6 acres. Cut my teeth with a family dairy cow and three sheep and eventually cried uncle. We went too hard on the homestead life at first, pared back a ton last year and even more this year ( a summer with an infant ).
I think we know exactly how we can responsibly re-expand next season 😅
Whats the first baby step you would recommend to ease into homesteading with an animal?
If aiming to ease, there is wisdom in the advice to start with chickens, rabbits for some seasons, then maybe sheep once you’re ready to try a bigger thing.
Habits of housing maintenance, food/water, etc are crucial and a little different for each animal (but also don’t need to be fancy). Not hard or complex, but jobs to be done. Animals do tie you down until you figure out systems and friends that can help free you for a trip.
I’m at the sheep stage now. We have 2 girls & a boy. Birthed 4 babies this year. We lost one to a tangle with our fence, that was a sad day.
Think we’re stopping here. I hunt, we have 14.5 acres, work remotely. Only thing that would have me living the dream more would be if I could retire. Still a few years out on that.
