Oak Knoll Farms - My New Journey

[Oakknollfarms]

My crazy plan is listed above. I haven’t gotten any more detailed than that, and I just dove on in head first

The farm is about 67 acres. On 5 I have some old barns in need of repair, my tiny house, the first goat enclosure and chicken coop and the family cemetery. There’s about 20 of it wooded and the rest open. Right now I have a wonderful farmer who leases the open fields for soy beans and hay. I’m going to take some of that back to extend the goat enclosure when I add my doelings. Right now, I have Chip & Dale’s enclosure just behind my tiny house, so I can hear them if anything goes awry.

The chickens are right next to that. Currently in just a coop, but I plan to let them free range since I’m far enough off the road and eventually build them a chicken run. My old horse barn will eventually be converted into a giant coop so I can have coops and runs for each species of bird, as I plan on eventually getting into selling chicks and fertilized eggs, and hopefully have some declining breeds to help preservation efforts.

I am open to any an all ideas/suggestions and n what the neat next steps are, the order I need to do things, all of it. I’m in the deep end by myself, learning how to swim (or tread water, lol).

 

[Oakknollfarms]

I can hardly believe all the responses and encouragement I’ve received in just a few days. It really means a lot, as most people think I’m in over my head. Y’all are really great and I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Few people (outside of BYH!) understand the joys of working your land and caring for animals (my husband certainly doesn’t!). I retired a few years ago from a suburb of HOUSTON! No farm knowledge or experience at all. I now have 17 Nigerian goats (plus my last doe is due any day now!), 40ish chickens, three Barbados lambs, 5 pigs (3 Kunekune and 2 pot belly). 10 Muscovy ducklings, and three LGDs. I’m just a “hobby farm”. Still formulating what I want to do from here.

One thought: since you are solo in this awesome endeavor, I’d get to know people at the closest feed/supply store. You can meet people who will likely be happy to earn some cash on the side to help you with heavy jobs. Better than Craigslist! Local 4H groups may know some students who could help out, too, depending on the situation. @Xerocles has had some neat ideas on building things without a helper, and I’m sure others will have more ideas as well.

 

[Oakknollfarms]

Thank you! I’ve got awesome friends that have helped me clear & clean up some of the land, and build the goats enclosure. My best friends son is always eager to spend a day at “the farm” and helps with a lot of stuff. I don’t have much building knowledge so I’m learning as I go. I’ve followed both you, and Xerocles as well. I appreciate the tips!!

 

[SA Farm]

I was raised on a farm and I definitely jumped in with both feet when I started my own little acreage. I don’t really regret it, don’t feel like I was in over my head with the animals themselves, but I do wish that I’d started slower so that I could’ve had better housing and fencing to start with.
I became a master at putting together quick and temporary housing for my rapid expansion, but the problem with that is the predators I had in the area had no problems ripping through it as quickly as I built it.
I eventually got pretty much wiped out. The timing of it worked out for me, but it was devastating. When I started back up, I definitely invested more in infrastructure which, thankfully, has been holding up for me.
So, there’s my two cents - hope they help a bit

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

We are known to each other as ‘enablers’...lol...but..it’s awesome!! My hubby and I jumped wayyy in by buying out 3farms...we were sort of clueless...these people have helped me every step of the way...and still are!! I would be in so much doggy dooo if I didn’t find this forum!! And, yes, the more you add, the more info we can give....the more details, etc!! My chickens are free range now. At first they were not, because I was worried they would hurt my 43 ducks...but, i let my pullets free range and no ducks got hurt, so then I let the others out....the chickens are soo much happier! Don’t get me wrong...they had a huge play area, as we called it...and we used to change the fencing about once a week to give them new grass.....but, now they roam our fields, eat the hay, etc...I haven’t lost one..knock wood. I did lose a few ducks. I definitely recommend a couple roosters, depending on how many hens you have. I have 36 hens, 2 Roos. The ratio is good, and they are great at keeping predators away!! But, they might need some saddles, I have a few ladies with some torn up backs......I’m in the process of, hand-stitching a saddle..but, I don’t have the elastic right now! Ugh! My goats are actually free range too! Yep! If you put one on a , dog tie down, what ever, the others won’t leave. My goats then learned a natural boundary!! Apparently many goats can do this. If they ever try to stray, I yell...they go back. At night they go back in the barn/pen. I was worried when I bought new goats and my moms kidded that’s they all wouldn’t learn from the ones I had...no worries there!! They learned licity split! Plus, you can leash train them! Mine love to see me pull out the leashes! It’s silly really, because I don’t take them anywhere they aren’t allowed to go. But, I’m teaching them because I sell the milk, and some stores want me to bring my animals down for custome appreciation day. I figured if they know how to handle a leash it will make it easier. Goats are much easier on a leash than a puppy!!

 

[Oakknollfarms]

We are known to each other as ‘enablers’...lol...but..it’s awesome!! My hubby and I jumped wayyy in by buying out 3farms...we were sort of clueless...these people have helped me every step of the way...and still are!! I would be in so much doggy dooo if I didn’t find this forum!! And, yes, the more you add, the more info we can give....the more details, etc!! My chickens are free range now. At first they were not, because I was worried they would hurt my 43 ducks...but, i let my pullets free range and no ducks got hurt, so then I let the others out....the chickens are soo much happier! Don’t get me wrong...they had a huge play area, as we called it...and we used to change the fencing about once a week to give them new grass.....but, now they roam our fields, eat the hay, etc...I haven’t lost one..knock wood. I did lose a few ducks. I definitely recommend a couple roosters, depending on how many hens you have. I have 36 hens, 2 Roos. The ratio is good, and they are great at keeping predators away!! But, they might need some saddles, I have a few ladies with some torn up backs......I’m in the process of, hand-stitching a saddle..but, I don’t have the elastic right now! Ugh! My goats are actually free range too! Yep! If you put one on a , dog tie down, what ever, the others won’t leave. My goats then learned a natural boundary!! Apparently many goats can do this. If they ever try to stray, I yell...they go back. At night they go back in the barn/pen. I was worried when I bought new goats and my moms kidded that’s they all wouldn’t learn from the ones I had...no worries there!! They learned licity split! Plus, you can leash train them! Mine love to see me pull out the leashes! It’s silly really, because I don’t take them anywhere they aren’t allowed to go. But, I’m teaching them because I sell the milk, and some stores want me to bring my animals down for custome appreciation day. I figured if they know how to handle a leash it will make it easier. Goats are much easier on a leash than a puppy!!

THIS!!!!! I’ve got a few areas that I need the goats to help me clean up, and this was super helpful! Once Chippy gets back to rights we are going to start with the leash training. He might be my problem child though, as he gets MAD if I try and walk away from him. I have been working on boundaries as much as I can the past few days. Not letting him jump, etc. He’s finally starting to feel better and it literally bouncing off the walls of his crate to play, but I know how serious pneumonia is, so I let him out to potty and stretch his legs some, and right back in he goes to warm back up and rest. Don’t wanna take any chances with the little guy. I almost lost him Sunday. I would’ve if the vet hadn’t let me bring him to her house.

On another note.... I GOT A JOB TODAY!!!!!! With Amazon, and only part time, but with the world going to hell in a hand basket right now, I’m just going to count my blessings. Chippy expressed his feelings about Momma leaving for a few hours a day by promptly peeing all over my new hire paperwork . Seriously thought I was done with the “dog ate my homework” excuses when I finished school

 

[Oakknollfarms]

I’ve been doing tons of planning, getting ready to finish the fencing on the goat enclosure & planning my chicken runs. Even got their paddock seeded and covered with straw to get get it growing before the need it. Taking full advantage of this social distancing. I’ll post a video and a couple of pictures below.

Also, my newly planted Sugar Plum tree actually has a plum on it!! It’s planted where the last of my grandfathers fruit trees came down, so I like to think that’s his way of sending me his approval. I am ever mindful of all the hard work that he put into this place, and think about him every time I add to the homestead. That tree (and all future fruit/nut trees) are planted in his memory.

Chippy (the baby goat) is definitely back to rights after a bout of pneumonia and sepsis. And is in love with my rosemary plants. I knew any goat of mine would have impeccable tastes.

Let me know what y’all think about the enclosure and planned chicken runs. I’m always down for some experienced advise. (Note: for now, I want to avoid extending out into the pasture in the video, until I add doelings to my herd in a year or two. That field is currently used by my lease farmer for hay and I want to keep everyone pretty close to the barns and my house at the moment).

Just found out I can’t post videos, so I’ll take some pics. Picture 1 is of the goat enclosure (re-using an old dog kennel as a secure/safe place to close them up at night since they’ll be small). Picture 2 is where I’ll be moving the coop to (against the back of the dog kennel), and enclosing a 30x30 run for them. Picture 3 is I’ve my planned 2nd chicken run, going down to the pole barn. Going to make the chicken runs from cattle panels and T posts so that I can move/adjust/expand as needed without a second set of hands. Picture 4 is for cuteness - Chippy and his favorite rosemary plant. Picture 5 is my 1st plum off my plum tree.

 

[Oakknollfarms]

Today I started leash training Chippy. If anyone could’ve seen me, with a lab on one leash and a goat on another, their suspicions that this girl has lost her marbles would’ve been confirmed. So glad I live way off the road and don’t have neighbors.

 

[Mini Horses]

Love your efforts and plans. Since I have goats & chickens (among other things) I will mention this....chickens can go right thru cattle panels. You have some large hens, so some extra fence on bottom few feet will help with that. Next, a goat will kill a young fruit tree quickly. They will eat all leaves they can reach -- and full sized ones can stand up on hind feet to reach about 6' up -- plus the young bark is so good!! yep, be aware. I've spent a LOT on trees. Alas, your bushes are not safe either. Oh, chickens will eat all the blueberries, etc. Yeah...fence, fence, fence. BUT the chickens are good with actual trees.

I'm in VA, too.