Sooooooo I’m debating on renting 7 acres at the Jesuit Retreat Centre and I wanted to ask if they think I can do all this alone.
So the plan is…
On our 7 acre farm to do:
2 batches of 500 chickens (I would apply to the artisanal chicken program)
2 batches of 50 turkeys (50 each time, we rent next door so can do two batches)
1 dairy cow
3 sheep (plus whatever lambs I get in the spring)
3 Kune Kunes (the breeding stock)
I would rotationally graze the cow, sheep and Kunes all together, moving them 3 times a week
200 layers (I rent next door so I use their address)
On the 7 acre Jesuit Centre lot rotationally graze each group separately, first cows, then pigs, then chickens, moving them twice a week
100 layers
20 Kune Kunes
4 beef cattle
So the thought is to rotationally graze my farm Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the Jesuit Centre Tuesday and Thursday. Then come to check on them on Saturday. It’s a half an hr drive from me to the Jesuit Centre.
Is this crazy? I’m feeling anxious about it! Ah!
I can’t judge from years past because before I would be so busy having people come and visit the farm (we sold tickets to visit the animals, feed the goats, etc.) and this year I’m not doing that. I was also very busy dealing with baby goats. Next year I’m not doing any of that.
Hi, It seems like you have put a lot on your plate. I do not know if you have time but may I suggest looking at the Justin Rhodes rotation system and the Greg Judy Regenerative Farmer systems. They seem to look at the quality of the grass/pasture as an indication of when to move the animals. You will need to train your animals well to the electric fencing/netting you will use. I am guessing that the meat birds will be in movable cages [ Salatin chicken tractor style or prairie schooner] and perhaps an Egg Mobile [Richard Perkins] for the layers? Have you calculated the optimum space needs for each animal? I guess it depends if you are also tending to a garden and how organized you are to keep on top of the feed and the other needs of your animals.
Something to keep in mind is what you’ll do if (when) something unexpected happens. Animals break out? If the water trough gets knocked over will you know about it before a couple days go by? I’m familiar with that property and love it so much, but I also know that they don’t have good fencing for animals and sadly many smaller animals have been lost to coyotes when interns kept them in the barn and adjacent fenced area by the intern farmhouse. Will you be able to run out there with little notice if weather extremes happen that are dangerous to the animals (especially babies)? Will they have shelter that is reliable? How do you feel about the property being open to the public, with people able to roam it at all times? If animals get sick or injured will you be able to notice soon enough to intervene so they aren’t left suffering for days?
I commute about 1/2 h to my market garden, which also I only do part time, and that is manageable most of the time, but things do come up unexpectedly that I need to drive out and address right away. With animals, this is even more likely.
Like Martina said, my concern with your plan would have to do with unexpected events (which are always very likely with animal raising) like prison breaks (haha), predators, weather extremes, etc. If you aren’t on site on that specific day you will have no control over what happens there, and that’ll be more work and potential losses as well.