Daring to Dive Into Livestock

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One thing that most homesteaders (urban or not) have in common is housed in that quote from Abraham Lincoln. ‘A comfortable living on a small piece of land’. Urban homesteaders pretty much have to stick to producing produce and small-scale livestock. Yes, livestock ‘is’ possible. If you dare. The urban homesteader has many challenges when it comes to how they use their ‘small piece of land’. I’m sure we have all heard tell of stories where neighbours rebel over people plowing up their front lawn to transform it into a producing garden space. Or the stories of a humble roadside stand drawing too much unwanted traffic. Again, my suggestion is to start slow. Make friends with the neighbours. The odd gift of a dozen eggs or some fresh tomatoes (or what have you) goes a long way in smoothing things over. While trying to make your urban homestead aesthetically pleasing may not be that important to you; it probably is to your neighbours.

Bees. I will admit right off that this is something I no little about. I do know that there are many urban beekeepers. I have read with interest of these new ‘flow’ hives which would suggest that it is as easy as turning a tap. Upon further investigation have found that it’s not quite that simple.

There is definitely a learning curve to this adventure. I would suggest joining a local beekeepers association. Take a workshop. The Government of British Columbia offers an Introductory Beekeeping course as well as an advanced Bee Master course. Check it out here. You can find some good general information there as well.

Aquaponics (not to be confused with ‘hydroponics) combines the raising of fish for food with using the wastewater to grow and fertilize your plants. The footprint for this endeavour is minimal. Further attributes for the urban homestead include no smell, noise or waste material to dispose of. There a lot of instructional videos on YouTube to give you a good idea as to whether or not this is suitable to you and your space. 

Rabbits. The advantages here are again the small footprint, no noise and minimal waste. You can use rabbit ‘tractors’. Moveable hutches with attached runs. Some have wheels and some don’t. The key is they are small/light enough that they can be moved around the yard. They are protected from predators and can access the lawn. Protected ‘free range’. Genius 😉 And yes. You can actually buy these off of Wayfair and Amazon. That said, there are plenty of DIY videos on YouTube that will walk you through the process at a fraction of the cost.

Depending on the breed they can be raised for meat and or fur. Do your homework ahead of time and know where and how you can sell the product. If this is the plan ensure that there is a local processing plant that you can enlist services to process the animals if you are unwilling or unable to do the job yourself. That said, if you are of a mind to be the ‘do it yourself’ operation to keep costs down; there are several YouTube offerings. There are also online courses to be had on meat processing. Thompson Rivers University offers a 9-month meat processing certificate course. Check out the website here (There is a huge need in this field) And there may well be a mobile processing company in your area. Check into that. My final words on rabbits: be prepared and have a plan because rabbits breed like…..well….rabbits 😉

Chickens. Ahh the chicken. I’m sure that it is the dream of most (if not all) urban homesteaders to own a handful of these delightful little creatures that will actually provide breakfast. But chickens have become somewhat of a hot topic in urban neighbourhoods across the country. In B.C. you can keep backyard chickens in city of Vancouver but not in the suburbs of Chilliwack. Check the zoning bylaws for your property. You can access this information online or by calling your local government office.

People who raise chickens always think that they will sell the eggs and have meat for the freezer. The reality of that is you need a lot of chickens to make either of those a viable side hustle. Definitely extra roosters can be processed for meat and feathers (for crafters). But maybe the more lucrative path is to sell hatching eggs. If you have a rooster that is doing his job, this about as low maintenance as it gets. Collect and sell the fertilized eggs. While prices vary somewhat; $10 a dozen is an average. Or, if you have the wherewithal to invest in an incubator; in 21 days you could bump that $10 for a dozen fertilized eggs to $90 for a dozen day old chicks. Not too shabby.

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Draw backs? Well, yes, there are a few. As mentioned, fertilized eggs require the services of a rooster. Roosters, like all birds sing (or in the case of a rooster crow) to herald in the sunrise. Trouble is their ‘singing’ is slightly louder and more annoying (to neighbours) than a Warbler or Robin. Just a side bar on the topic of roosters; unless you have plans for fertilized eggs, you do not need a rooster. Hens like to announce sometimes loudly and ad nauseam that they have laid you an egg. Now to the average chicken owner that is a music to their ears. Not all neighbours will share your enthusiasm. Then there is always the smell and flies. Do everyone a favour and have a plan as to how you are going to manage the waste from the coop. Chicken manure produces a lot of ammonia. It stinks. It also attracts rodents and flies. If you are not familiar; chicken manure needs to be composted before using it in your garden. (Stay tuned for details on that in a future post.)

Oh yes, and do please bear in mind that raising animals is ‘not’ like growing plants. When things die hearts get broken. And sometimes you will need to end suffering yourself in accordance with the animal welfare act. Be prepared for that harsh reality.

I don’t say all these things to discourage you. But you need to enter into your ventures with an awareness of possible pitfalls and a plan of how best to manage them. Every problem you solve, every solution you come up with will strengthen your resolve and encourage you to keep going. This is a lifestyle that is worth working for.