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Into the Future

1559 Views 22 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  twixy79, 
LoveGus
Talking to our bank (to get ideas for the future) we can actually get a decent mortgage (up to $165,000) without out breaking our backs to pay it each month. Ok that's fine we weren't looking to go that high but it gives us an idea.

The two of us have always wanted a smallish farm, me I love fresh eggs and miss the ones my step uncle would give us so I've wanted chickens. My fiancé wants a pot belly pig. If we aren't boarding I'd look at getting a pair of horses for the sake of companionship. I have talked to my sister about average cost of keeping a horse on property as that's what she once did. Something I'd be willing and able to do.



My only questions for you guys are:
~ Bare minimum of acres for a pair of horses?
- this way I know where our minimum is
- yes I know this may differ but just ideas

~ what type of fencing is lowest maintenance but best at keeping a horse safely contained?
- I've heard wood fencing can be pretty high maintenance which is why I'm asking
- again I know this is preference
- I've heard electric tape fencing is good but what voltage would even be best?

This won't happen for a few years yet, I'm not willing to break the lease which is a few years. Plus I'd like to put away money for the move down, first expenses (utilities and food) etc. I just want to get the ideas down to research. Which is another thing we are doing. We've got A half a page full of prospective places we'd like to go but aren't going to truly narrow down til the time to find a home is closer. I just like to research and since we want to bring animals onto the little farm I need to research that as well.
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farmpony84
I only glanced at the responses so forgive me for repeating things.


The acreage will depend on your state and the rules they have. I was always told the general rule of thumb is 3 acres for the first horse and then 1 for each additional horse so 2 horses would need 4 acres of pasture. I also know that if you have a barn where you can actually stall your horses and then you have paddocks for turn out the rules can change and you can actually get away with less acreage. Of course you are more than likely going to end up with dry lots if you have too many horses on too few acres.
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farmpony84
Also...


You asked about fencing - cheapest and easiest to maintain is electric. (Easiest to maintain - meaning you can go out and fix it yourself - easiest not meaning the least amount of maintenance).


I have ramm fencing. Hate it. I'm ripping down the thick ramm fencing and replacing with wood (for the paddock areas). I do have the ramm pencil wire on my larger pasture. Love it. It's clean. I have only 4 rows and that's too wide so I need to redo it with 5 rows (closer together). I also have a row of electric running down it. I'm a fan of the electric.


Also... pigs. I have a pig. He's in his own paddock away from the barn because my horses are terrified of him. They think he is a hoof eating monster. Some places have pigs with the horses and no issues though. Alos - my pig has cow grade electric around him. He is not at all phased by horse electric and he'll walk right through it.
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farmpony84
I don't think they'll get stepped on but they can be ornery sometimes - especially if they aren't fixed. I saw a post a while back on facebook where a ladies male had gotten lose and somehow got into a stall with one of her horses. They'd had some sort of battle. The horse ended up with a tendon laceration and the pig ended up dead.


I haven't had those issues - mine has gotten lose on occasion and does go down to the barn. He couldn't care less about the horses - they snort and race around like he's a monster but isn't concerned with them. Way back when I boarded my horse at a farm there was a pot belly that had free roam. He'd go in and out of the pastures and those horses didn't look at him like a danger at all. They just moseyed around him and he never bothered them so it may all be in the way you socialize them.
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