• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • r ranson
  • Timothy Norton
  • Jay Angler
stewards:
  • Andrés Bernal
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Anne Miller
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • thomas rubino

Total newbie

 
Posts: 48
5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
So I am really interested in silvopasture. It is a necessity for me. I only have 1/4 acre of open paddock for my animals. I started with chickens. I am adding some runner ducks soon. I just finished fencing 2 acres of heavily wooded lot. What would be my best next animal to add? I am torn between goat to clean up young growth trees, or pig to root up the ground for more planting. About one acre of the wooded lot is planted with clover to add some green come spring. My end goal is to fence another 4 acres and raise 2 pigs and one small breed cow every year for personal meat  for my family and parents and inlaws.  I am not trying to make money off my little hobby farm, just provide some food for my loved ones. I just don't know the next step in transitioning my wooded lot into useful pasture.
 
pollinator
Posts: 2916
Location: Zone 5 Wyoming
519
kids duck forest garden chicken pig bee greening the desert homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Would you eat the goats? If not, and you do want pigs to eat, I'd do the pigs. They can clear small branches they can reach. We had our boar make his wallow under a tree and he tore the branches directly over it off so he was comfortable.
 
master steward
Posts: 7801
Location: southern Illinois, USA
2892
goat cat dog chicken composting toilet food preservation pig solar wood heat homestead composting
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Depending upon the breed of pig, I would do the pigs at this point. I find pigs easier to handle. In both cases, fencing is a concern.  If you are in a colder climate,  hold off on either until spring.
 
Maybe he went home and went to bed. And took this tiny ad with him:
The new permaculture playing cards kickstarter is now live!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulwheaton/garden-cards
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic