Raising livestock a bit more naturally...

[Beekissed]

How many folks on here go for a natural or more old-fashioned way of raising their animals? I know I've read quite a bit in Countryside mag about different ways to do so and also Joel Salatin.

I've read about raising pigs in a big pasture and woodlot, with all the sows, boars and piglets all together and how they get along. The article described all the sows raising their litters together and how they would lay in a circle with the babies in the middle...sort of like a daycare. They also told about the boars and how they just cull the ones that are aggressive towards the piglets, and towards each other, until they have a good herd of pigs living communally. They described this as how pigs live together in the wild and how much more feed efficient, healthy and productive these "herds" were, compared to the old way they used to raise their pigs.

I also love to read about, and I've tried this once, when folks double up, like Joel Salatin, and maximize their space. I used to have rabbit cages suspended above my chickens in the coop. This made for a good arrangement when it came to the deep litter method, as well as feed waste. If any rabbit food dropped, it was eaten by the hens, and all the manure was worked into a deep layer of wood chips. All that ammonia smell created by the rabbits disappeared with the industrious scratching and turning of the bedding. I had both a cold and a hot manure constantly being churned into this bedding, which turned out to be the best compost I've ever used.

Anybody else maximize on their space by layering two sets of animals? Anyone using a more natural method of raising livestock...like rotating chickens on pasture after beef, or having rabbits in tractors~ like Joel Salatin? All grass fed beef? Crossing a milk cow with a beef bull to maximize her efficiency for your homestead? Dairy and wool from sheep? Do you let your chickens go through their natural cycle in the winter, so as to prolong their egg laying lifecycle? Do you hatch your own chicks with your broodies, cull judiciously and replenish your flock naturally? Do you lean towards natural feed sources or commercial mixes?
Do you use your pets for work animals in any capacity, like hunting, livestock guarding, pest control, etc?

I always like to hear from people who have tried methods to maximize the potential of their animals by using more natural methods, instead of commercial methods.

Instead of rat poison, using a cat. Instead of locking hens up in Fort Knox, using a LGD. Instead of a feed lot, finishing on grass. Instead of just using for dairy, finding a dual purpose. Instead of pens, pasture. Using different types of grasses in pasture, for more fuel per acre for livestock. I love the idea of a dual purpose animal, barn, coop, pasture, cellar, energy source, etc. I think that is the soul of self-sufficiency and just good ol' country common sense.

 

[farm_mom]

We aren't on a large enough property for some of the larger livestock, so I buy from farmers who pasture raise. I am fascinated by the natural lives of pigs as well. It's interesting visiting the farm and seeing all ages/breeds/genders of pigs roaming about on pasture and woodlot. I loved seeing the mama sow coming out of the woods, followed by a dzn or so piglets, all in a row. Or the fact that pig tails are really quite long when they're not docked!

As for our own little 'stead, about the only thing we stack are the rabbits and turkey, they both share their pen in the barn. (Rabbit cages suspended.) It works out well. All our animals (rabbits, turkeys, ducks and chickens) have outside runs, and we let them free range the property daily. Their ranging has to be supervised right now because of a bold coopers hawk. All of our birds are heritage breeds and/or dual purpose.

We were thinking about dairy goats last year, but find we just don't have enough pasture or browse for them, so we haven't added them yet. Interestingly enough, my parents were looking into goats this year, but decided not to get them because while they have pasture, they don't have a place to house them! So, we're talking about sharing the goats. My parents will have the goats in the spring/summer months so they can pasture them properly, and we will keep them in our large barn during the winter months. We will share the milk, expenses and responsibilities so as it won't be too much of a burden for either family or property. And at the same time providing the best possible lives for the animals.

Interesting topic. Cannot wait to hear from others!

 

[Beekissed]

We were thinking about dairy goats last year, but find we just don't have enough pasture or browse for them, so we haven't added them yet. Interestingly enough, my parents were looking into goats this year, but decided not to get them because while they have pasture, they don't have a place to house them! So, we're talking about sharing the goats. My parents will have the goats in the spring/summer months so they can pasture them properly, and we will keep them in our large barn during the winter months. We will share the milk, expenses and responsibilities so as it won't be too much of a burden for either family or property. And at the same time providing the best possible lives for the animals.

Farm Mom, I think this is the heart of self-sufficiency, really. Its not "self" at all. I think it works so much more "sufficiently" if people work together like this. You are so lucky to have a setup like that! I would dearly love to have the kind of family, or friends, that thought along those lines....that its not you and yours vs. me and mine. That, as a family(no matter what relationship), we need each other to act as a whole to insure everyone does the best they can in this world.

I'm trying to introduce this fact to my boys as they are starting out into the world and hope that, eventually, they will decide to live close enough to each other to work as a team, and not as separate, struggling individuals.

 

[farm_mom]

I agree completely. I like to think of it as more "community sufficiency." And yes, we are very lucky to have the ability to do this. But, I have to admit, my parents weren't always so keen on this lifestyle. Just a year ago they called me names like "amish" (which I always felt was more of a compliment!) and mocked my choices. This year they've added considerably to their hobby garden and started raising chickens and rabbits again after a many years hiatus. Tough economical times I think have had a large roll in their changing attitudes.

 

[Homesteadmom]

Where we are we don't have enough land for pastures but I do feed my cattle grass that we pull from the garden & when we mow the back yard they get those also. So in addition to the commercial feed & hay they are getting grass too, same with our ram. the chickens get weeds & grass too & when the garden is all done I will take turns letting them free range in there over the winter. When we get to our place up north we will have plenty of pasture space & we will add pigs too & pasture them also. If only we could acquire the property next to us that was foreclosed on then we would be able to have 2 more cattle pastures to rotate them on here & eliminate the feed(trade a water bill for feed bill) & cut down on the hay we needed to buy too. Trying to convince dh to get rabbits too.

 

[enjoy the ride]

I don't think I can be "live stock" self sufficient as I only have a couple p;us of acres, which certainly could not feed the two horses I have but the goats do eat lots of things that the horses won't eat without being starving. So the goats clean up the fence lines and eat in the woods which does reduce the weed wacking and other maintenance. When I don't let them into the woods, I do cut things like black berry vines and willow switches for them to eat rather than hauling them to the compost pile.
If I was willing to do chickens, it would be even more complimentary. But not yet willing to clean another animal every day. lol
Hay is the only real expense that I have as there is not enough graze but after 45 years of owning horses, I don't want to let that go til it is abosolutely neccessary. I would like my 17 year ols girl to have an easy retirement with me.

 

[Beekissed]

You could free range those chickens and you wouldn't have to clean anything! AND they could clean up any dropped horse feed and hay for you. When my rabbits didn't have chickens to scatter and dry out their manure, I let it drop on a tarp and just dragged it to the compost pile once a week. Things can be easy or hard, just takes a little imagination sometimes.

I was just talking about this with my son and we were figuring how much profit a year layering livestock on 2 acres could make. With chickens, bees, a sheep, and geese....the profit is quite considerable. Takes a little time at different parts of the year, a good selection on breeds, some coordination of harvest and a few initial, one-time expenses to figure in. All in all, though, it seems real attractive to me to make extra money, keep the lawn mowed and the orchard cleaned up, the garden fertilized and pollinated, and food in the fridge.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Beekidssed- I did keep horses once with free range chickens- they free ranged into the horse troughs, feed dishes and horse's backs. I once found a pile of chicken poops on my horses back- bleached out her coat. Also Since I am surrounded by woods a free range chicken is a gone chicken even in broad daylight. My neighbor left the chicken coop door open one morning by evening there was only one chicken left. One time only he left the door open.
I have been tempted with getting chickens but not now.

 

[Beekissed]

I gotcha! That's why I keep the mighty two around. This is the way they earn their keep, guarding my chickadees. When I lived in a small town, I had a chicken tractor for my girls and didn't need the flea bags as much, but out here in the country where I can freerange, they come in real handy.

Bleached out the horse...that's hilarious!

 

[Beekissed]

I am fascinated by the natural lives of pigs as well. It's interesting visiting the farm and seeing all ages/breeds/genders of pigs roaming about on pasture and woodlot. I loved seeing the mama sow coming out of the woods, followed by a dzn or so piglets, all in a row. Or the fact that pig tails are really quite long when they're not docked!

Farm, I'm going to try a pig on pasture this spring! I am getting a Large Black from my sis and grazing it in with my sheep. When I breed her, I will be running her with the sheep and lambs still and they will all be on pasture. This is a very large, very docile breed that does well on foraging and raising offspring in a more natural setting.

Here's a link to some info on the breed:

http://www.nigeriansandicelandics.com/Pigs.html#Large Black Pigs