Y’all, fencing in farm animals is NOT SEXY! But darn it if every homestead needs it as much as running water.
My confession (because you are hopefully familiar with my ‘Confessions of a First Generation Farmer’ by now) is to get your fencing in place BEFORE bringing home that animal.
‘Well duh Lauren.’ I can hear you saying that. This seems pretty obvious. But I have a long standing tendency of putting the cart before the horse. Just about every animal I have brought home I was not prepared for. And I am sure you are thinking ‘Well I wouldn’t make that mistake’ UNTIL you see Gina on Facebook marketplace giving away sweet four week old little baby goats and you just can’t fathom missing this opportunity! OR you swing by Tractor Supply and you here ‘chirp chirp chirp’ down the aisle and you think to yourself “Well surely our coop will be finished by the time these are big enough.”
Y’all. I am telling you right now, don’t listen to her! That girl, yourself, your inner subconscious telling you “we will get it done in time” because you won’t. You just won’t. Ask me how I know…
I just had my Alpine goats escape from the only pen that can keep them in (or so I thought) and I don’t know what I am going to do with them right now.
I brought home four baby goats thinking they would be great for clearing out the woods, underbrush, and overgrowth our more than 60 acres of property is plagued with.
We have had these now 250 lb full size goats for THREE YEARS and the fencing still hasn’t been built.
Just trust me when I say build the pastures first, and then get the animals. Your life will be less stressful, less hectic, and less expensive.
Always learning and sharing,
Lauren
