I need a new hobby "Farm Animals"

[WNYresident]

Ok people,

I have about 1 open acre of grass behind my house I can fence in. I think I want to raise either pigs (the big ones, not those pet ones), a few cows, perhaps chickens and maybe a goat.

All the land behind my house was farmland according to my nieghbors. How do I find out if I can raise a few farm animals. If they changed zoning after all these years who's gonna stop me if do it anyways. I eat a lot and with the rising cost of food how can they say no?

You ask me why? Here's why.. I'm sick of giving people food stamps when they are perfectly capable of raising farm animals. I had a customer stop in once who said money was tight but could I help them with thier computer. I was perfectly fine helping but what I noticed was this family has 3 dogs, cats, fish and a big snake. Had pictures of all thier pets on their screen saver.

Well this got me thinking. There is no reason why we can't give the lower income people a chicken for eggs, a cow for milk and a goat for cheese. It would teach thier children responsibility and keep the parents healthy versus sitting on thier arse in front of tv.

Now if I can raise a few animals while holding down basically working 70 hours a week minimum there's no reason why someone who doesn't work couldn't do it to. We have to be fair thinking about it. Can't expect someone to do something I wouldn't do.

Opps almost forgot a few sheep. They can sell the wool when it's time or use the wool and spin thier own yarn.

So give me some arguments why we can't do this. Just think of the BMHA and all the space around those buildings. Each of those tenants can be farmers!

[buffy]

Back in their day, my grandparents had a chicken coop in their backyard (Sanford Street off Fillmore & Dewey), nearly everyone did, there was also a barn nearby...I know where you live and know about the horse boarding place nearby, you might be OK as far as zoning goes.

I always have a vegetable garden; most people love having a summer garden patch.

[WNYresident]

Good thinking buffy.

Schools should teach basic items you will need to know as they put us all broke. Farming.

We just make it too easy to be lazy in NYS.

[WNYresident]

Now where do you buy a cow

[speaker]

Sometimes your ideas really tickle me, res, but secretly I hope you're successful with this. But I'll bet you will keep all the animals for pets and won't be able to eat them.

[WNYresident]

Sometimes your ideas really tickle me, res, but secretly I hope you're successful with this. But I'll bet you will keep all the animals for pets and won't be able to eat them.

As long as I dont name them I'll be fine Otherwise all I see is burgers, tenderloins and ribs

When I'm governor Tony every peasant will have a chicken, a cow, a goat and packs of seeds. Oh and a broom. Your gonna sweep streets, don't think your gonna be handed this stuff for nothing.

[speaker]

Oh, you'll name them. You could even have a poll for names!

[citymouse]

Farm animals?
I am not even going to touch this topic. It would be too easy.

[moonshine]

You've got an acre? What's your proximaty to the closest major roadway?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: christmas tree farm.

[WNYresident]

I got like 2 and 1/2 of them but 1 1/2 are wooded. Not that you can't cut down trees but they are not hard woods really. I think the cost of clearing would exceed that wood value.

But on another note I bet most of you reading this didn't know what the goals of a successful grasiers should be.



Setting Economic GoaIs For Graziers

Setting economic goals and tracking progress regularly are attributes that successful farm operations have in common. Economics has been called the dismal science, often with good reason. It is especially dismal when things are not going well. Even though economics may not be exciting to you, it is vital to your operation. If you are not willing to develop the discipline needed to keep some basic records and use them to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your operation, you should give serious consideration to going to work for someone who is willing to control and manage their business. The function of economics is to evaluate your records and allow you to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your operation in order to meet your objectives.

As a general rule of thumb, livestock enterprises can be arranged in the following order, descending in net profit per acre.
High Return Potential	High Daily Management
Seasonal Dairy
Year-Round Dairy Using Pasture
Sheep - Low Cost Pasture Lambing
Stocker Calves
Finishing Steers on Pasture
Retaining Beef Calves
Cow-Calf
Low Return Potential	Reduced Daily Management

If you intend to make a reasonable living and dedicate the labor of one or more persons to the farm operation, you should plan to net at least $30,000 for each full-time person's labor. If you choose beef cow-calf for your enterprise and you think you can net $50 per cow, you will need to run 600 mama cows on 1200-1800 acres to net $30,000. It will take a large amount of capital to finance this enterprise even if you do not own the land. If you choose a seasonal dairy and net $400 per cow, then you need 75 cows on 150-200 acres. There can be quite a difference in size and scale of operation to generate $30,000.
osu.edu cow grazier instructions

[WNYresident]

If you choose a seasonal dairy and net $400 per cow, then you need 75 cows on 150-200 acres. There can be quite a difference in size and scale of operation to generate $30,000.

So from reading this I can probally have 1 cow on my 1 acre of farmland at the most if I'm gonna graze it. Looks like the proper habitat is 2 acres per cow.

[wheresthesun]

Mr. WNY,

Did you not see my post about my new hobby, "Peep Jousting?" It's legit, I tell you! Everyone is doing it. Marshmallow duckies, much less complex than farm animals.....then again, there's goat's milk fudge and that beats peeps by a mile.

[WNYresident]

You've got an acre? What's your proximaty to the closest major roadway?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: christmas tree farm.

This is a possibility. Research is needed. Be right back.

OK... here's what I found..

Raising Christmas Trees turns into a full-time job

By MATT SHACKELFORD
matts@thetimeswire.com

In 1980, Roger Smith was just looking for a way to make a little extra spending money.

An accountant for Gibson’s Department Store in Laurel, he and his wife decided to start growing the holiday trees on their property in Jones County.

“We planted our first batch in 1976,” he said. “It takes four years for them to grow and mature.”

The part-time hobby turned in to a full-time job that has become a family business.

“It was so much fun I decided to do it full-time,” Smith said. “I knew if you ran the business well it could be profitable. I saw the potential of making it bigger and better.”

His first crop was about 20,000 trees on 30 acres of land. He set out pines, leland cypress, carolina sapphire and spruce trees.

Full Story



We see from this they put 20,000 trees on 30 acres. Thats 666 trees per acres.

That means we would have to dig 666 holes! But if we sold 444 trees at $45 a tree that could calculate out to $19,980 bucks. Minus the cost of the baby trees and the illegals we'd hire to plant them.


Now this page is really cool

[WNYresident]

wheresthesun
"Peep Jousting?" It's legit, I tell you! Everyone is doing it.

I bet you haven't even thought about Jousting liability insurance.

[Ragin]

Thats 666 trees per acres. That means we would have to dig 666 holes! But if we sold 444 trees at $45 a tree that could calculate out to $19,980 bucks. Minus the cost of the baby trees and the illegals we'd hire to plant them.

You could kill two birds with one stone .. reduce the welfare role by offering jobs to unskilled laborers.

I heard the going rate for unskilled laborers .. those who don't have enough skills to flip a hamburger for minimum wage ..... is $1.00 an hour. These unskilled laborors will be banging at your door for an opportunity to get off welfare and dig holes on your tree farm

Labor costs: $666.00

What are baby trees going for these days?