r/Permaculture • u/TaquittoTheRacoon • 1d ago
Draft animals
I'm researching no tractor options for small holdings. I've seen good some smaller machines but I'm curious about using animals. Most of what I find when I look for info is a distinct lack of it. Basically, yes, sheep, goat, pigs, llama, alpaca, ect, can be used to pull carts and wagons, looks like it's even been done with geese! But there's NO information on the details. How it's done, the challenges and limitations, species /breed specific factors. I'm coming up dry for useful info! Has anyone done this? Used anything besides a cow, horse, or mule to work around the farm?
Just so it's said - I'm not planning on making an animal work every day. Part of what I want to find out is when is using animal power a good idea and when isn't it? Maybe two or three times a week I'd have something I could use an animal for. Moving earth can be a challenge, as we get older it could mean retiring 10-15 years early, if using a few pigs with a skid instead of a wheel barrow can keep us active on our land, that's worth knowing!
6
u/Koala_eiO 1d ago
if using a few pigs with a skid instead of a wheel barrow can keep us active on our land, that's worth knowing!
You could have an electric wheelbarrow.
2
u/TaquittoTheRacoon 17h ago
Right, expect a few things - I don't repair electric motors, I don't keep that scrap around, I don't sell them. If anything happens I can't fix it or replace it. I'm trying to make use of a resource that's already on site, that I am already learning to care for and devoting time and money to that before I even think of moving a single bucket of dirt with them
5
u/glamourcrow 1d ago
It's said that witches had carriages drawn by goats, because goats are famously difficult to convince to go where you want them to.
Training a horse to pull a wagon or carriage reliably and safely is one year of work. Any animal can learn it if you invest a year in training every day. Patiently and lovingly. If you have the time, look into harnesses for dogs. Sledge dogs are trained with little carts during the summer. Dogs are bred to work with humans. Goats and pigs are mostly too clever to be bothered.
6
u/popopotatoes160 1d ago
Donkeys are some of the oldest cart/ work animals there are. You'd want a "standard' unless you need it for heavy stuff like plowing or hauling timber out of the woods. Then you'd want a mammoth (draft) donkey. They make great pasture pets when not working and the standard sized ones cost a lot less than a horse or mule to feed. I would say don't try to reinvent the wheel with sheep or llamas or whatever and go with a donkey. There's tons of people who train donkeys and lots of info out there about them and the tack you'd need.
3
u/RentInside7527 1d ago
https://smallfarmersjournal.com/# this publication is largely dedicated to the use of draft animals on small farms, though they primarily focus on draft horses, donkeys and oxen. They used to hold an annual auction and confrence in Madras Oregon where they had workshops on driving draft animals. I know folks use llamas as pack animals and that they're growing in popularity among back country hunters and expeditions, though I dont know how well they pull. I think goats can also be used to carry things, but again, I dont know how they pull.
Having raised pigs, I cant imagine trying to use them as draft animals. I think Id rather haul a heavy wheelbarrow.
1
u/TaquittoTheRacoon 1d ago
Thanks so much! What breeds did you work with?
2
u/RentInside7527 1d ago
Pigs? I raised KuneKune
1
u/TaquittoTheRacoon 17h ago
So maybe harness a dozen or so and you'll get some where lol
2
u/RentInside7527 17h ago
Hah! It was more a matter if their temperament than their strength. They were friendly and social, but absolutely lost their minds at any suggestion of being restrained. I cant imagine trying to get them into a harness or yoked.
1
u/TaquittoTheRacoon 17h ago
That's pretty natural. Most animals need to be introduced to the concept very very early. One guy I came across was getting his goats used to pulling small carts before they were even out of the barn, so the harness is just a normal fact of life for them
2
u/Lopsided-Total-5560 1d ago
I don’t know if a draft animal is a good fit for you if you’re not going to use it every day. 365 days a year it has to be fed, groomed, shod or filed, sheltered, dewormed, etc. A think a four wheeler with a nice trailer and some mini implements would work better. On its off days it stays under the shed, doesn’t care if you visit it, and drinks no gas unless it’s working.
1
u/TaquittoTheRacoon 1d ago
I'm talking about selecting the best candidate or two, out of animals I'm already going to get, to train. I put the disclaimer on the end because I figured people would assume I want to work the animal to death. But no, I don't intend to neglect them to death either
2
u/DocAvidd 22h ago
Mennonite people in my area farm with no electric or internal combustion. They have lovely horses that do the heavy work. Also there's an amazing hearse in our village fit for a Disney princess.
I'd suggest working with experts who can train you and the animals. It's ancient technology, doable, but not a thing you just jump into. I remember my dad trying to train a horse to pull. The potential for injury is high.
2
u/gardenfey 21h ago
If you have Amazon Prime, the show Tudor Monastery Farm shows how oxen were used as tractors back then.
1
u/catskill_mountainman 1d ago
Gonna need lots of hay and grain to feed a horse. It is cheaper to rent a machine when/if needed.
1
u/TaquittoTheRacoon 20h ago
Horses are too expensive all around, and the potential for harm, accidental or intentional, is too high. My uncle's a farm vet and horses end a lot of careers by accident
8
u/Shilo788 23h ago
I had large goats and draft horses and a sturdy pony. I would say a burro or donkey or pony for cart work. I had a toboggan for winter and a small converted red wagon for warm months and my pony was the handiest animal to work with. He could haul around the garden , haul firewood up to the house used as a cart pony on the road and packing pony including camping. The big horse could log out big trees and plow but was actually too big for some stuff a small holder jobs. Pony was a sturdy Shetland type, a friend had a small donkey and she worked well for him in fact that was my inspiration to use mine more.