MagiStream

"Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor."

Alpacas, Bees (though not livestock, a viable source of ag. income), Cattle, Chickens, Deer, Goats, Horses, Llamas, Mules, Rabbits, Sheep - The list goes on.

This is a thread discussion about raising and caring for livestock. Though any farm related animals may be included (e.g. cats, dogs, horses, rabbits) this is a separate thread from the Pets Thread. If however, these animals are part of a working farm environment, then by all means include them.

Some possible topics of discussion:

*Your animals! What are you currently raising? Pictures are welcome!

*What made you decide to raise (x) animal?
-Meat? Milk? Fiber? Labor? Eggs? Recreation? Self sustaining?

*Experiences in raising (x) animal.

*4-H and FFA involvement?

*Questions pertaining to what it takes to care for (x) animal?
-Land.
-Building requirements.
-Veterinary care. (Though if something serious arises, please contact your local vet.)
-Feed.
-The cost of managing such animals.
-The time and responsibility required.
-What you get out of it.

My family has raised chickens, ducks, rabbits and pigeons, and one goose, but only as pets with the advantage of free eggs in the case of the chickens and goose. So, I'm not sure those count as livestock.

When raising rodents to be feeders, do they count as livestock?

I'm actually wondering about the raising of ornamental game birds - various species of quail, pheasant and even peafowl.
Has anyone done this? Any experiences or advice on this?
I won't be getting into it anytime soon, as I don't even have a real yard at the moment, but it is something I would very much like to get into at some point.

Nice, TNHawke! Poultry has such an awesome dual advantage. Hope you can get some soon!

In regards to rats - well, I don't see why not. If they're not technically pets..

We're expecting a batch of chicks in June. Parents-in-law have had chickens for a while, and since then I've wanted to raise them for meat, eggs and general amusement around the yard.

Duly noted about pheasants. I was going to pick up a couple pheasant chicks to be with my chicken chicks, but I've since read that they should be raised separately. So I'll have to wait until we build a separate coop/run for pheasants. Hopefully in a year or two.

Peafowl seem appealing, they're just so darn expensive. Same goes for a batch of guinea fowl (wanted them for tick patrol around here). As Rhea said, I'm sure I'd enjoy that singular male call for the first 100 times, but after that... I suppose it's the same as with any rooster.

Anyway, if I do happen upon pheasants sooner, I'll be sure to note about it in the thread.

I'm aware that peafowl are loud. MUCH louder than chickens and the goose. I would only get those if I had at least a few acres out in the country where I wouldn't be annoying the neighbors... much...

Ornamental game birds can be eaten, but mostly they are raised for show, and their pelts. Depending on the species, they can also be raised for release in a field to then be hunted, but I don't feel that's very sportsmanlike, so I don't think I would do it. However, if other people wanted to buy my birds and then did that with them, who am I to tell them no?

I did some research on it a while back, and pretty well decided on ring-neck pheasants, Lady Amhurst and Golden pheasants, and the impeyan aka Himalayan Monal pheasant. I might also raise some smaller birds like various types of quail.
Where I live, game bird hunting is very popular, so even ring-necks, chuckars and california quail are popular breeds. The colorful feathers of the other ornamentals sell well to artists and other people.


Yes, pheasants should be kept separate from chickens, primarily because they have much shyer personalities, and chickens may peck at the colorful wattles and the long tails. I also heard a story about a couple of teens who found a quail nest and stole a dozen or so eggs, and put them under a broody banty hen. She hatched them just fine, but as soon as they could walk, they ran out through the chicken wire, into the field and were never seen again. Never mind that the first thing they saw was their chicken mommy!




With the rats, I considered my breeding stock pets, but they were bred specifically to sell, either as pets, or as feeders. With mice... My current three (two females and 1 male) don't even have names. They are solely being kept to make feeders for my raven and snake, and eventually my lizard will be large enough to eat them. They also exist to amuse my cats, who like to gather around the tank and watch. The mice don't even notice them anymore. Even after the cost of bedding and food, it's cheaper to breed my own than to buy them from a store. Plus, if I have more than I can feed to my critters, I can sell them to other folks who need feeders and make a couple of bucks.

Growing up, my family always kept chickens for the eggs (sold at $1 or so a dozen) and as I got older, I raised Muscovy ducks to sell the ducklings to 4Hers in the area. It's been years since I've had either and likely won't for a while longer since I'm getting married and becoming a mother, both this year.

To be honest, I loved both. They have such amazing personalities if you watch them. I would love to one day go back to doing that, if only for the egg production.

I also bred feeder mice for quite a while, but eventually had a problem with the store I was supplying cheating me on prices and quit.

My family has been involved with horses since before I have any real memory. I do know that we have a photo of me on horseback with my grandfather at 3 months old or so. I received my first horse at age 4 (that I had until I was 12) and grew up showing both in 4H (horsemanship, English flat, Hunter, Western Pleasure, Trail, and gymkhanas) and in the breed of my two horses up until around age 15. My last childhood horse died almost 11 years ago and while I was still involved with horses, I didn't own anymore until 3-4 years ago. I did do quite a bit of catchriding at shows and training for a select few in that interim.

Currently, I am a riding instructor and own a Thoroughbred gelding, a draft cross gelding (my eventing horses), an Oldenburg gelding (dressage), a Thoroughbred mare (my jumping lesson horse who is recovering from a career ending injury. She likely won't have the ability to serve as a lesson horse any longer, but she's more than earned her place as a pretty pasture ornament as long as she is sound enough to do so without pain), a Haflinger mare (technically my brother's but I also use her for my younger students to start on) and a young Paint/Arab cross gelding that I am training slowly to, most likely, be another dressage horse. If you counted 6, yes, you counted right and yes, I am indeed aware that most people would find that to be a lot. Pending motherhood has me stepping back from riding myself, but I am still teaching and will be going back to riding competitively once time permits. Until then, my horses are still being given a job to do.

There used to be goats here. They mowed the lawn.

They're gone now, though...

and I miss them.

I once watched a bit of news of a woman that owned a pig as a pet. Unfortunately, the stupid law says we can't keep livestock animals as lifelong pets. The good news is the woman's pig has made quite a bit of a show on Youtube and she will not give up her pig to any slaughterhouse. I think she ended up naming her pig Wilbur like in Charlotte's Web.

A friend of mine bred goats... they didn't like me, and attacked my bottom with their horns.....they also had chickens and really loud dogs, but the goats...oh dear....
I wanted chickens and my dad almost got some, but we had a problem racoon and we couldn't get rid of him, so babies were not a good idea

Kamoodle wrote:I once watched a bit of news of a woman that owned a pig as a pet. Unfortunately, the stupid law says we can't keep livestock animals as lifelong pets. The good news is the woman's pig has made quite a bit of a show on Youtube and she will not give up her pig to any slaughterhouse. I think she ended up naming her pig Wilbur like in Charlotte's Web.

Pigs are pretty smart. It's true they blur the line of pet / livestock because they can be trained like a dog, and they're actually pretty clean if you know how to manage them. That's interesting that there's a time-restraint on livestock. What if I had a cow that I wanted to continuously breed for milk and calves? At least she's fighting against it.

Tristan wrote:There used to be goats here. They mowed the lawn.

They're gone now, though...

and I miss them.

See, goats are effin' triple threats. Not only do you get meat/milk and chased around by them, they keep lawns beautiful as a golf-course, lol.