Robert,
I'm a sheep farmer and know a thing about keeping livestock,especially
cattle or bison.
Depends on your location,stocking rate varies tremendously. I wouldn't
dream of keeping bison since fencing will cost you an enormous amount.
Bison requires special double high fencing and if he'll freak out fences
are useless. Cattle eats a lot,unless you have plenty pasture land to keep
them on a rotational grazing system,you'll be buying lots of hay.
Sheep are the easiest to keep,again you will need a good fencing to keep
them in and keep the predators (coyotes and neighbors' friendly pooches).
With sheep,stocking rate could be higher than cattle but you will need a
heavy hand on culling to come up with those who can make out from eating
dirt. Range ewes are best for easy keeping,they've been tried and true and
also knows how to run off coyote.
Chicken could be grazed but you have to make them grow a taste for table
scraps instead of grain based chicken feed,I gather mine with my Border
Collies to shut them up for the night and lay eggs.
Vegetables,to my understanding,if it's not growing in season,it is not in
your diet. By planting later in the season,you may very well push broccoli
and cauliflower into early winter months,for salad materials,how about a
cold green house? Walnut trees drop their nuts around September in our area
and are quite edible well into winter months.
Sam's Club sells New Zealand lamb,they are as close as you can get to whole
natural meat (un-grained and purely grass fed) if you'll get a taste.
Inci Willard
Clearville,PA
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