Feeling the urge to move and start a hobby farm

[Anonymous]

Specifically, with a small flock of Black-Nosed Valais sheep, and a chicken coop for fresh eggs in the morning.
Husband is not in love with the idea of animal husbandry, but is an avid gardener and would love to expand to an orchard and larger vegetable patch that what our small city property currently offers.

Work is portable. Kid 1 is in college, Kid 2 will also leave in a couple of years.

Is this a terrible idea?

[Anonymous]

My SIL and her DH do this. Work full time and have sheep, chickens and don't know what else.

It is incredibly exhausting. And expensive. And dirty. It's not a terrible idea, just know that it is the above three things. Make sure you have the money to fund it.

Also, be prepared to spend time and money on dogs to guard the sheep. That's no small thing. Animal guardians are a must or you will lose the lambs.

[Anonymous]

Do you like to travel? If so, don't do this.

[Anonymous]

SIL and her DH did this. They have livestock and almost never travel. If they do, it's for maybe 4 days max, usually within driving distance. They haven't been on a plane in years. They seem happy and content, but it's pretty boring to me.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a great idea. Start small. Lots of youtube channels on it.

Focus on gardening first, add chickens and rabbits for manure and meat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SIL and her DH did this. They have livestock and almost never travel. If they do, it's for maybe 4 days max, usually within driving distance. They haven't been on a plane in years. They seem happy and content, but it's pretty boring to me.

I'm the PP above who also has a SIL with a hobby farm. Somehow, my SIL is able to squeeze in one or two big overseas trips a year and some short domestic trips. I honestly have no idea how or who looks after the animals when they're gone.

Just know that some people are able to make it all work but my guess is that money is the key. They probably pay for the help.

[Anonymous]

It’s tough. I grew up with chicken, ducks and rabbits. You absolutely need someone to take care of them if you leave for a day.

[Anonymous]

I know many people who do this in MoCo.

When they go on vacation, they do so in February-March, and do so for a month at a time.

They work very hard, and have another primary source of income to offset the hobby farm.

[Anonymous]

You sound manic.

But if you are familiar with how hard that kind of work is, by all means—jump in. If you are not, especially given that you are older and talking about physically demanding work, think more than twice.

[Anonymous]

Anything to claim that agricultural tax exemption, right?

Pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Only if I didn’t have to work.

[Anonymous]

Get the farm and the chickens but don’t do the sheep until you’ve been there for four years.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm from a farm family and it's a ton of work, even just the "few" animals you mentioned (and please don't even start thinking about breeding sheep until you've helped someone else during lambing season). The point about vacations is a good one--my family members have never visited me because they truly cannot get away--hired help is extremely hard to find these days.

Get some chickens and go from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Specifically, with a small flock of Black-Nosed Valais sheep, and a chicken coop for fresh eggs in the morning.
Husband is not in love with the idea of animal husbandry, but is an avid gardener and would love to expand to an orchard and larger vegetable patch that what our small city property currently offers.

Work is portable. Kid 1 is in college, Kid 2 will also leave in a couple of years.

Is this a terrible idea?

Wait until kid two leaves. But, you can do research and figure out the area where you would like to be, and learn different things about farming.

[Anonymous]

I was raised on a farm and my advice is: under no circumstances should you do it!