How to Know if You’re Ready for Livestock

I recently decided to add Coturnix quail to my urban homestead. Despite them being absolutely adorable, this was not a decision I came to overnight. In fact, it has taken me three years to finally take the plunge into livestock. The reason it took me so long is that I wanted to make sure that I was not going to regret the investment in finances or in time.

If you too are thinking about adding livestock to your homestead, here are seven questions you should ask yourself before you commit:

Am I legally allowed?
Can I afford it?
Do I have enough space for it?
Can I provide a good quality life and of care?
What is my plan for waste?
Can I process it myself?
What is my back-up plan?

This is a long one and I’m sorry, but I don’t have a lot of fun photos for this post. Feel free to skip around!

Am I legally allowed?

One of the first things to look at when considering adding livestock to your homestead is the legality of it. Yes, yes, I know, one of the main reasons we get into homesteading is to be more self-sufficient, and sometimes, to avoid the government. But the last thing you want is for a neighbor to complain about your new animals and then you need to either pay a fine or give them up.

For example, where I live in Maryland I am legally allowed to have chickens, but only hens, no roosters. I am not allowed to have peacocks, ducks or guinea fowl. The law does not prohibit quail, but I will be required to register my flock with the state.

Can I afford it?

There are lots of expenses that come along with raising animals. There are the start-up costs, the maintenance costs, and the veterinary costs. Can you afford not only the initial investment, but also the month-to-month payments? What if your animals get sick, can you afford those vet bills?

If you are planning to sell your animals, or products from your animals (eggs, feathers, milk, meat), in order to make-up the costs of raising the animals, can you afford raising your animals without sales revenue? As you’re growing your business you may not always meet your market goals. If you don’t sell everything you want to, will you still be able to afford your feed for the month? Also, are there any extra permits you need to sell your animals or animal products?

Raising quail for me is going to cost approximately $300 in start-up costs and about $25 a month after that. I plan to hatch out about 18 birds and then I hope to keep 12 for breeding and egg-laying. I’ve provided the complete cost breakdown below. I am looking into selling eggs, but I’ve decided not to count on that revenue so it is not reflected in my costs.

Quail Start-up Costs:

Incubator	$105.99
Quail Egg Incubator Adapter	$33.36
Hatching Eggs, Chick Feeder & Waterer, Shelf Liner & Brooder Plate	$80
Extra Thermometer	$14.99
Brooder	$10.58
Bedding	$7.59
Coop	Free! (From a friend) About $100 if DIY
Adult Feeder	$16.00
Adult Waterer	$7.00
Chick Food	$24.99
Total Start-Up Costs:	$300.50 (~$400 if DIY Coop)

12 Adult Quail Monthly Costs:

Layer Feed	$15.59
Bedding	$7.59
Total Monthly Costs:	$23.18

Occasional Costs (I don’t know how often I’ll make these purchases yet):

Oyster Shell	$15.99
Treats	$25.99

*Note: It will cost me MORE money to raise quail than to buy cheap chicken eggs at the store. BUT I know that my quail will have a better quality of life than the chickens in a factory farm setting and my eggs WILL be cheaper than the eggs I’ve been able to find at the farmer’s market.

Do I have enough space for it?

If you live in a suburban home or apartment you probably don’t have room for a cow. But if milk is your goal, you may have enough room for goats. If you are looking for eggs you may or may not have space for ducks or chickens, but maybe you have space for quail. If meat is your goal, you may not have room for a pig, but you probably have space for rabbits.

I’ve decided to start with quail because they are dual purpose birds and I’m not allowed to have a large chicken run on my rental property.

Can I provide a good quality of life and of care?

For me, a large reason I want to raise livestock is to make sure that the animals I benefit from have a high quality of life. I want them to feel the sunshine and the rain. I want them to eat fresh food and be able to play in the dirt. I want them to experience the joy of getting treats!

Not everyone shares those goals or beliefs for their livestock. Maybe you just want to know exactly where your food comes from, and that is OK.

But, I think we can all agree that we don’t want animals to suffer. So, if your livestock gets sick, do you have a specialist vet you can call or are you prepared to treat the animal yourself? If the answer is no, you may not be ready for livestock.

What is my plan for waste?

Animals poop! What is your plan to get rid of all of that poop? Are you going to collect it in doggy bags or throw it in the trash? Do you have a large compost pile you can take advantage of? Are you going to sell it as hot or cold manure?

I plan to compost my quail poop, but if it becomes too stinky I’ll start throwing it away until my compost pile is ready for more. I do not want fecal matter stinking up my neighborhood, and I also don’t want my birds to get any diseases from being too close to their own poop.

Can I process it myself?

If you are planning to raise animals for meat then at some point you will be processing the animal. Some animals like quail, chickens and rabbits are “easy” to process at home and without a ton of special equipment. Other animals like pigs or cows may require a slightly more advanced set-up.

Materials aside, can YOU process the animal? You just spent all of this time and effort raising your livestock, will you be able to go through with dispatching and processing it?

If the answer is no to either having the equipment or the emotional ability, do you have someone else that can dispatch and process your livestock? If you cannot and you do not have anyone else who can, you’ve just acquired a potentially expensive new pet.

I’ve thought long and hard about dispatching and processing and this is what I’ve come up with for myself: physically, I can process quail; I feel that if I am going to eat meat I should be able to process my own meat; if I do everything correctly, my animals will have wonderful lives and only one bad day, which will make this whole journey worth it for me.

What is my back-up plan?

You need a back-up plan. If you realize you can’t take care of the animals, you can’t afford the monthly costs anymore, or you just don’t like caring for the animals what will you do? Will you process your remaining livestock? Do you have friends/neighbors who will take your animals? Will you sell your animals?

My back-up plan is that I will process my flock or let them finish their natural lives. One of the reasons I’ve decided to start with quail is that they have a very short lifespan. If I decide I don’t like keeping the birds then they are only a 3-5 year commitment. In contrast, chickens can live upwards of 10 years.

Conclusion

I am super excited to bring livestock onto my little urban homestead. But livestock is not for everyone. Do your homework, answer these questions, talk to your partner if you have one, and make a well educated decision.

I wish you luck! And if you choose to move forward with livestock, I know you already have a little bit of chaos coming.

Additional Resources:

Online Resources:

University of New Hampshire Extension- Backyard Livestock Resources
University of California – Backyard livestock and peri-urban agriculture
University of Maryland Extension – Backyard Poultry
University of Minnesota Extension – Raising Game Birds

Books I love:

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