# How would you stock a 5 acre farm?



## BeesNBunnies (Aug 15, 2005)

I don't have fencing up yet, nor a barn. Basically I am starting with a clean slate. The 5 acres is all open...no woods. I currently don't have the funds to do a whole lot so I thought I'd see what I could do about planning the most efficient homestead I could. If ya'll had my set up what would you raise? The only animals I currently have are angora and NZW rabbits, about 25 banty chickens(not laying yet) and 8 beehives. I've planted 6 apple trees this year and plan to plant berries and different varieties of fruit nut trees. There's just me and my husband so we don't need huge amounts of food but do want it to be of excellent quality. Other than a horse(yes I know lots of people like them but I'm looking for useful animals) what would ya'll do?


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## allenslabs (Feb 6, 2005)

FULL!!!! HAHA!! But no really...... I would get a horse ( I love em.....) but get something like a haflinger that you can ride or drive or even a mule. Then something to make milk.. I have 8 goats right now but only 4 that I milk. GOOOOOOOD milk. Then we have a jersey holstein cross heifer that is due jan 20 which I will then put calves on to raise money for the farm! We also have 3 ducks (not big yet but good bug eaters already) , 19 laying hens and 1 roo then 30 baby pullets which are only 4 weeks old. And we have a belgian and a donkey which are in our back pasture. Aside from the belgian and donkey everything is on only about 3 acres and that 3 acres also has our house, 2 large barns, 1 small one and my hubbys old garage. So........ LOTS! Goats don't take up a lot of room but are beneficial as you can sell babies and have milk. Plus hey they're just loads of fun! 
Just my bit here!


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I hope things are going well with your dog  

I think you are on the right road with your trees. A nice little orchard is nice. You can also grow pawpaws in your area. If you want to earn some cash, you can sell apples and pawpaws and add an herbal garden.

Get some decent sized chickens or ducks. They can be butchered at 8 to 16 weeks, depending the the breed. Also, a few heritage breed turkeys. Keep the turkeys to the second year before butchering. yummm. A small pond would also be nice, especially since you are probably far from the nearest fire hydrant. You can fish the pond, and your ducks will love it

I'd also think about flower gardens. I have six acres with pond and house, about four acres of pasture with ten sheep and two mini donkeys. The place just cries out for garden beds. With all the trees you are planting, you could make quite a garden of the place if you plant easy care understory beds. If you have sheep, though, I wouldn't put flower beds where they are kept. We are putting in lasagne beds, using our maples as anchor points. I've also been planting raspberries around to see where they will do best. You might want to consider grapes also. Grapes can form a very attractive fence.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

BeesNBunnies said:


> I don't have fencing up yet, nor a barn. Basically I am starting with a clean slate. The 5 acres is all open...no woods. I currently don't have the funds to do a whole lot so I thought I'd see what I could do about planning the most efficient homestead I could. If ya'll had my set up what would you raise? The only animals I currently have are angora and NZW rabbits, about 25 banty chickens(not laying yet) and 8 beehives. I've planted 6 apple trees this year and plan to plant berries and different varieties of fruit nut trees. There's just me and my husband so we don't need huge amounts of food but do want it to be of excellent quality. Other than a horse(yes I know lots of people like them but I'm looking for useful animals) what would ya'll do?


Well to keep any larger livestock, it will take some money and fencing. Goats is probably the best idea. Meat goats like Boers is what I would like to think about. 
5 acres isn't a lot to do much else on the livestock scene. Maybe use an acre for raising turkeys on pasture (poultry tractor) moving it around for them to grass feed during the growing season. In the 'non livestock' area, maybe an acre plant the large garden or berry patch. The fruit trees are a great idea also, and add more beehives. Sell the honey, and the fruit! I'de have a good sized barn and also poultry pens, dog pen, greenhouse?


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## BeesNBunnies (Aug 15, 2005)

Hubby definately wants a greenhouse. Only way I can see justifying the expense of a greenhouse is if we raise stuff in it that we normally don't or can't grow in the garden. Any suggestions for 'luxury' fruit or veggies that do especially good in greenhouses? I'm thinking of combining that with raising fish....possibly a aquaculture/permaculture type thing. I'm afraid goats are out. Both me and my husband have had our fill of trying to keep those ornery things inside of a fence! If ya'll know of a breed that isn't an escape artist I'm all ears!!! It's kind of hard to justify keeping a milk cow for just me and him.....though I would raise calves on her too...have ya'll priced 3 day old calves! :grump: Neither of us really like the taste of duck.....definately getting turkeys though. Anyone have any experience with quail? I raised them for a hunting club once but I've never raised them to eat(I was just the caretaker...didn't own the quail). Last time I had quail was when I was little...before fireants moved into east texas and distroyed all of em.


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## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

depending upon climate, a person can pretty much set up a temporary shelter for winter feed storage using a hoophouse style greenhouse from cattle panels and some framing limber and a few pallets [floors and walls] 3 foot walls will spread catle panels to 12 feet wide and 8 feet center hieght and 4 feet plus with each $20 panel, cover with cheap plastic tarp and or cheap plastic from the lumber yard for one year replace if you have to wait to build a better barn....

a 3 sided shed with a single slope roof will shelter your large animals from most unsavery weather, and while not perfect will suffice and should not cost more than about $500 if you cant scrounge used lumber from some place or other.

fencing need not be really expensive either, a cow that is used to electric fencing will stay inside, and a roll of 1 inch wide tape is not expensive at $50, it will surround a good size paddock with 2 wires, The inch tape is easy to see by both animal and human.. fibreglas posts are $2 each with insulators, palced every 25 -40 feet some of mine are farther.... and for corners you can either set wooden 4x4s or just pound in metal t-posts [i have even just set 3 fiberglass posts for a temporary setup.... for a charger a short range charger isnt more than about $100 and probably half that for grid power, and a really good 6 volt solar rig only is about $300 and lasts a long time.... and sets up temporary paddocks anywhere.... something to consider long term. So for under $1000.00 you can have a portable fencesystem, and for about half that you can get started..... no not cheap, and yes you can pick up used equipment like we did... just keep eyes open at the feed store bulletin board.

now for animals to stock, if you have not been around cattle or horses, visit someone who has some, they are tempormental.... people get hurt al the time who are not used to handleing big animals, i grew up around show cattle and started handling big bulls at a very early age... yet i still have great respect for huge beasts.

The hoop house can be used to house chickens too, without building on a frame off the ground, the panels will be about 6 feet wide and high in the center when bent in an upside down "U" shape. stapled to a 2x6 will give you a skid to pull it to clean ground to keep your pen cleaner.... raise 25-50 fryers in a small pen and as they reach maturity you have your hands full of processing meat.... a hard days work for 2 people if you havent done much of that before.... same with rabbits.....

the goat idea is alright, but goats get into everything you dont want them to, sheep are almost as bad, and it takes better fencing to keep the in.... Premier 1 supply probably has an excellent syste for sheep and goats as well as pastured poultry using electric fencing, it is spendy, but i used the forunner to it 20 years ago and i loved the system... once the animals get used to being inside the hotwire they dont give you a problem.

If you dont already have Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living i suggest you obtain a copy, it might same you a headache or three on the animal choosing part.... and feeding too.

William


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

First are you planning on supporting your entire livestock off the land or will you suplement food from purchased items? 5 acres isnt much land if you plan on trying to support the animals on it as well. 

I would fence the perimiter and then you can fill in the middle with the fence as needed based on the animals and shelters you build. I would think no smaller than an acrea pasture. 4 1ac pastures and the remaning last for barns and housing.


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## plowhand (Aug 14, 2005)

I find that fencing the perimeters or my land with field fencing and putting two strand of 12 gauge barbwire on top make the best fence you've ever seen. We've used eletric fence; with both smooth and barbed wire,field fencing with eletric on top and with barbed wire on top. I like the last option. I don't have to worry about the power going out or wonder if someones has unplugged the charger for some reason and not plugged it back in. The liability here seems to be less with the more substantial fence. It's harder to believe that you are negligent if some unwanted menace cuts a 39" woven wire fence and the barbwire on top than if they cut 4 or five strands of hot wire. I do like hot wire for training and for dividing pastures. It is expensive to start with, but I believe it is a good investment. It also helps to have a few cattle panels on hand for emergencies. They come in several different sizes, and are easy to put together wither wire or cable clamps.


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## Siryet (Jun 29, 2002)

rabbits
sheep
hogs
garden
orchard
ducks
chickens
guard dog
But first of all I would look into fencing. 

at a much later time cattle


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## hulagirl (Sep 24, 2005)

What great suggestions ! I too have only one animal on our 5 acres and it is a dairy goat. She is well worth her keep and the children like her. I was also going to reccomend a "house" that is built into the ground with the magority of the house underground and only an above floor with the green house feature. There is one that I have seen that also uses earth to cover one side of the above part, providing even more insulation and protection . I'm sure some of you out there know better how to express what I am trying to draw a picture of, but I would think that this would be inexpensive, have an area that would like a "root cellar storage" energy efficient and somewhat demure. Hope that helps. And hello from another bee keeper !


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

Ducks - Muscovy ducks do not have that gamey flavor most ducks have. They taste like turkey dark meat, with a little twist. In fact, I really wanted to get turkeys until I cooked my first Muscovy. Now, I can't really see the point. Muscovys are hardy, good foragers, quiet, decent with my chickens, fast growers (butcher nicely at 11 weeks), tasty, good layers and mothers, and make a reasonably sized carcasse. I'll probably have turkeys eventually, just because they look and sound neat, but I think I'll wait until I'm on a bigger piece of property.

Goats - Myotonic goats cannot go over fences. They faint first. However, you said you have only pasture, so I'm hearing that you don't have much browse. Given that, you'd be much better off with sheep. And at least one milk goat. I've never had any trouble at all with my goats going over fences, but then they're pretty comfortable where they are, so there's no real incentive.

You can do a huge amount on five acres of good ground, by the way. I'd just advise you to take it kind of slowly. Get one or two types of animal per year until you've got what you want. This will give you a chance to learn about them and how they fit into the system through the seasons before you get something else. That way, you won't get overwhelmed so quickly. 

And most of all, remember to have fun!


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## HunterTed (Mar 21, 2005)

First thing I would keep a bunch of is meat rabbits. I have some and they dont take much work at all. Put worm beds under the cages and before too long you will have an endless supply of first class fishing worms. Plus the worm castings make the best fertilizer that you will ever use. I also have Boer goats, plus a Nubian doe, an Alpine doe , and a Kiko cross doe. goats are great. I never have any problems selling any that I do not want to keep. Plus they keep a place really manicured and don't harm the grass near as much as sheep do. Poultry is a good thing to have as well. I have chickens, turkeys, and guineas. Either free range or in a coop. But with any/all of those animals you have got to have at least one guard dog. I have 2 Great Pyrenees. They dont bother any of the stock and they keep varmits away.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

Check and see what will grow in your area but if I lived there I'd definitely plant nut trees (around the borders and avoid risk of too much shade when they're huge on your gardens etc) and bushes- hazelnuts or filberts may grow there and I'm going to miss them if I'm in AL next year, walnuts will and maybe pecans. Mayeb a new resistant variety chestnut? Longterm investment for the children nuts and wood.


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## Ozarkquilter46 (Jun 5, 2002)

instead of a greenhouse check out hoop houses. They are affordable and my friend in central Ky had her's up for about 5 years before she had to replace the plastic.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

When I was a kid, my parents had 5 acres, and we always raised a steer to butcher, and we had a milk cow. We also had chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, a couple of hogs, fruit trees, berry bushes and a huge vegetable garden. My parents maximized the small space by planting berry bushes and fruit trees as edible landscaping rather then as an orchard. Instead of ornamental trees and shrubs around the house, we planted the fruits. Now, granted, I was raised in NH where an acre of grass will feed a lot of animal because of how well the grass grows on it's own. We did buy hay on occassion, but we also bartered with a dairy farmer down the road to trade him turkeys and pork in exchange for hay. One year we raised a couple of lambs for him in trade for hay. There are ways to do it on only 5 acres, if you are willing to be creative in your thinking.
We raised out turkeys in with our chickens and never had any disease issues. Our rabbit cages were attached to the back of the barn to maximize space.

Best of luck in your endeavors


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

In a greenhouse? Orchids, and forced potted holiday plants. We had relatives (passed away now) who became millionaires forcing plants to bloom for the holidays.

Also, fresh strawberries out of season. Grow them in 4" pvc pipes with pockets cut in them, hung vertically, automatic watering system, hydroponic, to save space.

Leva



BeesNBunnies said:


> Hubby definately wants a greenhouse. Only way I can see justifying the expense of a greenhouse is if we raise stuff in it that we normally don't or can't grow in the garden. Any suggestions for 'luxury' fruit or veggies that do especially good in greenhouses? I'm thinking of combining that with raising fish....possibly a aquaculture/permaculture type thing. I'm afraid goats are out. Both me and my husband have had our fill of trying to keep those ornery things inside of a fence! If ya'll know of a breed that isn't an escape artist I'm all ears!!! It's kind of hard to justify keeping a milk cow for just me and him.....though I would raise calves on her too...have ya'll priced 3 day old calves! :grump: Neither of us really like the taste of duck.....definately getting turkeys though. Anyone have any experience with quail? I raised them for a hunting club once but I've never raised them to eat(I was just the caretaker...didn't own the quail). Last time I had quail was when I was little...before fireants moved into east texas and distroyed all of em.


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## afrikaner (Sep 5, 2005)

I grew up on a farm (much more than 5 acres, but same principle).
Take 1 acre for home, barn and orchard/garden. Fence the permiter of the 5 acres with a substnatial fence, then create 4 camps of an acre each. Create a pasture in them - now get 4 sheep (or goats-I like sheep cause I like mutton) and 2 dexters (1 bull, one cow), some chickens and maybe a few rabbits.Rotate the animal from camp to camp to make sure that the previous camp has some rest time to re-grow. May build a barn on the corner of the 4 camps and make is accesible from all camps - that way you free up some space in your 1 acre homesite and the animals can get to shelter without your help.
for the interior camps, you can use a more cost effective type fencing.

If paw paws will grow, try Litchi or Mango as well - takeslonger to grow, but the yield is very substnatial - and nothing beats a case of litchi's that had been sitting in a sealed bucket of vodka for a few months...hmmmm.


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## bulldinkie (Nov 12, 2003)

We raise Reg texas longhorn cattle.We really enjoy it.You could breed a chochlate color bull to a red roam spotted female get a black and white.You never know what youre getting,very docile,beautiful animals.'
We also have reg tennessee walker gelding horses.


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## mikee22712 (Sep 29, 2005)

I have found a book that is self expliantory about how to calculate what you might be able to do with a five acre place.The book that I found is written by John Seymour Title is Self-Sufficient Life and how to live it. This book does not tell you what to raise but it does tell how to divide up your areas to get the best out of it. You are going to have to find out what plants that will do good in your area and what will sell at a price that is suffiecient to pay for raising it


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## jeffreyc256 (Sep 25, 2005)

There is a guy in Alabama that does real well with greenhouse tomatoes. They are beautiful even in the winter. His biggest problem is hand pollinating which you could do with your bees. The dual use aquaponics will work great. I would also check into dexter cows using electric fencing. You could get the initial pasture fenced in one weekend for around 500 including a hot charger. Buy two calves and butcher at two years and start over. I wouldnt go for larger breeds on just 5 acres. I had black angus on 20 acres and I am considering going to the dexters. good luck.


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## Merrique (Jun 2, 2005)

Well, I can tell you what I would like to have on our farm. We have 15 acres and a nice, big pond. I really reccommend the fish farming, perhaps catfish, since they are pretty easy to raise. Currently, I have around 25 chickens, some banties and some layers. We just finished butchering 100 Cornish hens, you raise them for about 4-6 weeks, then you end up with a 1-2 lb. chicken, it would be good for the pair of you. We also raise the big Cornish rock crosses in the spring, at 12-16 weeks, you can butcher them and end up with a very nice 6-7 lb. bird. I also have pygmy goats (I sell the kids), Barbados Blackbelly sheep, and two potbellied pigs (will sell little ones next spring.) I also have around 25 turkeys, over half which are bound for the freezer.
I would like to have a duck pen(for the eggs) and geese(just like them). I also would like to raise some more quail. When I have more land fenced in, I will invest in some dairy goats and some minature cattle, such as Dexters, that will be easier for me to handle. I would also like to have a pair or trio of donkeys to work with. Raising meat rabbits is also a good idea, good meat, good for you and you can learn to tan the skins. I will also be geeting a boar and sow pig in the spring, feeder pigs are in high demand around here.


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## JennDBass (Sep 20, 2004)

BeesNBunnies said:


> Any suggestions for 'luxury' fruit or veggies that do especially good in greenhouses?


It really depends on where you live. Take your USDA zone and add 2 or 3 for a regular greenhouse... you can add more if you install heaters or large black water tanks in the center. Also concider a solar room if you are in a cooler climate... the sun will keep your home warmer!


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## HeatherDriskill (Jun 28, 2005)

Read the book "Five Acres and Independence"!


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