couple questions for Large property like more then 20 acres...

Shayanna

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Pretty sure you would have to do woven wire along with electric strands, but just woven wire should work. We just did electric because we couldn't afford woven/welded wire, plus our goats have horns. And I guess electric could work with minis if you had more strands that are closer together with a really high jolt. We don't rotate, they just have the 10 acres all the time. Which works for us, because there is woods with pines, two ponds, and a creek that comes from a free-flowing well and doesn't freeze so we don't have to worry about water. I figure with 7 goats, only 2 cows and a horse, there is no way they will ever eat their way through that much space.

I do have to admit we had our first escape yesterday though. Barley (Saanen/Alpine mix), apparently accidently flew over the fence. I got home from work and she was waiting in my driveway for me to put her back in. I walked the perimeter of the fence, and there was nothing broken or bent. I couldn't figure out how she got out and neither could she. She just wanted to be back with her friends. We will have a herding/guard dog in the future as back up though.
 

Kitdragon2000

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Oh no poor Barley! And i bet you were nice and surprised when you drove in ;) i was thinking like 7-9 strands or something like that if i just went with electric no woven wire... Wow sounds like a gorgeous place you have!!! Yeah I'm sort of planning having a little of everything, a couple sheep, goats, pigs, 2-3 horses, a couple cows. though most of them are going to be mini's so i will have a little more room...
Thank you for the info!!! and answering my questions! I really, Really appreciate it!!
 

ragdollcatlady

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In central California you have to be zoned for animals even in rural area with acreage...the city folk are taking over!!!! R2 zoning means that you can have 2 large animal credits per acre that is dedicated to their care. Horses and cows would obviously be one credit per animal, so you could have 2 per acre. I believe the sheep,goats, pigs, etc are 1/2 an animal credit each, so 4 of those. That is a pretty good rule for minimums, but more space per animal is always better.....they are healthier when not crowded.

In the cities in California, like San Jose, where I grew up, sometimes they squeeze crazy numbers of houses on an acre. 5 or 6 houses with small yards or more with no yards is not uncommon. But you can't usually divide up properties into parcels on your own. You would need to check local laws and specific laws pertaining to that particular property and county. 4000 square feet is monstrous for a house here. Cost wise especially.

Re the garbage...I am only 5-10 minutes outside town and have a private contract to have the garbage picked up at my house once a week like city service. I just find my own company willing to come out and pay their fees and tada! done deal. Except that no one had us on any map when we moved in and so we had a bear of a time getting service started. I was literally standing on my front porch talking to a rep saying " but I am looking right at one of your trucks picking up trash at my neighbors...he turned around right in front of my house... that's how I got your number!!!????!!!" I had the same conversation with 3 different companies before we finally got service with the 2nd company after all!!!!I live in the twilight zone. Don't even ask me about trying to get telephone service!

If you have been on city water and sewer and have to now maintain a well and septic tank expect some unexpected surprise costs too. Wells have to be repaired every now and then...I spent around $1800 this last year for 2 repairs to the well (one was for new wires and one was for some other technical stuff and minor repairs). Septic tanks have to be treated kindly with nice bacteria every month and seasonal pump outs ($250-300 per pump out). You should also be careful of the chemicals and cleaners you send down the drain because they can seriously affect your septics digestive balance.

Hope that helps a little. Good luck!
 

Kitdragon2000

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@ragdollcatlady Thank you For all the information!!!! THANK YOU Thank You!!!!!!!! We had a friend who mentioned the same thing about the zoning, so i went hunting and in our county farm animal min: 1 acre or greater, farm animals max 2 per acre, limitation on horses min:2 horses per acre 1+ per 20,000 sqft, hogs min: 2 net acres, max # of hogs: 3 w/ 1 being a breeding sow small animal max # 20 per acre

We have the friend who is looking into the houses / property for us and she knows we want it zoned for livestock... you would think on your own land you can do whatever you want. stupid people. :( there is something our realiter friend was talking about that you may know if you lived in san jose it was called SIDS if i remember correctly it was irrigated water that would be able to be used for anything But drinking... that's something she was looking into.

Omg that's horrible about your phone and garbage!!! We weren't wanting to be that far out, but still something to think about!! Glad you were able to get someone out for you!!

Again Thank You SO much for answering!! I really Appreciate as much information as possible, and you guys have certainly been Awesome!!
 

Shayanna

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neighbors are a big factor too. When we first moved in, we had our goats tethered (we were there to watch them, and we brought them in at night), and each goat had their own water and obviously plenty of food as we rotated them trhough the area. And the neighbor decided to call animal control saying they didn't have food or water and were very neglected. Well the animal control lady showed up, and our 200 lb alpine buck, who was patrolling the yard with my husband, went right up to the animal control lady and demanded a beard scratching. Obviously not neglected. Either way, I guess my point is, get to know your neighbors and what kind of people they are, especially if they can see what goes on in your yard.
 

EllieMay

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I grew up in the Bay Area and moved away because of all the restrictions (and the cost).
I finally found a little piece of property with a house and a couple of barns where I can raise my sheep and grow my own food with NO restrictions. :)

That being said, no matter where you live, you still have to do your homework.
And it seems you are doing an awesome job of asking a lot of good questions and getting some very good advice!
Sounds like you and your family will be very happy once you find a place to settle.

Because I was from the Bay Area, I had to ask questions about septic and trash.
We are on septic here but still use city water (we plan on digging a well next year).
If you're building more than one house, you will have to find out about septic solutions for your situation.

The neighbors around us just burn their trash, but we opted to pay for trash pick up once a week.
Of course, that means dragging the trash can down the long driveway to the street.

We are in the process of putting up field fencing and cross-fencing.
This was a cattle farm with barbed wire fencing, which doesn't keep my sheep (or dogs) inside.
We also use electric netting to move the sheep around to various pastures.

Even though you and your family are cool living very close together, I personally would advise not building the homes too close together.
Living close together does get old after a while.
Also, if you ever decide to sell the property, it will sell a whole lot better if the homes are spaced farther apart for privacy.

GOOD LUCK and keep us posted on what's going on!
I'm keeping my eye on this thread so I can learn some more from all the gread advice folks are posting!

:D
 

BootsNDaisy

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I agree with EllieMay. You have asked a lot of good questions, and have gotten some great advise and answers! I would say, don't go with electric fencing. If the power goes out, then your fence is down. We have fenced in 2 cows and 2 goats without electric fencing. The proper fencing to make sure they don't get out for cows, we would definitely recommend 5 strands of 12 gauge barbed wire and the poles and posts at the correct spacing . ( My son says to tell you to get a good pair of leather gloves cause the barbed wire will tear your flesh open in a heart beat! :/) And our goats are fenced in with Goat fencing. The goat fencing is very thick, and they can't chew through it, or jump over it. (However, the deer can!) We would recommend you stake it into the ground. The recommended acreage per cow is 2 acres per yr. and for goats, you can have 4 goats on 1 acre. I am going to mention, you should have 2 pastures for the cows, if you so choose to have them. They will tear up a pasture, it's good to keep them off of one while the other is being used. If you split them half and half, you can seed each one at different times of the year. Which will give you healthy pastures. We also put pens in our pastures. They eat everything in one, and every three or four days, we move them into another one. It is good to have chickens by your herds, cause they eat the maggots from the manure. Which intern, means less flies mature. And they help to spread the manure around to fertilize the pastures. (Turkey are also great for that!) You can build a decent coop that will hold 25 chickens and won't take up much space at all. If your going to have any farm animals, just remember, it's like having a baby. You will have to be at home, at 2 times of the day, every-day. Which means, no vacations of any sort, or going out for the weekend, unless someone is home at all times, to do the milking twice a day, feeding, cleaning, brushing, hoof care, keeping their water clean, and the list goes on..! It's a big responsibility! It's a big responsibility having even just a small farm. Cause you don't just want your animals to survive, you want them to thrive! They are totally dependent on you. Hope this helps! Best wishes to you and your family! :)
 

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