how to set up property

[Heddy]

we just got 20 ac & i want to know how to set it up i.e. where to put the goats, the chickens, the rabbits etc in relation to my home ( not built yet)

[Deberosa]

Downwind. ;-)

Other than that I would suggest gardens close in to the house for the everyday stuff. Orchards can be farther out. Depending on your climate you may not want the animals too far from the house either in the winter. Sources of water would be important - I wish I had far more pipes run and electricity run around my place and it's only 4.5 acres!

How is the land configured? All forest, mostly pasture? Where does the wind come from usually and how does the light fall. Those are all considerations.

Also - I sure like that my house is back from the road - so many people have all this acreage and the house is next to the road. Very dangerous for cats and dogs and guineas, etc that roam.

Tell us more about your place - shape, topology, etc.

[Suzy]

You may want to read up on passive solar so you'll know the best way to position your home....then consider what kind of animals you're going to have and how far you want them from you....

It might be wise to either bring in a travel trailer or camp on your land a lot so you can see how things work....

Also, where the water is located will be a major concern; also where you have to place your septic system....

I would live on it a while to see what works best before I did a lot of "permanent" things!!!

best wishes! how exciting to have land!!!

[MooseToo]

there are practical reasons for neatness -
but, helter-skelter can be so interesting -

[CatherineID]

Figure out where your well and septic system will be first. You can't have large animals pastured on the leach field. Likewise you'll probably want a dirt / gravel road to the back of your property so you can get heavy equipment out there and you don't want that to be on top of your leach field.

You'll want many animals (mostly goats) away from your fruit trees. Typically it is wise to locate your barn first (also somewhere near the dirt road) then set-up the pasture / pen animals around that.

I also agree with power and water to all parts of the land.