about their set-up, their lives. How they handle illness (theirs, not the animals) and vacation. If someone who sells livestock tells you that this type of livestock is “easy to care for”, recognize this as your red flag. Please reconsider buying from them. No farm animal is easy to care for. Every type of livestock has its pros and cons. Even pets are a daily commitment. I wouldn’t describe it as “easy”, not if you do it well.
Sales Ethics
Also ethics-related, know the value of livestock. While the old adage “you get what you pay for” is true, it is also true that you will find people who will try to sell you animals for more than they are worth if they think you don’t know any better because you are new to the industry.
Ask to see the most prized animals in the herd and compare them to the ones being offered for sale. Then compare them to the ones you have seen at other farms. Learn about conformation and wool or fiber quality. For livestock that have competed in classes, know that ribbons are awarded based on the animals who are entered in any given show (or class). So, if only two llamas are entered in a class, one of them is getting a blue ribbon. This llama may or may not be the same quality as the llama who has not won a blue ribbon that you saw at the last farm.
Livestock Deserve a Good Life
Understand the demands of livestocking and know your own limitations. A typically docile alpaca can knock you off your feet. Roosters scratch. Goats get their heads stuck in the oddest places. Excrement is disgusting and parasites are grosser than poop.
Charley and I took a one-day course on parasites last month. This course covered all of the parasites that are specific to ruminants and which are common to this part of the US. The instructor discussed recognizing when an animal’s worm load is too high and best practice for worming the animal (not the whole herd). We used a microscope to analyze goat feces. If that disgusts you, you don’t want to know how we extracted the feces. Know your limits because these kids are depending on you for their health and wellbeing. If you are planning to raise animals (or even eggs) for consumption, human health is dependent upon your knowledge and ability too.
Charley and I both learned a lot, even though we have had alpacas for ten years. The instructor was engaging and knowledgeable. If you’re local and have or plan to get ruminants, we recommend taking the class for FAMACHA certification, https://shadypaddockfarm.com/famacha-certification-workshop.html#/
And a Humane Death
The struggle is real y’all. Caring for livestock and growing food are science-based skills. Skills we’re still mastering and the stakes are high. I often hear it referred to as “the simple life”. Science is often fascinating, sometimes just gross, but simple? I guess that’s for you to decide.
Before closing our June newsletter, I ask you to think about the importance of animals having a good life. Let them experience the simple pleasures intended for them. Let them graze or swim, let them scratch the ground. Respect the animals who will become a source of food. Treat them with dignity. Give all of your animals a good life and a good death; ensure that your livestock live and die humanely.
Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”
Proverbs 12:10