Renting 16 acre pasture - 3 horses - Can I raise other animals to help afford it?

[Hickory]

Pardon my SUPER long post! I bolded the important parts so you can skim through it easier!

I rent a 16 acre pasture for my horses, but have sold a few horses and pasture rent has gone up (the owner’s property taxes increased), so I am trying to figure out if keeping the pasture will be worth my time and money . . . perhaps something like cattle, pigs, chickens, etc would help generate income?

It is a nice pasture for the area, about 15 minutes over a mountain road and I go out once daily. Entering into the “gentlemens agreement” (we have no signed contract) the owner’s only rule was that I do not sublet or keep any horses other than my own on the pasture. I have been renting for two years and have a great relationship with the owner. It is a spring-fall pasture only, so my horses are boarded at a stable with covered arena while it pours down rain from Oct-March. Obviously, I would discuss any and all ideas with the owner prior to moving any other animals into the pasture, but I would like to have a good plan before proposing it!

It is $225 for 16 acres with woven wire fencing along the road, the rest is overgrown blackberries and creek borders. There will likely be only 3 horses going out on pasture, as I have my youngsters boarded indoors to be broke and trained. I’m planning to put in an electric fence system to keep horses out of the creek and help reinforce existing fences.

Mostly canary grass and I do not have to feed my horses while they are out there. I usually put them out in March while it is still raining, but before spring grass comes up so they can adjust to it with less risk of founder. They have a 10x20 shelter and I bucket water from the creek daily.

I was thinking about a few different animals to raise and then sell at auction in the fall, or possibly to families who can butcher themselves or send out for processing.

A friend of mine recommended 2-3 steer and 2-3 pigs. I have always wanted to have a dairy cow (I believe it is legal to sell shares of the cow?) . . . but have heard lots of stories about milking that make me wary! I’ve never done it, but I’m a brave and determined lady if there is money to be made.

Fencing would also be an issue- I won’t put barbed wire anywhere near my horses and someone told me dairy cows will go through fences looking for a mate? Will they respect electric fencing?

Please tell me what you know and your experiences about/with having steer and pigs on pasture with horses! What fencing do they require? How do I provide shelter and mud for the pigs in summer apart from the horses?

Do I need to feed steer and pigs or will they be profitable after spending the summer on pasture? If I need to feed them seperately, how do I keep the (fat) horses away? If I have a dairy cow (unlikely), will she need alfalfa and high proteins, and what is a good routine for feeding and milking her apart from the rest of the herd?

How about diseases? Can other animals put my horses at risk for any diseases that they aren’t routinely vaccinated for? (5-way + WNV)

Probably not feasible (as there are predators in the area) . . . but what about free range chickens and Thanksgiving turkeys? Can a chicken tractor withstand predators? Would it be a waste to try this? There are usually one or two cougars killed in our area each year, not sure about other predators but there are occassional bear sightings. I try not to worry about the horses, as there are cattle across the road and a hill full of sheep nearby, plus plentiful deer and a herd of elk that crosses the valley.

Also, can anyone talk me through the processes of purchasing the animals in the spring and then selling them in the fall? Is there actually any profit to be had doing it this way?

And one more thing, would an alpaca or llama be worth the investment to protect my horses and/or any other animals that I put with my horses? I’ve heard they are excellent livestock guardians, but I have no experience with them. What would I do with one during winter, when the pasture is vacant?

Thank you for any and all suggestions, advice, criticism, etc! Also additional ideas to break even on the pasture rent would be great.

[summerhorse]

Pigs will root up your pasture and most horses can’t stand pigs. I would think a couple of feeder calves might pay off if you have a place to market them. I wouldn’t buy a llame but you might offer to foster a couple from a rescue on the condition you can return them when you don’t have the pasture. I don’t know how useful they are as guards. They may have the instinct but not sure they have the weapons that would be any better than a horse.

[HydroPHILE]

Chickens…preferably unique laying hens (ones that lay larger or multi-colored eggs) would be a good start. Sheep are also good (meat sheep) as they are easy to care for and can be sold (live) for slaughter to private buyers.

Don’t exclude fruits and vegetables as well (if you want to do the work) that sell especially well in the Spring-early Fall and can be canned and sold year-round as well.

I advise against pigs for the reason stated above: they root up the pasture, tend to destroy certain fences, etc.

As for predators, we have hens and a rooster that are pretty much free-range unless it’s cold…then they get kept in their house (with raised nesting areas and an outdoor predator-free enclosure.) There is also an LGD (Great Pyr/Maremma/Kuvasz/Anatolian Shepherd mix…mother was Great Pyr/Maremma and father was Kuvasz/Anatolian Shepherd…the person that bred them did so for the sole purpose of creating the ideal LGD…and then sold the neutered/spayed pups to farm homes.) The LGD will not let anything on her property that doesn’t belong: foxes, coyotes, other dogs, etc. so no worries about predators and the chickens.

[Megaladon]

Since you don’t live on the property, the chickens will be open game big time for predators. If you plan on starting them from chicks, they can’t be left out in the open, and started pullets, last time I checked were around $7 a bird, minus shipping. You would also need nest boxes, where they may decide to lay, other than that it’s an egg hunt and then the eggs you do find may be old (not suitable for consumption). And some breeds are more suitable for free-ranging than others, i.e. know to look for food other than the feed dish. Typically, started pullets are commercial layers bred for laying and eating in one spot.

Have you looked into Goats? They get along with horses, love to browse weeds and are more economical to keep, with good resale. You would need paneled fence but this might be a thing to look into. I think it’s hard to farm and show a profit, my one friend says he certainly has a lot of money go through his hands, but it doesn’t stay LOL! It can be very rewarding though. Good luck to you!

[littleum]

Sheep will destroy a pasture. Chickens will become dinner. Pigs will destroy a pasture. Milk cows require constant care. Goats will get out of anything and go wandering.

Feeder calves are probably one of the better bets.

[JanM]

Feeder calves can be a good investment. But, alpacas and llamas (as a recent thread on here said) are basically not that profitable and I think would need more attention and care that cattle.