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Acre Plus Small Farm
A property with an acre or more of space, opens up possibilities for options that you just don't have if you are on a city lot, or with no property at all. Choices are still somewhat limited though, and care still has to be taken with ordinances, HOAs, neighbors, and management of the small space.
There is a great difference between a 1 acre parcel, and a 5 acre one. The potentials are quite different. Typically, it is the difference between being able to have fields, or woods, and not having that option. Fields or woods can add in valuable grazing space for larger animals.
In general, a 1-2 acre lot is not large enough for cattle, unless you choose miniature breeds, in very limited numbers, with limited grazing available. Goats are more sustainable.
Even then, you are dealing with limited numbers. This means that commercial enterprises still have to be limited to smaller animals such as poultry, or rabbits. You really won't have enough room on an acre or two to be able to profit significantly even from goats, because it just takes a lot of goats to profit from the sale of either goats, or milk.
You will have space to profit from quail, rabbits, or poultry though, with plenty of space for ducks, geese, or chickens. This size property is best suited to meeting your own needs though.
The nice thing is, you'll have room for a good sized garden, a fair sized greenhouse if you need it, and you'll still have room for small animals.
The amount of animals you can fit onto the property depends partly on how crowded you want to make it. There are always best recommendations for space for animals. But you can also crowd them to a certain extent - commercial operations almost always do this. Being able to do so involves some trade-offs. You'll compromise on the cost of feed (you'll have no grazing available), and you'll have to pay closer attention to cleanup.
If you put more on your lot than is recommended, make sure the cost of feed does not get prohibitively expensive. Also make sure you bring in fresh greens for your animals - give them fresh grass clippings, garden scraps, and other fresh foods.
Best choices for this size farm are:
- Goats
- Chickens
- Ducks - Muscovies, or egg layers.
- Quail
- Rabbits
- Turkeys
- Geese
- Worms - you'll still have to recycle all that poop
Most properties with just a few acres will have a Home Owner's Association, or will involve some kind of covenant neighborhood. You'll make more friends if you abide by the rules. You also have to check city ordinances and make sure you are allowed the animals you want to raise.