Enough.

What a word.

How much is enough? Enough land, enough animals, enough living space, enough infrastructure, enough fencing, enough feed, enough water.

At some point you realize that enough is enough.

With the proper layout, .6 acre is enough.

In the beginning there was the house and a rickety shed. We turned the shed into a small barn with enough space for the initial chicken area and stalls for the goats. The shed had a lean-to. We framed the rabbit barn and enclosed it in 1/4″ hardware cloth so mink and other predators could not reach the rabbit hutches.

We reused and repurposed as much as we could – that’s part of our ethos.

Someone gave us an old carport frame. We tarped it and it became the duck shelter. The first duck house was a large repurposed dog house. We still use it from time to time. We built mobile chicken wagons on old garden carts. Those little chick-mobiles were big enough to hold five chickens comfortably.

.6 acre: enough for a small flock of ducks, a handful of chickens, a trio of rabbits, and a couple of goats.

We gave serious thought to how many animals are enough. There is too few, enough, and there is too many. It means looking at the layout of the land, deciding which animals you want, then reading and learning about their needs. Husbandry books and Codes of Practice explain how many animals can comfortably live in a run, paddock, or hutch. That knowledge helps determine how much space is enough.

We learned that our small property could comfortably sustain five chickens, a flock of nine to twelve ducks, a trio of rabbits, and two medium-sized goats – knowing we would sell any extras from breeding. The goal was always to rotate animals and regenerate the land as much as possible.

Over time things shifted. We let go of the chickens and kept ducks instead. Occasionally we raise a batch of meat birds, moving them around the grassy area in a chicken tractor. The rabbit hutches are still here, waiting for the day we raise rabbits again. Goat numbers move between two and four and back again.

Just enough.

Enough animals. Enough space for them to flourish. Enough hours in the week to care for them properly.

And enough for this tiny patch of land to feel spacious.

We have enough.

On a small farm, the question of enough shows up everywhere – in space, in time, and in the number of animals we care for. Sometimes it quietly shapes the harder decisions as well.

I’ll share a bit more about that soon in a story about two of our goats and the quiet math behind small farm choices.

Warmly,

Brin



—




Brin writes about the quieter lessons of small farm life – ducks in the morning, goats in the barn, and the slow work of tending a small piece of land. Between animal chores, soap making, and reflexology work, she reflects on what it means to live well, live simply, and discover what “enough” really looks like.