Help raising goats/sheep and chickens

[cowadle]

https://www.tornadowire.com/goat-fencing/?lang=enhttps://www.tornadowire.com/fencing/livestock-fencing/?lang=en
by far the best wire i have ever used. i suggest the 13-48-6 because it is taller than the goat wire. the small spacing near the bottom will help keep predators st bay some also. use pipe or wood posts at 20 foot space and build bulletproof corners so you can get it stretched reeeeel tight. you will need a good set of strainer bars to get it tight enough though. don't bother with red brand wire

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

My wife champagne tastes, but she’s the coolest person I know so I try to build to her standards.

Line posts will either be rail road ties or 6x6 cedar. Corner posts will be taller with caps. They’ll be tied together by 2x4s or 2x6s. I’m thinking 2x4 square wire between the posts, but the high tensile field fence looks like a better deal. No problems with the big spaces at the top? I’m hoping 10 foot spacing between posts but it’ll all depend on the final layout. The posts and cross members will depend on what the local lumbar yard has, but I’ll try to put the posts a min of 24” down. That’ll be the challenge with the boulders around here.

If my wife has her way fence will be white with black wire like those hog wire decks, but unless she’s helping with the post holes that’s not happening. I built a couple decks like that and she loved it.

That’s my feeling. Wife is an all or nothing type personality so she wants to cannonball into it. Lol

If we start with goats right off the bat I’ll probably start with little ones before moving into meat goats. We don’t do long vacations so we don’t mind the time commitment.

If I don’t find someone to work with and work through the learning curve I’ll probably start with chickens and 2 small goats and then see if I’m able to keep them all alive.

I see. That sounds like nice looking fence ideas! If it’s visible from your house or something, I totally get it. Gonna be pricey though and lots of labor.

For me the field fence works great and I enjoy the lower cost. It keeps dogs out too. That being said I am focusing on sheep. The bigger holes at the top are not a problem with sheep. Sounds like you’re leaning more towards goats, in which case field fence might not be ideal.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

don't bother with red brand wire

Why is that? Honestly asking, not trying to be snappy.

Guy up the road from me has some red brand field fencing he installed 15 years ago. It still looks good

 

[cowadle]

Why is that? Honestly asking, not trying to be snappy.

Guy up the road from me has some red brand field fencing he installed 15 years ago. It still looks good

the quality of red brand has dropped off the cliff. it used to be the best though.... CFI was good stuff also many many years ago but it turned junk a long time ago also. i am not 100 percent sure but i think red brand sources it's raw wire from germany. the tornado stuff has been phenomenal for me,the consitancy of the horizontal wires will all stretch the same so the fence when stretched real tight is as hard as a brick wall and the galvanised on the tornado is very good. the tornado high tensile barbed wire comes off the roll and lays flat and straight on the ground without a twist or coil anywhere. they even have rolls that are 5000 feet long

 

[JHardin1974]

Hey guys,

Haven’t been on a farm with goats and chickens since I was about 13-14. I’ve been helping a neighbor with his little goat pets and a couple roosters, but he doesn’t raise goats and chickens for meat, and he’s not a farmer or really experienced, he just kinda fell into it.

My wife and I have about 3/4 of an acre on our property we’ll be fencing to raise goats/sheep and chickens for meat and eggs.

I as wondering if anyone here raised goats and sheep for meat near Sand Springs. I’d like to help if you need it. I can come by and shovel poop for all I care, just want to learn from someone who actually does it, not online or in books. I also didn’t want to rely on 25 year old memories and needlessly lose some animals.

Everyone I know out here doesn’t raise their goats for meat, mainly dairy and pets. Also I don’t have anyone around that raises chickens for meat. I’d like to have egg layers and meat chickens. Plus I want to make sure my two kids learn humility and hard work through manual labor like I did.

I was reading thru the replies, and nobody really mentioned where to get chickens. Whatever you do, don't and I mean don't go to an auction to buy your poultry. You will pay way more than what they're worth. I get my chickens via mail order thru McMurray hatchery. They have a website and will send your live chicks thru the mail. You can get them sexed or unsexed, as well as vaccinated or not. Their website will break down the different breeds by what they look like when adults, their purpose, and how good of egg layers they are. They also sell peafowl, ducks, and geese.

As far as a coop goes, just make sure it's predator proof at your eaves, and at least 8" below ground. Chicken wire is good, but bird netting is better. Chicken wire will not keep snakes out. Make sure you have an open roof on your chicken run, but have it covered with the bird netting to keep hawks, owls, and other flying bad guys from snagging your chickens. Having some guineas is a good idea too, as they're great alarms, and will kill snakes that make their way into your coop or run by chance.

Hope this helps

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Thanks for the heads-up on that hatchery. I'll certainly look into them when we get our chickens.

 

[Bigdawg90]

I was reading thru the replies, and nobody really mentioned where to get chickens. Whatever you do, don't and I mean don't go to an auction to buy your poultry. You will pay way more than what they're worth. I get my chickens via mail order thru McMurray hatchery. They have a website and will send your live chicks thru the mail. You can get them sexed or unsexed, as well as vaccinated or not. Their website will break down the different breeds by what they look like when adults, their purpose, and how good of egg layers they are. They also sell peafowl, ducks, and geese.

As far as a coop goes, just make sure it's predator proof at your eaves, and at least 8" below ground. Chicken wire is good, but bird netting is better. Chicken wire will not keep snakes out. Make sure you have an open roof on your chicken run, but have it covered with the bird netting to keep hawks, owls, and other flying bad guys from snagging your chickens. Having some guineas is a good idea too, as they're great alarms, and will kill snakes that make their way into your coop or run by chance.

Hope this helps

Super helpful. That site looks great. We’ve been getting eggs from a couple different neighbors to try and figure out with ones we like best. I swear they all taste the exact same. Lol.

Got most of the area cleared all the way to the property line. I needed a new chainsaw to get some of the other much larger dead trees. My 5y/o is super excited.

Once the Duramax is up and running again (got it running but then the turbo went out) I’ll be going to fetch all the fencing.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

Thanks for the heads-up on that hatchery. I'll certainly look into them when we get our chickens.

I have used Meyer hatchery many times for rare breeds and meat birds, McMurray is good too. However I highly recommend getting birds at the feed store as they take the first 48 hours of losses so you don't have too and you get the pick of the litter. Also most feed stores sell chicks at a loss because they make the money back when you buy feed and supplies.

 

[tynyphil]

Been raising goats and chickens for over 30 years now.....don't know all the answers but I've seen quite a bit

pictures up now of the 14 kids born the past couple of weeks tyny.com

My recommendation for fencing unless you are doing a HUGE area is cattle panels and/or hog panels. Very strong and durable fence. I always tell folks that their fencing should be more about fencing stuff OUT rather than fencing IN the goats. Provide what they want/need, they'll stick around, but most vulnerable to your neighbor's or stray dog on the loose.

I just order chicks from Meyers for Sept delivery. I usually buy chicks locally but I wanted to be sure to get a specific breed this time......Speckled Sussex.....a very heavy and calm breed.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I have used Meyer hatchery many times for rare breeds and meat birds, McMurray is good too. However I highly recommend getting birds at the feed store as they take the first 48 hours of losses so you don't have too and you get the pick of the litter. Also most feed stores sell chicks at a loss because they make the money back when you buy feed and supplies.

Well said! Honestly Atwoods and TSC are hard to beat when it comes to chicks. Just know what breeds you are after and know how to identify them because the employees typically won’t know crap.

We have ordered directly from hatcheries as well. Definitely the way to go if you are trying to get specific breeds.