Thea Carmella

Thank you everyone! I wanted to share a quick update and will try to reply individually when I can...

UPDATE: I tried using a belly rope (kick rope) last night and I'd say she was about 30% better and then this morning she was about 70% better with the kicking/moving. So I'm hoping this can help train her 🤞

My sweet dairy cow had her heifer calf about 3 weeks ago... and I call her sweet because she really is...other than during milking.


Here's the deal:
• she came from a commercial dairy, where she had two calves previously
• I got her in the summer, she was very shy, not halter trained etc
• now she leads on a halter, loves scratches and is very sweet
• I expected to have to do some training with her for milking as she's only been machine milked before. The first week I saw steady improvement and now it seems like we've gone backwards
• she stomps, kicks (forward at my hand not out at me), and whips her tail around. It doesn't seem to have a specific trigger, I can go fast or slow, try different techniques, discipline her or not and her reactions don't seem linked to anything but I've stopped seeing forward progress
• I would, ideally, like to take the time to just train her to stand politely rather than using a kick bar etc, but I might have to.
• she also always poops at the beginning of milking, steps in it and then sends it flying everywhere with her stomping and kicking.
• I am tired of getting covered in cow poop twice a day and having to give the milk to the pigs because it gets dirty
• the pigs are thrilled, they want nothing to change.


...help please 🐮

Martin Mikulcik wrote:Rabbits probably won't breed till spring if you're in a temperate egion

Interesting! I've heard of a lot of people breeding their rabbits through the winter though? Perhaps that's it though, it is pretty cold lately.

In general I would love to hear about your successful rabbits colony set ups!

More specifically, when can I expect kits?  I have 4 does and 2 bucks who have been living together happily for many months. They are all 7-8 months old.  I kinda thought there would be some kits by now so I'm anxiously waiting 🤞.

I realize I might have to get rid of one buck eventually if they start fighting, one of them was sold to me as a doe so that's how I ended up with two.  I have seen one of the bucks try to breed the girls but unsuccessfully from what I've seen.

🐰🐰🐰

Is it necessary? I am taking over the management of a horse farm (with which I have plenty of experience) but this is the only farm I've ever seen spend $800 per year to fertilize their 10 acres of summer pasture.  I feel like that money could be better invested in other areas of the property and the pastures would probably do just as well.  The pasture is currently in two 5 acre sections and I plan to divide it further to allow more rotational grazing.  Is buying in fertilizer worth it?

Anne Miller wrote:My suggestion would be to start with your design for the pigs as they will take up the largest space.  Plan for a pen and a shelter.

Next design your space for the chickens.  Depending on how many chicken are in your plan.  A pen, chicken run and chicken house.  The chicken will be able to free range in the garden area.

What space that is left over will be for the gardens.  I would suggest a kitchen garden.  Kids and dog area would be among the garden area.

I am looking forward to how your plan goes.

Thanks Anne!  I'm thinking the pigs will go at the back as it is more shaded by all those trees.  In the past I've found chickens to be destructive to gardens ...do you let yours free range in the garden? I feel like I'd need to either keep them in a run or let the chickens free range on the opposite side of the house from the garden.

Hello!
I am planning out a 1/4 acre homestead (11 600sqft to be exact). It is on a larger property that has pastures for horses/cattle but on my little plot I want to fit a big big garden, pigs, rabbits, chickens, dog yard, kid's play area and 1000sqft home. How would you divide it up?

I would love to be able to let the chickens free range through the dog yard area (which will also be the backyard, fire pit etc), would it make sense to plant fruit trees there? That's about the only crop I can think of that the chickens won't destroy 😆

I will attach a map of the property shape. The circles around the outside are trees, each square is approximately 10x10, the arrow shows the current gate into the area however I could put another entrance gate on the bottom fence (SW fence line).

All thoughts and ideas are welcome 😁

I'm looking at turning about 5000sqft of pasture into a garden.  Although I would like to do no till going forward, I think I'll till once at the beginning so that I don't have a billion weeds. So here's my plan: till it up well, cover with a 6-12" layer of rotted horse manure (I have free access to lots), cover that with a layer of hay. Thoughts? I'd like to have some sort of cover crop to fill in the gaps and suppress weeds, any recommendations?

Thanks!!!