Raising Animals 307
Raising Animals
Animals bring many benefits to the farm
besides the food they produce. Just like
plants, a variety of animals is better for
the farm and the farmer.
Bees make honey to eat, and they also
pollinate flowers.
Chickens, geese, and ducks eat weeds,
weed seeds, and pests, and leave manure to
fertilize the soil. They also turn the soil when
they scratch for food. Let chickens run in one
section for a month. Then move the chickens to the
next section. Rake and plant the first section. The
chickens will weed and turn the soil as they go.
Pigs turn the soil when they dig, and eat the
deep roots of spreading weeds. Make small pens
to move them through your garden, just as with
the chickens.
Goats clear land by eating brush. Because
goats eat everything, you may need to
tie the goats next to the brush you want
them to eat.
Grazing animals
Grazing animals such as cows, sheep, and goats, can either help or hurt the
land, depending on how they are managed. When animals graze in overgrown
pastures, they reduce weeds and add manure. But if grazing animals eat all
the grass, the soil dries out and forms a hard crust. When rain comes, water
runs off and takes the soil with it. When soil is eroded from overgrazing,
nothing grows.
Keep animals enclosed near the house to make it easier to protect them
and to use their manure. But if their space is too small, they get sick easily
when flies, parasites, and diseases grow in their manure. Clean pens regularly,
especially in the wet season, to prevent animals and people from getting sick.
The manure can be composted and used as fertilizer.
Whether your animals are fenced in or graze freely, keep only as many
animals as the land can support.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012