Sounds like a lot of work but makes a lot of sense too. You wont have to mow as much or buy as much food for the animals. I wish we had a fenced in yard for our dogs to run & play in.
Wise decision!! The way you break it down cost-wise and describe the alternatives are great! Very thankful for the time you took to come up with this solution.
I think this is a good idea, we are gonna do the same with our goats. We have our whole farm fenced in, a perimeter fence you'd call. So gonna make a small lot to put them up at night then let them have the run of the farm during the day. We will have a fence around the garden of course. I don't have flower beds to worry about the chickens has taken care of that😞. I do plant sunflowers but i put a protector around them till they grow tall enough, and the few cone flowers i have they are to poky for them i guess lol. We are lucky enough to have a neighbor that mows our hay into square bales, but we checked on fertilizer cost this year so we could get some on the clover but it has more than doubled in price so we won't be able to do that this year which sucks. I thought i was the only one that didn't react to poison ivy, my husband could just look at it and be covered 😮. We turned our pond into a catfish pond, maybe that's something you guys could do as well. I told my husband every little thing counts
There used to be fish stocked in there but we don't think there's anything in there anymore! Someone local went fishing yesterday at our pond and didn't get anything. Because of runoff from neighboring farms I am worried that something killed the fish, and at that rate do I want my goats drinking it? Not really , but we will try it.
@@SageandStoneHomestead oh ok i get ya, that sucks that it catches all the run off. I wouldn't want my does drinking that either. I guess you could put a few jug lines out so you wouldn't have to babysit a pole or try a cast net just to see if there is anything left, but if there was would ya want to eat it.. If anything maybe put some hardy mosquito fish in there to keep the mosquito population down
@@SageandStoneHomestead oh ok i get ya, that sucks that it catches all the run off. I wouldn't want my does drinking that either. I guess you could put a few jug lines out so you wouldn't have to babysit a pole or try a cast net just to see if there is anything left, but if there was would ya want to eat it.. If anything maybe put some hardy mosquito fish in there to keep the mosquito population down
OMG YOU are AMAZING & Know so much about your BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS…….I see you have small children and what a BEAUTIFUL LIFESTYLE they have and how you keep it all together…..I enjoy your videos I always learn something from them…..Watching from Virginia….
Cute KuneKunes! The pasture is a good idea. Are you using electric and rotating or making a permanent fence? A friend has a few rolls of electric netting for his 300 sheep and with intensive rotation, makes use of minimal acres. I'm feeling the high feed costs! It's $25/bag for layer at the moment. I had switched to a cheaper feed a few years back (minimally cheaper) and we paid for it with the health of our birds. We are moving to making our own chicken feed to compensate, which was formulated by a nutritionist, so that should be better (and fresher).
I'm thinking about soaking the feed for the chickens and pigs to increase the nutrients in it. I know that each chicken needs 1/3lb per head per day of dry feed, and soaked feed is ¹/4 lb because the soaking (24h) makes the nutrition more available to them. It will help cut down a lot of cost. My issue is in the winter I don't have a bunch of space to soak feed that won't freeze. We are putting up a permanent fence! Management of electric is too much for me.
@Sage and Stone Homestead Gotcha. Yeah management of electric is a bit of a pain for us too...we live in a forest and it gets so tangled. I'm going to try flash grazing this year, where I guide them to an area for half an hour or so, then back to permanent pens. Might be an epic disaster! 🤣 Yes, soaking the feed definitely helps! We'll be doing that with our whole grains. But the same winter issues here...it freezes too fast!
Feed is even higher than that here in FL. We have started fencing off sections of our 16 acres which came mostly fenced but for cattle & horses..(hot wire & barb wire). so we are slowly getting most of it done for goats & pigs. We have several acres of woods too and havent even been in there yet because it is so overgrown haha. With the sections that I have fenced now, we have been rotating the bucks n does out there and I have noticed they arent even really hungry for hay anymore when they come in for the night. They do eat their alfalfa pellets/grain but they aren't acting crazy for it like they were before. A lot of people buy used hay equipment at auction so its cheaper. If you could grow enough hay to put what you need up for winter and sell the rest, it might be worth it. I want to start growing some hay here. We also have perennial peanut hay here which gets sold close to what alfalfa hay does. Our goats will stick their noses up at alfalfa if there is peanut hay available lol.
@@SageandStoneHomestead At least you tried. I think you are doing awesome and making very wise decisions. I am really enjoying coming along on your journey through yt. Best to you. Hugs
Thank you, Elaine! Haying on the halves is how I tried to keep our property managed for the first 2 years before we got our tractor. I even tried to just give the hay away before we had animals just to keep the field managed... nada! Our neighbors do round bales on their land for their cattle but round bales with goats can be a little bit of a nightmare (I guess I could peel layers back and feed it that way), but we have zero hay storage too so it's a pickle. I think the fence is the best thing for now, we have quite a bit in the back of the property that we could possibly hay if someone ever popped up that could do small square bales!
With feed prices going up I did grab a bag of the Commodity mix at the feed store today. I only got one bag to mix in with my regular feed to get a feel for it. The girls ate it with zero issues. I think I paid 8.50/ 50 lbs. We are also planning a pasture expansion.
Was that at Rural King? We saw a stack that was 8.50 and another labeled at 9.29. I assumed the 8.50 was an older bunch and they were slightly marking down the stuff closer to expiration.
Yes we just had a new Rural King open about 15 minutes from us. I did notice there were some very large pieces of molasses in the mix. How do your chickens do with that? I don’t think I will end up switching the chickens. I can get 50 lb non gmo mash from the Amish mill for 10.25.
We have had no issues with the chickens and having extra loose stool or anything like that. I will say that batch by batch some components seem to vary. Some pellets and pieces bigger than others in some bags, and sometimes the pellet color changes. Nothing unnatural, just lighter or darker. Things like that. But with oyster shell and grass and bugs, they do lay quite well, nice yolks, and the chickens themselves look great.
Good morning Heather! We are paying $ 17 a bag of alfalfa pellets $ 17- 19 bag sweet feed Second cut grass $10 Alfalfa orchard mix $30 I’m on the same boat with feed, I won’t budge on quality because what I cut in quality I pay in vet’s bill and heartache. Having said that I’m saving money on other things to make up for the inflation. I also go every afternoon to the trees along my driveway and cut about 10 small branches and feed it before dinner every night so I’m feeding less. Nobody gets grain (unless I run out of alfalfa pellets for breakfast and dinner) but the ones in milk. No other goat gets grain (I lied the babies eat with Clara who is in milk) The alfalfa or mix of alfalfa orchard hay I only feed at night. In their stalls and as a treat supplement (during the day they eat grass hay and they eat it gladly but since it’s not their favorite now that there is more to forage they go forage and if they are still hungry go to the grass hay. Having said that I find the hay feeder with lots of left every night ( it would have been empty a month ago because of not much to eat in their pen) I’m too much too much of a chicken, when comes to feed. I blame it to the goat emergency group on Facebook (I love them you can get advice in case of an emergency from a knowledgeable person 24/7 they have shifts) They also have a big library of This sickness This treatment And goat lovers who hold your hand as you treat the illness. But I’ve seen horrible things there, and it always comes back to nutrition Polio too and the symptoms are horrible and people share videos to share the symptoms and get a “diagnose” for free in this group. Long story short, I’ve been picky about selling the babies, I know that feed is expensive, that unless you have a big area to forage you will have to buy good quality feed and minerals. Trim hooves (need good tool for that) Selenium paste Copper Hay Straw Shelter & more So I kindly share these things with people because … some are a one time expense others are a monthly expense and I would hate to see any of these babies go to a home where they are not aware of basics needs. Maybe I’m picky, but I really need the comfort of knowing they will be healthy and happy somewhere else, being a buck or a wether. Sometimes I wonder if it not going to end up with a million goats because I’m so picky😁 Remember that I’m pretty weird and definitely the crazy goat lady. I’m part of a local women’s club and i was added to their book of members after a year … so they asked me basic questions like Anniversary Birthday Favorite color Hobby Collections Collected items :I collect goats Having said that I bought a collection of books that cover alternatives ways of feeding in case of an emergency as other “hacks” people used to use. It’s a collection of 10 books I think but I feel the need like you to be resourceful because we don’t know what is coming. Hopefully is something good but if it is yay! We learned something But if it isn’t we have the knowledge Having said that I’ve been working so hard outside I’m dead by 8 pm We are having nightly bonfires 🔥 cleaning up the property by 8 and the. To bed by 10 so not much free time to read, once things are set up hopefully it will be better and I can take reading naps under the trees to learn more. Thanks for sharing your plans with us IMO fencing is never fun so I hope It goes well for you guys! Happy to know Levi will be home, I’m sure it will be working work time at home but I think that is the best kind ( if it only paid the bills 💸🤭) That would be a dream come true to me anyway Xo Lety
You've got so many trees there! I love it. Beautiful property. We don't have Facebook and I'm glad for it honestly. Groups like that are good in a broad sense but also they can breed fear in a way. I'd like to keep goats that aren't dependent on super high quality feed. The goats that can eat lower quality and still thrive because they are efficient are the ones I would want to breed and keep. Hardy animals. They may not win shows but they'll tough through what others may not. I bought my kiko nubian cross from a breeder who is very hands off and has a beautiful herd that they don't ever have to do anything special to. They don't even help with births. The inevitable self-culling has made an ideal herd.
@@SageandStoneHomestead it makes sense that is the direction you are going towards. Same around me, my goat friends in the area are just like that, hands off But they do loose goats of course, they told me 3 a year or so. But they only eat brush during the day, and grass hay at night However 😂 they buy my milk because it tastes better ☺️ We all do things differently and that is the beauty of homesteading ❤️
Cash was our first adult loss. Then Bunny Hop. Both of them (and our other LaManchas like Christine) came from a place where they were really not fed right at all. Basic minerals were not given. Theres definitely a minimum needed for any goat. Anything above and beyond that is great but we obviously can't go below their basic needs. ❤❤🐐🐐
@@SageandStoneHomestead I agree some things you can’t bargain on … Then I follow some people that feed chaffhaye but I can’t do it $$ wise I get the benefit and I get the improvement if you are going to be on milk test but is not for me rn Maybe in the future but not rn And I’m ok with that, no estrenes for this girl! And I agree hands off shouldn’t mean forgetting or ignoring the basic needs.
Thanks so much for stopping by our farm today! What do you think of the direction we are taking with the farm?
Love it! 🥰
Sounds like a lot of work but makes a lot of sense too. You wont have to mow as much or buy as much food for the animals. I wish we had a fenced in yard for our dogs to run & play in.
Wise decision!! The way you break it down cost-wise and describe the alternatives are great! Very thankful for the time you took to come up with this solution.
Brilliant decision! And extra fencing is always a good thing.
Yeah he wants to use it to fence off another area of the property!
Hope all is well!
Yes it is, thank you! ❤
That’s so awesome!!! Congrats!!
Thanks!! 😍😍
I really enjoy the channel and appreciate the information. We are new goat owners and I’ve learned so much from your channel. Thank you.
Congrats on the new goats!! Welcome to the channel, I'm so glad it's been a helpful place to be!!
Yes!!! As we were loading hay bales I told my husband I need to do a video on what my game plan is on feeding all the animals!!!!!
Please do!!
Oh and CONGRATS on reaching 5000 subscribers!🎉
Thank you! It JUST happened today! ❤🎉🎉
Come to Bc Canada chicken feed 18% is 24 a 50 pound bag
WOAH that's super steep! What was the price originally?
I think this is a good idea, we are gonna do the same with our goats. We have our whole farm fenced in, a perimeter fence you'd call. So gonna make a small lot to put them up at night then let them have the run of the farm during the day. We will have a fence around the garden of course. I don't have flower beds to worry about the chickens has taken care of that😞. I do plant sunflowers but i put a protector around them till they grow tall enough, and the few cone flowers i have they are to poky for them i guess lol. We are lucky enough to have a neighbor that mows our hay into square bales, but we checked on fertilizer cost this year so we could get some on the clover but it has more than doubled in price so we won't be able to do that this year which sucks. I thought i was the only one that didn't react to poison ivy, my husband could just look at it and be covered 😮. We turned our pond into a catfish pond, maybe that's something you guys could do as well. I told my husband every little thing counts
There used to be fish stocked in there but we don't think there's anything in there anymore! Someone local went fishing yesterday at our pond and didn't get anything. Because of runoff from neighboring farms I am worried that something killed the fish, and at that rate do I want my goats drinking it? Not really , but we will try it.
@@SageandStoneHomestead oh ok i get ya, that sucks that it catches all the run off. I wouldn't want my does drinking that either. I guess you could put a few jug lines out so you wouldn't have to babysit a pole or try a cast net just to see if there is anything left, but if there was would ya want to eat it.. If anything maybe put some hardy mosquito fish in there to keep the mosquito population down
@@SageandStoneHomestead oh ok i get ya, that sucks that it catches all the run off. I wouldn't want my does drinking that either. I guess you could put a few jug lines out so you wouldn't have to babysit a pole or try a cast net just to see if there is anything left, but if there was would ya want to eat it.. If anything maybe put some hardy mosquito fish in there to keep the mosquito population down
There's frogs and turtles, I do know that!
OMG YOU are AMAZING & Know so much about your BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS…….I see you have small children and what a BEAUTIFUL LIFESTYLE they have and how you keep it all together…..I enjoy your videos I always learn something from them…..Watching from Virginia….
Our kids have no idea how blessed they really are!! ❤❤ Thanks so much for being here.
Definitely a good decision!!! Stay safe!!😁
Thank you, Cindy! You as well!
Thanks for sharing. The goaties are going to love all the stuff to graze on. How is everybody doing?
Everyone is well!! Green chins all over the place from all the greenery starting to come in all over the pastures! 😍🐐
Cute KuneKunes! The pasture is a good idea. Are you using electric and rotating or making a permanent fence? A friend has a few rolls of electric netting for his 300 sheep and with intensive rotation, makes use of minimal acres. I'm feeling the high feed costs! It's $25/bag for layer at the moment. I had switched to a cheaper feed a few years back (minimally cheaper) and we paid for it with the health of our birds. We are moving to making our own chicken feed to compensate, which was formulated by a nutritionist, so that should be better (and fresher).
I'm thinking about soaking the feed for the chickens and pigs to increase the nutrients in it. I know that each chicken needs 1/3lb per head per day of dry feed, and soaked feed is ¹/4 lb because the soaking (24h) makes the nutrition more available to them. It will help cut down a lot of cost. My issue is in the winter I don't have a bunch of space to soak feed that won't freeze.
We are putting up a permanent fence! Management of electric is too much for me.
@Sage and Stone Homestead Gotcha. Yeah management of electric is a bit of a pain for us too...we live in a forest and it gets so tangled. I'm going to try flash grazing this year, where I guide them to an area for half an hour or so, then back to permanent pens. Might be an epic disaster! 🤣 Yes, soaking the feed definitely helps! We'll be doing that with our whole grains. But the same winter issues here...it freezes too fast!
Feed is even higher than that here in FL. We have started fencing off sections of our 16 acres which came mostly fenced but for cattle & horses..(hot wire & barb wire). so we are slowly getting most of it done for goats & pigs.
We have several acres of woods too and havent even been in there yet because it is so overgrown haha. With the sections that I have fenced now, we have been rotating the bucks n does out there and I have noticed they arent even really hungry for hay anymore when they come in for the night. They do eat their alfalfa pellets/grain but they aren't acting crazy for it like they were before.
A lot of people buy used hay equipment at auction so its cheaper. If you could grow enough hay to put what you need up for winter and sell the rest, it might be worth it. I want to start growing some hay here. We also have perennial peanut hay here which gets sold close to what alfalfa hay does. Our goats will stick their noses up at alfalfa if there is peanut hay available lol.
The other issue is our pasture needs work. The goats over it with their manure will help, but it really needs nitrogen and that has tripled in price.
The actual specialized goat feed is close to $20 a bag. That's why we like to mix our feed but we have had some hiccups with that too.
Cut a deal with other local farmers with haying equipment. Let them harvest your hay on halves.
I've tried for 3 years and there is nobody. Plus I have to pay for the nitrogen it needs.
@@SageandStoneHomestead At least you tried. I think you are doing awesome and making very wise decisions. I am really enjoying coming along on your journey through yt. Best to you. Hugs
Thank you, Elaine! Haying on the halves is how I tried to keep our property managed for the first 2 years before we got our tractor. I even tried to just give the hay away before we had animals just to keep the field managed... nada!
Our neighbors do round bales on their land for their cattle but round bales with goats can be a little bit of a nightmare (I guess I could peel layers back and feed it that way), but we have zero hay storage too so it's a pickle. I think the fence is the best thing for now, we have quite a bit in the back of the property that we could possibly hay if someone ever popped up that could do small square bales!
With feed prices going up I did grab a bag of the Commodity mix at the feed store today. I only got one bag to mix in with my regular feed to get a feel for it. The girls ate it with zero issues. I think I paid 8.50/ 50 lbs. We are also planning a pasture expansion.
Was that at Rural King? We saw a stack that was 8.50 and another labeled at 9.29. I assumed the 8.50 was an older bunch and they were slightly marking down the stuff closer to expiration.
Our chickens and turkeys eat the most and we will par down the poultry way before we get rid of any goats.
Yes we just had a new Rural King open about 15 minutes from us.
I did notice there were some very large pieces of molasses in the mix. How do your chickens do with that? I don’t think I will end up switching the chickens. I can get 50 lb non gmo mash from the Amish mill for 10.25.
We have had no issues with the chickens and having extra loose stool or anything like that. I will say that batch by batch some components seem to vary. Some pellets and pieces bigger than others in some bags, and sometimes the pellet color changes. Nothing unnatural, just lighter or darker. Things like that. But with oyster shell and grass and bugs, they do lay quite well, nice yolks, and the chickens themselves look great.
Another really educational and enjoyable video! You are a hard working family. ☀️💐🙋♀️
Thanks so much. This project is underway now and I CAN'T WAIT to show you!!
@@SageandStoneHomestead Awesome! Have a great weekend! 💐☀️🌳
You too! ❤
Good morning Heather!
We are paying
$ 17 a bag of alfalfa pellets
$ 17- 19 bag sweet feed
Second cut grass $10
Alfalfa orchard mix $30
I’m on the same boat with feed, I won’t budge on quality because what I cut in quality I pay in vet’s bill and heartache.
Having said that I’m saving money on other things to make up for the inflation.
I also go every afternoon to the trees along my driveway and cut about 10 small branches and feed it before dinner every night so I’m feeding less.
Nobody gets grain (unless I run out of alfalfa pellets for breakfast and dinner) but the ones in milk. No other goat gets grain (I lied the babies eat with Clara who is in milk)
The alfalfa or mix of alfalfa orchard hay I only feed at night. In their stalls and as a treat supplement (during the day they eat grass hay and they eat it gladly but since it’s not their favorite now that there is more to forage they go forage and if they are still hungry go to the grass hay.
Having said that I find the hay feeder with lots of left every night ( it would have been empty a month ago because of not much to eat in their pen)
I’m too much too much of a chicken, when comes to feed.
I blame it to the goat emergency group on Facebook (I love them you can get advice in case of an emergency from a knowledgeable person 24/7 they have shifts)
They also have a big library of
This sickness
This treatment
And goat lovers who hold your hand as you treat the illness.
But I’ve seen horrible things there, and it always comes back to nutrition
Polio too and the symptoms are horrible and people share videos to share the symptoms and get a “diagnose” for free in this group.
Long story short, I’ve been picky about selling the babies, I know that feed is expensive, that unless you have a big area to forage you will have to buy good quality feed and minerals.
Trim hooves (need good tool for that)
Selenium paste
Copper
Hay
Straw
Shelter
& more
So I kindly share these things with people because … some are a one time expense others are a monthly expense and I would hate to see any of these babies go to a home where they are not aware of basics needs.
Maybe I’m picky, but I really need the comfort of knowing they will be healthy and happy somewhere else, being a buck or a wether.
Sometimes I wonder if it not going to end up with a million goats because I’m so picky😁
Remember that I’m pretty weird and definitely the crazy goat lady.
I’m part of a local women’s club and i was added to their book of members after a year … so they asked me basic questions like
Anniversary
Birthday
Favorite color
Hobby
Collections
Collected items :I collect goats
Having said that I bought a collection of books that cover alternatives ways of feeding in case of an emergency as other “hacks” people used to use.
It’s a collection of 10 books I think but I feel the need like you to be resourceful because we don’t know what is coming.
Hopefully is something good but if it is yay! We learned something
But if it isn’t we have the knowledge
Having said that I’ve been working so hard outside I’m dead by 8 pm
We are having nightly bonfires 🔥 cleaning up the property by 8 and the. To bed by 10 so not much free time to read, once things are set up hopefully it will be better and I can take reading naps under the trees to learn more.
Thanks for sharing your plans with us
IMO fencing is never fun so I hope
It goes well for you guys!
Happy to know Levi will be home, I’m sure it will be working work time at home but I think that is the best kind ( if it only paid the bills 💸🤭)
That would be a dream come true to me anyway
Xo
Lety
You've got so many trees there! I love it. Beautiful property. We don't have Facebook and I'm glad for it honestly. Groups like that are good in a broad sense but also they can breed fear in a way.
I'd like to keep goats that aren't dependent on super high quality feed. The goats that can eat lower quality and still thrive because they are efficient are the ones I would want to breed and keep. Hardy animals. They may not win shows but they'll tough through what others may not. I bought my kiko nubian cross from a breeder who is very hands off and has a beautiful herd that they don't ever have to do anything special to. They don't even help with births. The inevitable self-culling has made an ideal herd.
@@SageandStoneHomestead it makes sense that is the direction you are going towards.
Same around me, my goat friends in the area are just like that, hands off
But they do loose goats of course, they told me 3 a year or so.
But they only eat brush during the day, and grass hay at night
However 😂 they buy my milk because it tastes better ☺️
We all do things differently and that is the beauty of homesteading ❤️
That's pretty backwards of your friends lol. Do they keep Nigerians or no? Their milk is much more rich and flavorful because of breed anyway!
Cash was our first adult loss. Then Bunny Hop. Both of them (and our other LaManchas like Christine) came from a place where they were really not fed right at all. Basic minerals were not given. Theres definitely a minimum needed for any goat. Anything above and beyond that is great but we obviously can't go below their basic needs. ❤❤🐐🐐
@@SageandStoneHomestead I agree some things you can’t bargain on …
Then I follow some people that feed chaffhaye but I can’t do it $$ wise
I get the benefit and I get the improvement if you are going to be on milk test but is not for me rn
Maybe in the future but not rn
And I’m ok with that, no estrenes for this girl!
And I agree hands off shouldn’t mean forgetting or ignoring the basic needs.