I Want To Farm (Pt 2-Livestock & Fences)

     'Good fences make good neighbors' --- a line from a Robert Frost poem, Mending Wall.
     In the poem it was talking about repairing a stone wall separating two farms. 2 farmers working together to complete the chore, each putting the stones that had fallen on their side of the fence back in place. And one questions the other as to the need of the fence, since they both have trees on their farm, not likely to trespass and do damage to the others farm. 'Good fences make good neighbors' is the reply.
     If you plan on raising livestock, good fences do indeed make good neighbors. Fences that keep your animals where they 'belong' and keep you neighbors animals where THEY belong. Even good fences can fail. A storm blows through and knocks down a tree. you get a call from a very disgruntled neighbor about a cow mooing outside their bedroom window at 3 in the morning when they have to get up and go to work at 7. Another nice little call is a neighbor calling about YOUR pig rooting their flowers up. Flowers they spent a LOT of money on at Home Depot. Or that their PRIZE rose bush has just been destroyed by your goats eating it. The rose bush that was their grandmothers favorite before she passed away and left it to them in her will 10 years ago. You get the idea.
     Good fences also keep their animals out of your animals. That cute little Yorkie-Poo that weighs 7 pounds soaking wet can kill 3 chickens. And house dogs allowed to run loose at night will join into a pack and chase calves. That 10 pound Poodle may not be leading the pack, but it will definitely join in the feast when that big German Shepherd brings down a 500# calf.
     Good fences also keep peace in the home. Because the damage that your animals do to your neighbors yard can be done to your yard too. And trust me, Mom was NOT happy when sows found their way from the hog lot to the yard and started rooting for grubs.
     Goats like to climb and can find great joy in jumping around after they have done their climbing.If you think hail damage makes a car look bad, try seeing a car that has had goat kids jumping on the hood and the roof and the trunk.
.   Poultry and rabbits can do a lot of damage to a garden. And they aren't very particular about whether the garden they are feasting on is yours or your neighbors. There is something about a tomato that is just about ready to be picked that chickens and guineas can't seem to resist. Ducks and geese LOVE young sprouted corn. Also peas, beets, tomato seedlings, turnips, carrots, etc, etc.
     So 'good fences do make good neighbors.'



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