I have an 10acre farm. If I get animals, I am making a commitment. Help please

Our chicken coop has an automatic door that makes it possible for us to not be home for lengths at a time. A little expensive but so worth it

Autumn Brown wrote:Our chicken coop has an automatic door that makes it possible for us to not be home for lengths at a time. A little expensive but so worth it

I was wondering about that: How pricey are they? Is it solar? How do you make sure they are not running out of water/ food on extended trips?

So I am back to square one. Am I ready to commit to being at the farm always and all the time? My neighbour gave up his cows because he said he could never go anywhere.

Years back I spoke with a couple who had begun an off-grid small organic operation on about 15 acres. The plan was to be self-sufficient and they were close. They had put in a decent size garden, maybe half an acre with 2 more acres planned for market garden. They also had accumulated a small flock of laying hens, about 100 meat birds, 3 pigs, 5 sheep, 2 milk cows, 2 steers for meat, and 2 draft horses which they planned to use as work animals. They even had a lot of horse drawn equipment. They were very knowledgeable, and had early retirement income to support this dream they were pursuing. They were also overwhelmed. They were unable to leave, together, for any length of time, and unable to find reliable help on a consistent basis. They did have a couple college kids from an Ag program who worked there as interns, but those did not stay on permanently, of course, so had to be replaced and the training done over again. But the biggest concern was getting hurt/sick. They both said that having even a mild flu made the daily chores exhausting. This was 2 healthy individuals in their late 40s doing it by choice. And if one got sick/hurt the other could pick up the slack to an extent.
So, not to paint a huge dark cloud, but these are things to consider seriously. Ask yourself a lot of 'what ifs' before plunging headlong into animal husbandry, especially alone. The ideal farm sitter is someone who has the same creatures you do, so you know that they know what to do. Maybe you can arrange a work exchange, if you found someone local, trading help back and forth? Having good neighbors you can depend on is almost essential if you have animals.

During the years that we lived on our homestead, we had several deaths and weddings that required that we attend.

Dear hubby's father and grandmother both passed away.  These are events that folks are not able to not attend.

The weddings were for close cousins who lived far away.

I don't remember now how we handled those situations other than just living lots of food and water.

Julie Reed wrote:

So I am back to square one. Am I ready to commit to being at the farm always and all the time? My neighbour gave up his cows because he said he could never go anywhere.

...But the biggest concern was getting hurt/sick. They both said that having even a mild flu made the daily chores exhausting. This was 2 healthy individuals in their late 40s doing it by choice. And if one got sick/hurt the other could pick up the slack to an extent.

Wow, the above comment ended up being prescient, huh?  (I saw your post about getting sick...)

As others have mentioned, having help from neighbors may be possible.  Automatic feeding/watering systems help.  If I don't feed the poultry on a given day, they won't die, since they have water all the time and access to the feeder (they have to step on it to raise the lid).  Plus they free-range the yard, so they can scrape up bugs/eat the plants.

Yes, animals are a huge responsibility and commitment, but they add so much to my life, I'd feel life-less without them.  Not to mention they are considered essential to regenerating ecosystems.

Have you considered rabbits or guinea pigs, which can be kept inside, grazed outside, and are small and cuddly..plus a sensible option for providing meat?  Kind of entry-level animals, and if need be, you can have someone babysit them in a cage at their place, when you want to leave/get sick.

Don't know if anyone mentioned it before, but offering farm-stay, WOOFFing, interns, workshops, classes, artist retreats, etc. can get help to come to you, and possibly provide some income too.  (although you'd likely need another shelter, for them...)  

It would also provide socialization (which is temporary; a good thing, since not everyone gets along well with everyone else!)    I know you're longing for some company.

Or even like a work-exchange with your neighbors/community.  They can help you build something, you can help them on a project, etc.

Remember that you are not alone. start canvassing the area and get to know your neighbors. show off your projects to them. You'd be surprised but they might want to help. Of course, it has to be a 2-way street. I have a friend who lives about4-5 miles from me. she has helped me with watering and feeding my critters when I can't. I helped her with beekeeping and if she has to step away, I think she knows she can count on me.
I'm planning to buy some of her compost, she will keep my hens happy if she gets the eggs while I'm gone. We can manage like this. It is not like we are always helping one another... just when help is really necessary. that's invaluable.

I'd second some of the opinions as to the personal feeling about it.  If you like it, stay and develop - the rewards are worth it.

You have already committed yourself to the farm - you can't walk away from the trees, bushes, etc. So, animals don't make all that much difference. Yes, winters can be challenging (water freezes, more feed needed and, God forbid, you have an unplanned litter). However, the animals can also work for your farm. Chicken manure is awesome and you can sell eggs to buy that power line in the future.

BUT, if you feel you're at the end of your rope. Wait and see. I have been homesteading (with full time job) for three years now. While I get the occasional help from a neighbour, I do all projects myself (including a 30 ft greenhouse last summer) and take care of fifty animals. I did have to scale down the garden as I had no time to weed and it just went wild. It is then for you to decide whether you just need a creative solution or just take it easy and see what works in the future.  Pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits are all easy...