I daydream about walking around my property with my flock of chickens following behind, hoping for a treat. I fantasize about unleashing them into the garden before planting time and after the harvest to let them ‘earn their keep’ by scratching and turning the soil, getting the pests, and getting tasty ‘free’ food. Choosing animals for the homestead is an exciting step to take but there are so many things you need to consider before making the final decision.
Before you start putting in orders for chicks, heading to the local farmer’s market, or going to a livestock auction, you need to do some serious planning and have a game plan in place before you even start looking at which animals, let alone what breeds you’re interested in. Having livestock, even chickens, is a big deal and while chickens are the easiest (by all accounts anyway) to tend to, it still requires some research and infrastructure to ensure your success.
Chances are pretty good that you have already done your fair share of looking at all kind of different animals, breeds and characteristics, requirements for living conditions, and have thought about how to meet all of the challenges. It can be easy to get lost in the excitement, not to mention losing your mind over the cute factor of the babies, and forget to consider vitally important criteria when shopping. If you fail to consider and plan for certain aspects of keeping and raising livestock, the dream you had could turn into a nightmare. Below are some of the most important things to be sure of before you start choosing animals and spending money. The first list are the ones that, if not explored, can be game changers.
Important Criteria
- Zoning Laws – Is it legal in your county, state, municipality to have the animals you want? What are the codes and laws?
- Neighbors – Neighbors can be the source of nightmares when it comes to owning livestock. Many people will lose their minds if you have chickens. Even if there is no rooster, the coop is kept very clean, and the hens never get loose, neighbors can make your life a living hell with complaints, threats, and extreme measures (like loosing their dog in your yard or poisoning your animals).
- Sufficient Space – Do you really have enough room (including a cushion) for the animals you want?
- Animal Care – Is there a veterinarian who can help diagnose and treat your livestock? Certify that your animals are healthy in the event there is ever a question? If you are going to be the vet, do you really know what you’re doing and are you comfortable with the idea of having to perform surgeries on bramble foot, lancing a boil from a predator biting one of your animals? If you can’t handle it, please make sure you have someone who can – it isn’t right to be responsible for a life, only to outright kill it or abandon it, when it gets sick or injured.
These four things are game changers and can cause you to have to get rid of animals if you buy them before making sure you’re following all the rules. So much for a free country, right? If you take the steps to ensure you are in compliance first, there will be less headaches later. It would be incredibly heartbreaking to go through all the work and excitement of bringing home your new babies, only to have them confiscated or being forced to get rid of them!
Once you’ve covered all the legals, it’s time to get into the logistics of having livestock on the homestead. For many homesteaders, this is the exciting part that leads to the day when you get to look around your little kingdom and see happy animals doing their homestead-thing. 🙂
Logistical Criteria
Now that you’ve overcome the legalities of having livestock, it’s time to get the infrastructure planned out before you start choosing animals! Having a clear picture of what you expect will go a long way to succeeding. Things to consider and ask yourself:
- What is your plan for the animal? What purpose will they serve? (Food, meat, milk, etc.).
- How will they help you on the homestead?
- Will they fit in with your homestead routine that’s been established?
- Do you have the time to tend to them along with everything else?
- How will you feed them if things get tight and you can’t buy feed? Do you have a reliable source for good water?
- What will you do with the manure?
- How will you handle predator threats?
After getting all of that answered, planned, and in place…FINALLY…you get to the best part!
Choosing Animals for the Homestead
When it comes to choosing what kinds of animals, the logistical criteria above will help you realize your limitations and you can adjust accordingly to find the best fit. Now that you know you want chickens, a nanny goat for milk, and a pig for meat, the last part is making sure the breed you choose fits your situation. CAUTION: It can be very easy to get caught up in the cute factor! The main problem with that is you get an animal that isn’t suited to your situation and climate and suffers because of it. Figure out your breeds and then go for the cute factor. 😉
- Can the breed handle the extremes of your particular climate?
- Is the breed susceptible to illnesses that are common in your area? (EXAMPLE: Sinus infections in wet climates)
- Will the breed integrate well with your existing livestock?
- Will any of your current animals try to chase, kill, or ‘get to’ the new animals?
- What kind of special safety features will they need put in place?
There is a lot that goes into getting animals on the homestead. The flip side of it is the entertainment you get from watching them, the work they do around the homestead for you, and the bounty from themselves! Whether it is eggs, milk, meat, or fur – having animals on the homestead increases your self-sufficiency by leaps and bounds!