My one acre homestead

[Chick Charm]

Don't forget to post updates now that you have our interest. Maybe a picture or two. I believe that the majority on here are on some scale interested in homesteading.

Wish you the best.

 

[canesisters]

You're planning to keep a dairy cow (and I assume her calf until butchering) on less than a 1/2 acre of woods? You might want to consider a hay barn (big one) - separate from the animal housing areas if possible. And I don't see a manure/compost pile. Maybe in the corner between the cow barn and the chicken coop? Have you considered dairy goats?
How fun to have a whole piece of land just waiting for all your plans to unfold!

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Looks great!! We have a One Acre homestead too. It is amazing how much we can grow and harvest on just one acre. I have plenty to pick during the growing season and still have plenty to freeze and can during the fall. We have the ability to grow organic and with out the use of chemicals due to the service that our chickens provide.

Here are a few pics of our homestead.



the Girls Weeding and looking for bugs in the wildflower garden


Berry row. 30 Raspberry, Blueberry, and Black Berry bushes


Stopping for a bite


spice and Herb garden


Ripe Raspberry


Ripe with Blueberries


can you spot the rooster.

 

[chickadoodles]

We downsized to 2 cows and 1 bull last year and bought 7 bales of hay to get us thru the winter and we still had 3 rolls of hay left last spring. So far this year we have one calf and expecting another soon, I hope. Good luck with your farm! Enjoy!

 

[Kelsie2290]

I second considering the milk goat idea. The goats seem to be popular on the "micro" farms around here. A friend of mine raised dairy goats for years, they were much easier to handle/milk than the cows are (120 pound animal vs 1000+ pound animal), and they are a heck of a lot of fun. We have 3-5 Highland cows we raise for our own beef on about 7 acres of pasture. Around here, in central Ohio, you need about an acre of good pasture per animal for the summer and still will need to hay about 6 months of the year, with half an acre where ever you are, you are going to have a mud lot really fast without a sacrifice area and some intensive management.

 

[Chick Charm]

Roy Rooster = BEAUTIFUL! Yard put to good use.

 

[salt and pepper]

It looks great! Question though... You won't be able to sustain a cow on half an acre of wooded area. Even a dexter cow (smallest breed of cow, only weighing 600 lbs) Needs an acre of good pasture. You could keep a couple of goats on the land though, I don't like goats, but they are economical,

 

[MaryMouse]

How about a dual purpose miniture cow? Loved the pics of the girls hard at work in your garden Roy Rooster.

 

[salt and pepper]

How about a dual purpose miniture cow? Loved the pics of the girls hard at work in your garden Roy Rooster.

Even a mini needs around an acre of pasture, you might be able to get away with half an acre, but it would need to be pure pasture. and you would probably need to rotate it, to give sections of the land a break.You can still have a cow there, you will just need to feed it every day of the whole year, which isn't exactly cheap.

 

[V-NH]

I intend to supplement 90% or more of the cow's food supply with hay purchased elsewhere. I know that keeping a dairy cow on 1/2 an acre is iffy, but I am willing to put forth the necessary effort to make it work. For me, it's a lifestyle choice rather than an economic issue. I thought about goats, but I actually don't really care for goat milk/cheese/meat. It has a flavor that I just can't bring myself to enjoy. Are you telling me that keeping a cow on 1/2 an acre can't be done, or that it is difficult? Difficult I can handle.