What livestock is good for a beginner?

[Bossroo]

SHEEP !!! I wouldn't recommend that anyone use ANY barnyard animal as a pet , especially one that is quite large and can very easily kill, maim or just plain hurt you , your child, or a visitor by just plain trying to get someone's attention or on purpose. All barnyard animals are there for the express purpose to provide their owner with food and/ or livelyhood. One should provide all farm animals with great husbandry care, and enjoy them , but do NOT make them a pet. Puppies and kittens can be your pets. PS. Donkeys are quite obnocktous , stubborn and VERY LOUD especially before sunrise and/or breakfast.

 

[Southern by choice]

@Bossroo does make a good point.... although most of us do consider our livestock also our pets there really does need to be an understanding that they are livestock. Mean aggressive animals should go in the freezer and never resold. Also be prepared to make tough decisions of knowing when to put an animal down. If you cannot slaughter or even stomach the thought of having to, then honestly you may want to rethink getting livestock.
Not something many people talk about but it is a growing concern... many are not quite prepared for "farm-life" and those realities.

 

[hikerfrog99]

Yes yay! Closer...Ok so hair breed... I live in the upstate of SC. Also I am keeping them as an addition to my hobby farm so it will not matter if they are a meat breed Hough my hubby will beg to differ as he would love to breed them. Again thank all of you for your advice and help. It is making this difficult decision so much easier to make as the responses continue!

@Bossroo does make a good point.... although most of us do consider our livestock also our pets there really does need to be an understanding that they are livestock. Mean aggressive animals should go in the freezer and never resold. Also be prepared to make tough decisions of knowing when to put an animal down. If you cannot slaughter or even stomach the thought of having to, then honestly you may want to rethink getting livestock.
Not something many people talk about but it is a growing concern... many are not quite prepared for "farm-life" and those realities.

My chickens are used for their eggs but also provide me with affection. So I am sorry if anyone has been offended by my "pet" response. Its funny though as alot of people who have responded prior have also considered their livestock as such.

 

[hikerfrog99]

Yes yay! Closer...Ok so hair breed... I live in the upstate of SC. Also I am keeping them as an addition to my hobby farm so it will not matter if they are a meat breed Hough my hubby will beg to differ as he would love to breed them. Again thank all of you for your advice and help. It is making this difficult decision so much easier to make as the responses continue!

My chickens are used for their eggs but also provide me with affection. So I am sorry if anyone has been offended by my "pet" response. Its funny though as alot of people who have responded prior have also considered their livestock as such.

If then my husband used to raise cows. Then I can use it for milk and cheese. I was considering all options.

 

[hikerfrog99]

I also stated HOBBY FARMING as this is what I have. It is not for business purposes. That is why I asked what livestock would be best. I feel insulted now

 

[Southern by choice]

LOL....no way offended and hopefully you weren't either
Our meat, dairy goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys.... although all livestock, they are well loved and seen also as pets. They are near and dear to our hearts.

 

[Southern by choice]

Ohhhh pleeeease don't be! We all love what we do, and this is a really great group! Sometimes throwing things out there can be interpreted wrong.
Most of us have small hobby farms used for our families and not for production. Our goats know their names and are super loving but when we bring a bucket of feed watch out! Horns can get you! It isn't the goats being mean it's just being goats happy about feed. Then they start pushing and shoving they aren't thinking oops be careful or I could get "mommy". I think that is the gist of the original post by Bossroo, at the end of the day they really are not domesticated pets but livestock. For some this can come as a shock when they raise up a ram lamb and have loved it and cared for it and that same adorable ram lamb is ready to kill you.
I wouldn't trade anything for my sweet lovable goats or my poultry... my sheep make me an offer.

 

[hikerfrog99]

I mean my husband has raised many livestock animals in central America but I know raising livestock here is different. He wanted a cow but I didn't feel my land was large enough. It is about 2.25 acres where about 1.5 will be used for the livestock. Thank you Southern

 

[hikerfrog99]

SHEEP !!! I wouldn't recommend that anyone use ANY barnyard animal as a pet , especially one that is quite large and can very easily kill, maim or just plain hurt you , your child, or a visitor by just plain trying to get someone's attention or on purpose. All barnyard animals are there for the express purpose to provide their owner with food and/ or livelyhood. One should provide all farm animals with great husbandry care, and enjoy them , but do NOT make them a pet. Puppies and kittens can be your pets. PS. Donkeys are quite obnocktous , stubborn and VERY LOUD especially before sunrise and/or breakfast.

Ok well I have chickens to provide my family eggs. A dog and a bird. I love them all. So if I use it as true livestock only we want milk. So are you suggesting we get nothing then?

 

[Southern by choice]

I know you probably are asking Bossroo the question in your last post... but I'd like to add something.

Often people like some small goats or sheep to keep down brush or help mow the grass so to speak. There is NOTHING wrong with that and these animals are such great company! I have a doe that is a Nigerian Dwarf... she is sweet not all in your business all the time and we LOVE her... she is a low producing (milk) goat that generally has singles. I go back and forth about selling her... honestly I need higher production... she would make a great pet and would be good if someone wanted too have a little milk but doesn't necessarily care one way or another. So why is she still here??? Because we really love her and are very attached we would want her to go to a "more pet-like" home, but also a forever home. We also have a goat that is completely infertile, made it through listeria, is a bit wobbly from it ... where is she? In our field. Yep... the forever "pet". Each person makes their own personal decisions reguarding these issues. I hatched 100's of chicks every year... only people want pullets not cockerels... so we raise them up with great care, free ranged, quality feed, always respected but at 16 weeks we slaughter and fill our freezer. Some ask how we can do it. I guess because we know what our animals eat, know they have had a good life, ans we know we slaughter humanely.

I am excited that you will be venturing in to another area of farming. Hopefully you will keep us posted on your journey!