Hi from Central Texas with Dexters! (and still getting my setup in place)

[fuzzi]

YES! I mean, we actually intend to pay them... because apparently Roth IRAs are age-agnostic. Any kid can have one. But only with actually earned income doing work you would pay someone to do. And if they don't earn enough to have to pay taxes, then it's all going in as post-tax, and will be tax-free retirement income that has grown for forever. It's usable for them for things like college and first house and such.
So the plan is to "pay them", dump all their wages into the Roth IRA, and then give them an allowance. Their first job has been collecting cow-pies and putting them in the raised bed gardens. Then I'm getting them gloves and they're pulling all the deadly nightshade before it fruits.
There are friends in the area that do 4H. They've shown us their set-ups for turkeys, rabbits, and couple sheep and goats. Looks good. I was just wondering last night if the money from selling their animals counts as earned wages that can get dropped in the retirement account for them. research time.

oh absolutely used all the way. We lurk on equipment auction sites and browse through facebook marketplace. It's not usually difficult to see which things are rust-buckets poorly covered in new paint vs something honestly used and still usable.

Great to know that Jersey meat is excellent.


Yes! we love fruit trees and want some. We have some surviving peach trees we put in ourselves. Haven't really gotten good fruit off them yet. And we have to get some protective fencing around them so the cows don't go to town. But our attempt at putting in the citrus trees was poorly timed before the heavy late freeze of '22 and us all going down for a week or so with the 'rona and not really able to do anything to protect them.
back in a treed area on our property, if you brave the poison ivy, we found some previously planted peach trees. Thanks for reminding me about fruit trees because I think I need a haz-mat suit (I'm just crazy allergic to poison ivy) and some loppers and get all up in that to make sure they have good sunlight - before the wasps get their nests well established in anything I might be messing with.
We're also super lucky to have some well established squirrel populations in our lovely mature pecan trees. (J/K, I'm going to war this year and learning to cook squirrel. I hear it's delicious.)

Welcome to BYH! I currently have chickens but a couple goats are in my plans...mainly for the poison ivy, honeysuckle, and other invasive growth in my yard.

About PI: I am allergic, too, but about 20 years ago a PA told me to try taking an antihistamine when I realize I have been exposed to PI, or when it starts to itch. Works every time.

 

[Mini Horses]

@Baymule -- REALLY??? YOU giving milking instructions??

I can't get you to milk your sheep, tried for years.

 

[Baymule]

@Baymule -- REALLY??? YOU giving milking instructions??

I can't get you to milk your sheep, tried for years.

I HAVE milked my sheep— for colostrum!

 

[thatannagirl]

They need to keep records. Your 4-H friends can show you how to do it. Cost of project animal + feed + any incidental expenses (vet, minerals, entry fees equpment, etc.) are deducted from amount realized by sale. HOWEVER, if your fair has "add ons" at the auction sale, and the Junior Auction is run through a 501C3 (usually the Junior Auction Booster Club) you can add a specifc amount on to your child's sale price. It is deductible for you as a donation, and the child can claim it as earned income for the retirement account. They may have to file a tax return but shouldn't have to pay any taxes due to amount being under taxable minimum.

You may want to check about planting citrus since citrus doesn't handle freezing well. Any fruit trees should be the kind that can handle freezing temps for several weeks. The San Fernando Valley, CA, was a heavy citrus growing area in my childhood, and I remember that during freezes the news would announce to light the smudge pots in the orchards. Later smudge pots were outlawed (smog control) and the farmers did some kind of sprinkler thing since spraying water would also raise the temps above freezing. Obviously that was before the water shortages. LOL

Too bad you don't want goats - they will completely eradicate the poison ivy and poison oak. Of course, they may do the number on the peach trees too. LOL

This is great information, thanks!
I'm not above borrowing goats, or maaaybe buying them and only keeping them until the poison ivy is eaten well down. But that for sure has to wait until the fencing is in place. My Dexters have done a good job on the poison ivy in one section of the yard. I have to remember to keep my hands off them when they've had access to that section. I ran through one steroid course this year already after not-remembering that and wrangling the calf.
I met a lady locally who also has Dexters and declares them to be the "goats of cattle - eating anything". I'm inclined to agree based on my experiences so far with the cardboard, styrofoam, plastic bags, and poison ivy. Perhaps when I have enough of them to eat down the whole property I won't need to turn to goats. 3 won't do it, though.