Category
Livestock
Chickens, goats, cattle, and the fencing and feed that keep them where they belong.
A handful of animals on a small place is a different problem than a herd. You are doing every chore yourself, usually before work, often in the dark, and the gear either makes that manageable or it does not.
What follows is written for the person carrying the water bucket.
Start here
Before the animals arrive
In order. The first decision constrains the second, and the third is where most people start shopping.
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Fence for the animal you actually have.
Goats test everything, cattle lean, poultry go under. Fence is the one line item where buying cheap costs you twice, first in materials and again at two in the morning.
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Plan the daily water haul.
Whatever you choose, you will fill it, thaw it, or fix it every day of winter. Decide how water gets to the animals before you decide anything else about the setup.
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Keep shelter simple.
Dry, out of the wind, and easy for you to muck out beats big and elaborate every time. Elaborate shelters are built by people who have not yet cleaned one.
What I cover here
Articles land under these headings as they publish.
Fencing and gates
Woven wire, electric, netting, chargers, and posts.
Coops and shelters
Layouts, ventilation, predator proofing, bedding.
Waterers and feeders
Heated units, nipple systems, and winter workarounds.
Health and first aid
What belongs in the kit before you need it at midnight.
Hay and feed storage
Keeping feed dry, keeping rodents out.
Handling and moving
Panels, halters, chutes, and loading without a wreck.
Other sections
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