Basics of Farm Livestock Management. Having a plan with a vision and mission statement is the best thing you can do whether you are farming for hobby or business. If your farm is a business, it’s good to have a formal business plan. Research. Look things up on the internet and visit farms or breeders that are doing things that interest you. Take a class and/or go to farm expos and fairs. Check into state and local laws and city or county regulations to make sure you can have the type or number of livestock that you want on your property (some areas limit the type and number of livestock allowed on a property) and that you can provide the necessary shelter and forage (building permits, clearing permits, etc).

Be sure that your plan includes management solutions for inclimate weather, manure/compost, bedding, adequate housing including quarantine, water, electricity if needed, pasture management, security and biosecurity.

Once you start, be flexible. As long as you stick to your vision and mission statement don’t be afraid to change things that aren’t working. Most farmers we know, including ourselves, change their herd sizes and breeds in their herds to suit their changing needs.

Buying Livestock: It’s always easiest to start small and build. Further, when raising heritage livestock, finding foundation breeders can be costly and time consuming and so you must also be patient and work with what you have. Buy from reputable breeders and buy the best animals that you can afford to ensure a quality herd for yourself.

Keeping Healthy: Keeping livestock healthy involves researching your particular species and breed but there are basics for all animals. Clean quarters, sufficient cage and stall space, good ventilation, fresh, clean water and sufficient amount of appropriate feed are necessary for the good health of all animals. For those that pasture, be sure to find out how much pasture space is required per animal and don’t overcrowd. Overcrowding (inside or out) ruins your property and leads to stress, illness, parasites and general failure to thrive in the animals.

Security: It is unfortunate but there is a need for security from both animals and people. Protect your livestock from predators (wild and domestic) and humans. There are seemingly benign issues – people see a farm and tend to just walk onto your property as if it is a petting zoo creating potential hazards between naive people and livestock. There is also theft. Unfortunately, in addition to theft, there is a trend toward animals being let loose or hurt by passers by. Depending on the area you live, wild animals may prey on your stock. Domestic dogs allowed to run loose are also a nuisance for small livestock and many farmers lose stock to one or more domestic dogs. We address security with upkeep of fencing and gates, "No Tresspassing" signs, and use of livestock guardian dogs and llamas.

Biosecurity: You will need to protect your animals from biohazards such as new stock carrying disease. Buy from reputable breeders and follow good quarantine practices. If you choose to show or take your animals off-property or allow boarders of any type, you will need to establish policies around biosecurity and vaccinations to protect your stock.

Another important part of biosecurity is to know what was on your property before you got there. Where there animals? What type? How where they cared for? Some diseases can be left in the soil for decades. Was there burning or burying of trash? Where pesticides used? Poisons can also be left in the soil and leech into water supply.

The best pest and parasite management solution is keeping quarters clean and dry and rotating pastures. (We also like to use fly strips, herbal fly sprays and natural herbal worming remedies to discourage flies and prevent parasites).

Rodent control is also important as they bring disease. We find a nice group of (spayed and well-fed) ferile cats keep things nicely under control. Some with larger rat problems swear by Rat Terrier dogs.

The issue of rescue, buying at auctions, and adoptions of animals should be mentioned. While we support rescue and have rescued literally hundreds of animals from poultry to rabbits, goats, llamas and horses, there are major biosecurity issues in doing so. First, most of these animals have been exposed to or carry communicable diseases, parasites and pests. You should have the animal tested for known diseases and follow strict quarantine if you choose to rescue. Also, be aware that some animals are in rescue because of temperament issues or aggression.

Stable Necessities. No matter what type of livestock you raise, there are basic stable necessities. We have compiled the following list:
Water at all times
High quality feed, hay, including bran, oats and molasses for making mash
Mineral Supplements
    We prefer Sage Lake Farm’s All Natural Herbal Mineral Supplement for pets and livestock
Appropriate feed, hay and water containers for stalls/pens/cages
Pest proof and water-proof galvanized metal containers for grains and supplements - rodents eat through plastic and they will come
Feed scoop, measuring cups and spoons
Good bedding (We prefer recycled rubber matting with fir shavings to soak up urine. Do NOT use cedar shavings as the essential oils in cedar can kill many animals. We use straw for animal birthing bedding and for chicken yards.)
Music (we play music 24/7 in the barn)
Pitchforks, shovel, rake, broom, wheelbarrow or muck wagon
Basic tool box plus tools to repair fencing and cages
Hose, pressure washer, scrub brushes
Extra buckets
Duct tape, scissors, zip ties, locking plastic bags in all sizes
Tarps, bungees, saved baling twine
Paper notebook or whiteboard, writing utensils
Biodegradable mild soap and ecofriendly disinfectant 
    We prefer multipurpose VANODINE
Fly strips and biodegradable fly spray
Appropriate safety restraint for the animals you raise for vetting, etc
Appropriate halters, collars, lead ropes, etc
Identification on animal and on cage/stall/pen (We tattoo our small livestock and microchip our pets)
Good record keeping system with a back up
Rags, towels, blankets
Fans/Water Trough Heater
Fire Extinguisher
Grooming and foot kit for animals]
Human first aid supplies and waterless hand sanitizer
Basic Medical supplies, including preventative probiotic and electrolytes, rescue medicines, wound salve, cotton, alcohol, bandages, stethescope, flexible thermometer.  Assemble you medicine chest before you need it.  When an illness or injury comes up you can't wait for a store to open.  
    We prefer and use:
    Sage Lake Farm's Herbal Antispetic
    Kwik Stop
    Activated Charcoal
    Baking Soda
    Propylene Glycol (*NOT* for horses)
    Epsom Salts
    Mineral Oil
    Glycerin
    Pepto/Kaolin
    Nutridrench
    Probios
    Cal-Gel
    Vet Rx
    Sage Lake Farms’s All Purpose Healing Salve
    Sage Lake Farm's All-Natural Calendula Cream
    We do not use antibiotics except to save a life and then we choose the most appropriate medicine. To boost immune response, we use glycerites of echinacea and astragalus
    Herbs
***To see our list of herbs to have on hand for feed and medicine, check out Herbal Treasures***

Below are some pictures from our homesteading journey...             
Ella shows off her 9/06 litter of kittens. Aaaaaw....



A very enthusiastic Maremma pup
















Some chicks of varied breeds toddle
around a brooder until they are ready to
join the flock in the coops and yards






"Seargent Pepper" is one of our guard llamas with wonderful wool.  He is very sweet and gives kisses, but don't mess with his goats! Pepper lives with his does.







2006 Our older rescued Great Pyrenees "Chloe" is free to roam and protect the boundaries of the farm. She has raised 2 puppies here at SLF. Here, she is inspecting the compost :)