Setting up rotational pastures

[kile529]

I'm overwhelmed. I have 4 nubian does and am hoping to add a buck & a wether at some point. Also, I'm planning on raising a couple feeder pigs this summer....AND hoping to pasture raise my rabbits (in hoop houses). What I'm wanting/hoping to do is set up rotational pastures on our 5 acres. I've attached a photo of what's currently there....any ideas?

**side note - we bought this farm 2.5 years ago with the buildings already in place. The people before us had goats but let most of the property grow wild.

 

[Latestarter]

OK, lots of questions need to be answered first... is the entire property fenced on the property lines or will that need to be done to enclose the property? How much of the property do you want to dedicate to farm animals? Do you want to keep any yard for human use... like to the right of the blue lined area? Not sure where you live so have no climate info to determine will the animals need shade in summer or how cold it gets in winter. Do you want the pigs to graze as well or will they be penned? If you let them graze you need real strong fencing, and be prepared to fill major excavations from rooting.

I would dry lot the wether and buck in a pen by themselves, off to one side, with a minimum amount of space, say maybe 20'x40' which is 800 square feet, more than adequate as a living area. Like maybe attached to the run in that is not accessible to anything right now...

I would pen the pigs, and would do it as distant from the home as possible due to smell considerations, or, give them a fenced enclosure for them to root/clear/fertilize/etc with intentions of making it a garden plot after the pigs are put in the freezer down the road. Say 40'x75' or whatever size garden you'd like to have next year.

Since the barn already exists (assumption) I would assume that's where the hay/feed is stored, I see where the water sources are located, is that where your kidding stalls would be? where you'd put the milk stand for milking?

I would fence the property boundaries of the property first. After determining what portion of the property I want dedicated to animal pastures, I would then try to find the best way to break it up with a set area in the center of all the pastures to place a run in shed along with water. I would then gate each pasture opening into that central area. I would then only open the gate to the pasture I want the goats to be using at any particular time. This way I would only need the one shed and water source and they could access both from which ever gated pasture is open at any given time. To rotate them, you simply open another pasture gate, move them into it and close the original pasture gate. Think a pie plate shape with a circle in the center containing the shed & water and gates into each slice. You would of course want to run a water supply out to that area and place a riser next to the water trough.

Now this will NOT serve the purpose of breaking parasite chains like worms and such, as the central area will be continuously used. If you want pasture rotation to be part of parasite control, then you will need to place run in shelters and water in each individual pasture, so that a pasture is only used for a set period and then left fallow for a prolonged time frame while the goats are rotating through the other pastures.

I'd just try to do whatever works best for a lazy person... I'm lazy and would arrange it/set it up to make the least possible work for me.

 

[kile529]

OK, lots of questions need to be answered first... is the entire property fenced on the property lines or will that need to be done to enclose the property? Just the blue line is what's fenced in right now. How much of the property do you want to dedicate to farm animals? As much as what's to the left of the blue box. To the right is where the kids play, our garden will be, as well as our mulberry & maple trees. Do you want to keep any yard for human use... like to the right of the blue lined area? Not sure where you live so have no climate info to determine will the animals need shade in summer or how cold it gets in winter. Do you want the pigs to graze as well or will they be penned? If you let them graze you need real strong fencing, and be prepared to fill major excavations from rooting. We live in Michigan - Lansing area. I thought I wanted the pigs to graze, but I just red a thread about if you fall down, the pigs can and will eat you! Kinda freaking out about getting pigs now......

I would dry lot the wether and buck in a pen by themselves, off to one side, with a minimum amount of space, say maybe 20'x40' which is 800 square feet, more than adequate as a living area. Like maybe attached to the run in that is not accessible to anything right now... Sounds good - thanks for suggesting the dimensions!!

I would pen the pigs, and would do it as distant from the home as possible due to smell considerations, or, give them a fenced enclosure for them to root/clear/fertilize/etc with intentions of making it a garden plot after the pigs are put in the freezer down the road. Say 40'x75' or whatever size garden you'd like to have next year.

Since the barn already exists (assumption) I would assume that's where the hay/feed is stored, I see where the water sources are located, is that where your kidding stalls would be? where you'd put the milk stand for milking? I don't have kidding stalls....yet.... The milk stand is in the current "bunny barn" which is above the big barn (which is actually a large garage). I do store hay in there at times, but have turned to round bales and just picking them up as needed.

I would fence the property boundaries of the property first. After determining what portion of the property I want dedicated to animal pastures, I would then try to find the best way to break it up with a set area in the center of all the pastures to place a run in shed along with water. I would then gate each pasture opening into that central area. I would then only open the gate to the pasture I want the goats to be using at any particular time. This way I would only need the one shed and water source and they could access both from which ever gated pasture is open at any given time. To rotate them, you simply open another pasture gate, move them into it and close the original pasture gate. Think a pie plate shape with a circle in the center containing the shed & water and gates into each slice. You would of course want to run a water supply out to that area and place a riser next to the water trough.

Now this will NOT serve the purpose of breaking parasite chains like worms and such, as the central area will be continuously used. If you want pasture rotation to be part of parasite control, then you will need to place run in shelters and water in each individual pasture, so that a pasture is only used for a set period and then left fallow for a prolonged time frame while the goats are rotating through the other pastures. I'm starting to think that rotating won't work as well here as I'd like then....at least not right now.

I'd just try to do whatever works best for a lazy person... I'm lazy and would arrange it/set it up to make the least possible work for me. I'm all over this. lol Starting to think I should just do the whole field as one big pasture and I'll just have to be on watch for the parasites.

Thank you SOOOO much for your insight and help!! You've really gotten my mind thinking more practically and out of my "dream" world.

 

[Latestarter]

Most welcome! OK, so were it me... Here's what I'd be considering/looking at.

Some pig breeds can be "stand offish" and can be made mean, but over-all, as long as you have interactions with them from the time you get them, and give them sufficient room and food, you'd be amazed at how smart they really are, and can become quite friendly... That's why folks keep pot bellied pigs PBP's as pets (also the fact that they stay smaller) You and your kids should be able to walk right in there with them. They'll snuff at your pockets to see if you're packing treats for them and such.

Just remember, pigs are social animals, so you really want to get at least 2. If you can get other family members or friends to help with costs, they can basically cover yours as well and you get your pig in the freezer for free What I'd look at doing is taking that area south of the garage and build a small covered pen area right against the side of the garage... Like a lean to or something to give them basic shelter, Then run a bit of cattle panel fencing around a rectangular area running south and let the pigs run and root in there. They'll have more than adequate room, so they won't create a stink, then next spring, you take down the panels, roto-till it, and you'll have a garden the envy of all who see it! You can add in all the other waste as well from the hen house and goat run-in shelters. The pigs will root and turn all that into the soil for you. Go peruse Baymule's thread: http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/feeder-pigs.32154/

If you go about 1/2 way down the existing far western fence line and build/imagine a rectangular area there for water and a run-in shelter on the western side, then just fence the entire outer boundaries of that huge field you'll have created 2 pastures right there, the original plus the huge field once you fence it in. Later on when time and money allow, you can split that big pasture in 1/2 and then you'll have 3.

Was bored... have a peek:

You can rotate the run-in shelter 90 degrees either way and move it, just keep in mind where future gates will be so you don't block yourself. Since I was running a water line out there anyway, I also did a riser at the corner of the bachelor area for them and also the pigs.

 

[Baymule]

@Latestarter you're a pretty darn good designer! BTW, hows the moving plans cooking along? Maybe you should make it a thread.

@kile529 I saw that you didn't have any "likes" so I gave you one. I was going to welcome you too, but saw that you joined in 2013, so I will just say I am glad you posted, you should post more often!

 

[kile529]

@Latestarter - I love it!! I think we think alike. lol It's so much fun to dream and draw it out, isn't it?!?

@Baymule - Thanks! lol I'm a part of BYC, Homesteading Today, and this....and add in all the groups on FB. These are all great resources and I'm so thankful for them! Thanks, also, for my first like!

 

[Baymule]

Here, have another!