Feeling the urge to move and start a hobby farm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live on a working farm -- I run a horse boarding operation, have 30ish chickens, and an orchard/garden.

Sheep are tough to raise. They love to die. They wake up every morning thinking of inventive ways to die. Your entire life will be an effort to prevent them dying, and still they will manage to die sometimes. Luckily they are also really stupid, so it takes a while for some of them to manage to off themselves. They are the worst livestock in that respect (horses are bad enough!). Try goats -- those little bastards are sturdy and smart. Hard to fence in, though.

That said, I do find it fairly easy to get away, and travel internationally 3-4 times per year, as well as quite a few weeks away at horse competitions (I only take some of the horses to those). I have reliable farmsitters and pay them VERY well. Most farmers do not find it easy or affordable to get away. I have a "real job" or I couldn't afford it either.

It's a great life, but not for the faint of heart. You need to be mentally tough yourself. Things you don't think you are going to have to do, you will have to do (like trapping and shooting vermin). If not willing to do this, they will kill all your chickens.

Thank you for your valuable insight. OP here. Heritage sheep breeds are a lot hardier and smarter than highly-bred ones, though, and the Valais is such a breed. But yes, they are definitely more work than goats.

Good luck with your project. IME a smart sheep is still pretty lacking in mental acuity, but I totally get being drawn to a particular species whether it is easy or not.

If I was picking a heritage animal to raise, it would be those mini Highland cattle. Adorable, strong market for them right now, much heartier than sheep and less devilish than goats.

The farming life is never dull. "Normal" DCUM people worry if a bird gets in their house. They've never woken up at 3 am and rolled over to find a deceased squirrel in their bed right next to their face.

One night I got up and there was a dead possum on the floor. Got a drink of water before removing it, and found out it wasn't dead after all -- just playing dead. You haven't lived if you've never chased a possum out of your kitchen with a broom in the dead of night.

The cat brought in four snakes last year alone. She was VERY proud of them, each and every one.

I like to travel to get away from such adventures as much as to have new ones!

DCUM hobby farmer, please write a blog/book about your farming life--I would read it!

[Anonymous]

Hobby farm - sounds like a premise for a sit com where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. There was a British show in the 70s called The Good Life a bit like this.

[Anonymous]

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8969332/

Watch The Biggest Little Farm.

It looks like a lot of work where the smallest thing (snails, vermin) can cause unexpected disaster.

[Anonymous]

Boarding horses is definitely farming! Different rhythms but clearly farming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a name for the phase in life where a person romantize's life on a Hobby Farm?

Rich, Bored and White

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a name for the phase in life where a person romantize's life on a Hobby Farm?

Rich, Bored and White

Most people with backyard chickens have kids and are Mc but not rich and are Hispanic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a name for the phase in life where a person romantize's life on a Hobby Farm?

Rich, Bored and White

Most people with backyard chickens have kids and are Mc but not rich and are Hispanic

And that's not what OP is talking about

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot really spin cloth that can be worn against the skin from their wool. It's more for rug or upholstery purposes.

OP are we friends IRL? You sound exactly like someone I know.

OP here. Hello, Maybe Friend! I haven't really talked about this with my friends, so not sure... I agree the BNV breed is more carpet-grade wool than anything else.

I want to milk them. I really like ewe's milk, but it's not possible to buy any in this region. It can be frozen, though, unlike other types of milk, because of its high fat content, which also means I won't need to milk in winter. I also want to make cheese. I am aware that there are better breeds of milkers out there, but this breed is cute, hardy and as sheep go, not dumb. Also, how much milk do we really need? None of this is for commercial purposes. I'm not planning on having a large flock, just a few sheep. All I need is 5 acres far enough from the city that it's agricultural zoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot really spin cloth that can be worn against the skin from their wool. It's more for rug or upholstery purposes.

OP are we friends IRL? You sound exactly like someone I know.

OP here. Hello, Maybe Friend! I haven't really talked about this with my friends, so not sure... I agree the BNV breed is more carpet-grade wool than anything else.

I want to milk them. I really like ewe's milk, but it's not possible to buy any in this region. It can be frozen, though, unlike other types of milk, because of its high fat content, which also means I won't need to milk in winter. I also want to make cheese. I am aware that there are better breeds of milkers out there, but this breed is cute, hardy and as sheep go, not dumb. Also, how much milk do we really need? None of this is for commercial purposes. I'm not planning on having a large flock, just a few sheep. All I need is 5 acres far enough from the city that it's agricultural zoning.

I would suggest more than 5 acres because they are just too cute and they do baa really loudly. You will need some buffer land and have them away from the road and not visible.

My SIL's property is laid out so her sheep are not remotely visible from the road and she has a gate at the entrance. Not that this would necessarily stop selfie seekers but it's not obvious that she has farm animals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot really spin cloth that can be worn against the skin from their wool. It's more for rug or upholstery purposes.

OP are we friends IRL? You sound exactly like someone I know.

OP here. Hello, Maybe Friend! I haven't really talked about this with my friends, so not sure... I agree the BNV breed is more carpet-grade wool than anything else.

I want to milk them. I really like ewe's milk, but it's not possible to buy any in this region. It can be frozen, though, unlike other types of milk, because of its high fat content, which also means I won't need to milk in winter. I also want to make cheese. I am aware that there are better breeds of milkers out there, but this breed is cute, hardy and as sheep go, not dumb. Also, how much milk do we really need? None of this is for commercial purposes. I'm not planning on having a large flock, just a few sheep. All I need is 5 acres far enough from the city that it's agricultural zoning.

Where did you learn to make cheese. Are there any local classes?

[Anonymous]

I could have a field day with this. You haven't SEEN a crisis until you've been on a farm.

Hobby farms are also very expensive. Like a yacht, if you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.

That said, If I was going to do it, I'd look at Dexter cattle rather than sheep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot really spin cloth that can be worn against the skin from their wool. It's more for rug or upholstery purposes.

OP are we friends IRL? You sound exactly like someone I know.

OP here. Hello, Maybe Friend! I haven't really talked about this with my friends, so not sure... I agree the BNV breed is more carpet-grade wool than anything else.

I want to milk them. I really like ewe's milk, but it's not possible to buy any in this region. It can be frozen, though, unlike other types of milk, because of its high fat content, which also means I won't need to milk in winter. I also want to make cheese. I am aware that there are better breeds of milkers out there, but this breed is cute, hardy and as sheep go, not dumb. Also, how much milk do we really need? None of this is for commercial purposes. I'm not planning on having a large flock, just a few sheep. All I need is 5 acres far enough from the city that it's agricultural zoning.

You can make and sell goat milk soap. I used to buy some amazing handmade goat milk soap from a woman in Virginia who had sheep but she’s closed shop now.