Hi Yall!

[Mrslita2019]

Hi! My husband and I are setting up a small farm in Texas. I joined the BYC group for my chickens and found the sister sites. We are trying to set ourselves up to be self-sufficient and reduce the need for the crazy corporate job. I grew up on a farm and have a little bit of knowledge about caring for my animals, but I want to make sure we set ourselves up for success and provide the right care for our animals. I believe you need 3 types of people in your journeys...Someone who has been where you're trying to go, someone who is where you are, and someone who is trying to get where you are. It has served us well in our marriage so why not in our farm journey! We don't have our cows yet but plan to have what our 10 acres will support. We spent last year tending to our pasture so they would have good eats and putting up the fence. The last piece of fence goes in this weekend to keep the cows off my porch. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

Hi and . First off, please go to your name , top right, down to account details and put a general area so it will show up in your avatar and people have an idea of your area. I do not know Texas, we have quite a few members from Texas.... but I understand that east Texas is very different climate than west Texas... This will make a BIG difference in what your land will support, types of grasses, all sorts of things. What I do here in the western part of Va is different from the eastern part... soils are different and rainfall is very different, etc and so on.
What is your general plan as to cattle? Produce food.... cows raising some calves, just feeding out some bought feeders?????
10 acres is not much for cattle.... it will support a few, and that depends on the weather, rain, all that...
@Baymule has sheep, increasing her flock of Katahdins, and had to dry lot them last year due to extreme heat and drought conditions... in order to save the pastures and not destroy the grass roots and such... buying hay can be expensive and in times of drought, can be VERY EXPENSIVE and sometimes difficult/impossible to find.

Wanting to be more self-sufficient is wonderful...... most of all of us are to that point in one way or another... many started with chickens, went to smaller livestock like sheep or goats, graduated to cattle if they had the land. Many have gone to milking goats, a few even milk their sheep, some have a dairy cow and raise an extra calf or 2 for beef or sale.....
Gardens are almost a necessity to be more independent/self-sufficient.... and chickens and pigs can use alot of the surplus and waste. Pigs are a fast turn around.... feeder size of 20-30 lbs, to in the freezer size of 150-250 lbs. in 6-10 months... broilers can be put in the freezer in 8-12 weeks easily.
We have beef cattle, I work with dairy farmers and have a couple of nurse cows and raise some calves also. We have a commercial operation, and rent and farm alot of land and both my son and I work jobs...
Here in this part of VA it is about 1 animal to 2-3 acres... during the grazing season... we feed hay 4+ months a year... we make all our own hay and spend alot of time feeding in the winter/colder weather...

Tell us more, we are great enablers..... and sometimes the truth is hard to swallow, but most will also try to tell you things straight up.... help anyway we can, but sometimes will simply tell you that what you are doing/want to do, is just not practical or smart or doable....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hi and welcome from Texas! I'm in the Houston/Galveston area. Way too wet right now! Glad you're here and hope to hear more about your upcoming adventures!

 

[SageHill]

Welcome from So Cal

 

[Baymule]

Welcome to the forum! I’m in East Texas, between Lufkin and Crockett. I have 25 acres, 30 ewes, 3 rams, 7 lambs and 14 ewes due to start lambing next week. Drought and heat last summer was terrible. I had to dry lot my sheep for almost 3 months and they went through a round bale a week, plus feed.

What is your general location? That will have a lot to do with what animals and how many you can have.

 

[SageHill]

Welcome to the forum! I’m in East Texas, between Lufkin and Crockett. I have 25 acres, 30 ewes, 3 rams, 7 lambs and 14 ewes due to start lambing next week. Drought and heat last summer was terrible. I had to dry lot my sheep for almost 3 months and they went through a round bale a week, plus feed.

What is your general location? That will have a lot to do with what animals and how many you can have.

went through a round bale a week, plus feed.

Ah @Baymule - those were round bales right? LOL not all “bales” are equal.
Now making me think - are round bales the only bales one can get in TX?

 

[Mrslita2019]

Welcome to the forum! I’m in East Texas, between Lufkin and Crockett. I have 25 acres, 30 ewes, 3 rams, 7 lambs and 14 ewes due to start lambing next week. Drought and heat last summer was terrible. I had to dry lot my sheep for almost 3 months and they went through a round bale a week, plus feed.

What is your general location? That will have a lot to do with what animals and how many you can have.

We are btwn Ft Worth and Waco. We are not looking to get too crazy with cows... Just a few for meat, maybe milk. We talked today about donkeys for overwatch and pigs to add to the food chain. We're trying to plan well. We have lots of discussions before we pull the trigger on something. 😂

 

[Mini Horses]

Welcome from coastal VA. Here -- enablers all 🤣 -- but only in a good way. You're doing well to prepare first!! Just start animals slowly to not be overwhelmed.

 

[CLSranch]

Welcome from coastal VA. Here -- enablers all 🤣 -- but only in a good way. You're doing well to prepare first!! Just start animals slowly to not be overwhelmed.

Kinda like gardening. lol start slow.

 

[canesisters]

Welcome from central VA.
You're going to get some GREAT tips & advice from other Texans here!