Part-time "hobby farming" on 3-5 acres?

[frustratedearthmother]

I think that you might be pushing it to try and maintain 2 cows on 1 acre. Most information says 1.5 to 2 acres for a cow/calf pair with lush pasture during the growing season. Winter would necessitate hay and/or grain.

On the other hand you could probably support quite a few more goats on that same acre. With adequate browse a little supplemental hay you might get away with 6 or so good milking goats that would supply an ample milk supply. Even supplemental feed for that many goats would still likely be less than for two cows. Sumi is right - cows eat a LOT!

The other thing to consider is that even the biggest milk goat is considerably smaller than even a small cow. Something to think about when handling an angry, obstinate and/or ill animal. One more consideration is that there is quite a learning curve when starting out with farm animals. If you lose a goat it will break your heart for sure - but it won't be the financial loss that you would suffer from losing a cow. And, if you have several goats you haven't lost your entire milk producing herd. If you are milking one cow and she dies - you've lost it all.

Hope you find just the right place and please keep us informed. Oh, and pictures are always appreciated!

 

[McCulloch610]

Thanks for the feedback-I've also been looking into smaller breeds, like Dexters, and actually just found that there is a Dexter breeder near me. According to what I've read they are pretty manageable for a small homestead.

 

[baymule]

2 cows on one acre = mud lot.

 

[Denim Deb]

I was going to suggest a mini cow since they're smaller and you don't need as much land for them. And, you get quite a bit of milk from one.

 

[McCulloch610]

I was going to suggest a mini cow since they're smaller and you don't need as much land for them. And, you get quite a bit of milk from one.

That's what we're looking into now. I think Baymule is envisioning two Holsteins or full-size Jerseys at 1000-1500lbs each on one acre. I'm talking about two Dexters (or a similar breed) weighing about 600lbs. We're going to look at the property this weekend-going over the satellite photo in a little more detail reveals that a 1.5 acre enclosure would likely be possible. Plus that's another .5 acre I wouldn't have to mow

 

[sumi]

Take some pics while you're out there?

 

[McCulloch610]

Take some pics while you're out there?

Will do! Here is a picture (from the listing) looking from the front porch toward the road:

Again, that's about an acre and a half + of cleared land, save for the few small trees here and there which I would take down. The structure off in the distance near the road looks to have been some kind of garden with a deer fence around it. I think the black thing to the lower left of that is the wellhead. I can find no guidelines from the town or the county on having a wellhead located within a pasture, but searching the topic seems to indicate no issue as long as it's covered and that the casing is in good condition.

Also, you're in Ireland, correct Sumi? Dexters are an Irish breed that originated in the mountainous southwest-are they still common in Ireland? That's another attraction of the breed for us since my wife and I are proud Irish-Americans whose ancestors came to the U.S. between the 1840s and 1920s from various parts of Ireland. My wife still has cousins that she keeps in touch with from time to time in Roscommon.

 

[sumi]

There's a lot you can do on that piece of land…

Dexters are still around here, but they are becoming a bit rare. Apparently there are around 2,000 left in the country.

 

[Denim Deb]

Depending on what the trees are, you may want to think about leaving them for shade. I'm not as familiar w/poisonous pasture plants for cattle as I am for horses, and I can't see the trees good enough from the pic to be able to tell what they are. But, if you have any questions about any of them, post a better pic, and I'll see if I can ID them for you.

 

[McCulloch610]

Depending on what the trees are, you may want to think about leaving them for shade. I'm not as familiar w/poisonous pasture plants for cattle as I am for horses, and I can't see the trees good enough from the pic to be able to tell what they are. But, if you have any questions about any of them, post a better pic, and I'll see if I can ID them for you.

Thanks! My next question is grass...how do I know that the grass that's there is any good? If it's not suitable, what could I do to improve it?