A garden for your animals?

[bettymae83]

"She's the reason for the lazy in the LG."

At the risk of sounding like a newby... Uhmmmm huh?

 

[Tumbling K]

I forgot to mention that Ruth Stout wrote books that every gardener should read. She was a joy to read and her advice is excellent!!

"She's the reason for the lazy in the LG."

At the risk of sounding like a newby... Uhmmmm huh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Stout

I think I like this woman allot!

 

[politicalcenter]

My friend who had Flemish/Zealand crosses when she was growing up, they had a small farm out side sacramento, says the crosses are pretty much the rabbit version of the black jersey giants. slow growing but good meat to bone ratio, and instead of eggs they are awesome in the fertilizer department. I don't mind investing more feed for good meat. As for pigs, I like the huge ones my dad raised when I was a baby. He stood 6' and these hogs were past his waste high. I would have to plant the whole acre, for a garden for them LOL

If you buy your pigs and buy your food you will lose money.

If you raise your food and buy your pigs you may make money.

If you raise your pigs and raise your food you will make money.

Here's the thing. You need to find a steady supply of food for your pigs. We take produce that doesn't sell from a local produce stand. They don't have to pay to haul it away and it keeps the bugs away. We also look for any other source of feed. You need to figure how much feed per pound of meat now matter what you raise. Then figure how much per pound you can afford to pay. We also check with discount food outlets, bakeries, etc. Unless it is something special we do not pay over $.14 cents a pound for feed. We do supplement our hog feed with soy bean meal. You may get feed from a dairy, cheese producer, dog food producer, or supermarket. It is a good thing to make meat out of wasted food.

If you raise chickens there is usually some time of year when you get too many eggs. They are good hog food. we throw nothing away when it comes to food..and I mean nothing.

When you start with any animal you will spend more money than you might think. You will need fences, cages, pens etc. and that is where the real money is spent.

Check out local livestock auctions...as many as you can. A lot of times you will find homemade cages and feeders, fencing, and it will give you an ideas on the realistic prices your animals will bring. Find poultry auctions, goat auctions, farm auctions, cattle auctions, and check out the retail prices of everything you can and check everybody you can.

PS. I don't think you will raise enough food on an acre to feed many pigs...they eat like hogs.

 

[bettymae83]

If you buy your pigs and buy your food you will lose money.

If you raise your food and buy your pigs you may make money.

If you raise your pigs and raise your food you will make money.

Here's the thing. You need to find a steady supply of food for your pigs. We take produce that doesn't sell from a local produce stand. They don't have to pay to haul it away and it keeps the bugs away. We also look for any other source of feed. You need to figure how much feed per pound of meat now matter what you raise. Then figure how much per pound you can afford to pay. We also check with discount food outlets, bakeries, etc. Unless it is something special we do not pay over $.14 cents a pound for feed. We do supplement our hog feed with soy bean meal. You may get feed from a dairy, cheese producer, dog food producer, or supermarket. It is a good thing to make meat out of wasted food.

If you raise chickens there is usually some time of year when you get too many eggs. They are good hog food. we throw nothing away when it comes to food..and I mean nothing.

When you start with any animal you will spend more money than you might think. You will need fences, cages, pens etc. and that is where the real money is spent.

Check out local livestock auctions...as many as you can. A lot of times you will find homemade cages and feeders, fencing, and it will give you an ideas on the realistic prices your animals will bring. Find poultry auctions, goat auctions, farm auctions, cattle auctions, and check out the retail prices of everything you can and check everybody you can.

PS. I don't think you will raise enough food on an acre to feed many pigs...they eat like hogs.

My husband used to work at the local grocery store. We get the butcher left overs (some times) for our dogs. My father was a well loved man (proof is his 21 kids

) He used to get the slop at the local grocery store, for his hogs. I'm sure if I ask the right person I could get the slop too. But I know if I send my husband, he would most likely get it.

I'm not really into the money making, just being able to take care of what I have and my family. However, a penny saved is a penny earned, and I can always put it away for emergencies. And maybe that honeymoon we never had LOL

As for local auctions, I think the closest is about an hour away. Not to bad, but I'll definitely need a truck and trailer. I wonder if UHAUL rents livestock trailers?

 

[bettymae83]

"She's the reason for the lazy in the LG."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Stout

I think I like this woman allot!

She seems to be pretty self sufficient. If only she was here, just to pick her brain!

 

[enola]

She passed away in 1980. But she wrote several books that I consider to be very good investments for anyone interested in gardening the easy way.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have bought her books on Amazon (used) and occasionally find them at "book barns". I always buy when I can, b/c I loan them out a lot, and they never come back to me. I need to find a few more! An other excellent read for northern gardeners is Elliott Coleman. I think his title is "The 4 Season Garden."

 

[politicalcenter]

My husband used to work at the local grocery store. We get the butcher left overs (some times) for our dogs. My father was a well loved man (proof is his 21 kids

) He used to get the slop at the local grocery store, for his hogs. I'm sure if I ask the right person I could get the slop too. But I know if I send my husband, he would most likely get it.

I'm not really into the money making, just being able to take care of what I have and my family. However, a penny saved is a penny earned, and I can always put it away for emergencies. And maybe that honeymoon we never had LOL

As for local auctions, I think the closest is about an hour away. Not to bad, but I'll definitely need a truck and trailer. I wonder if UHAUL rents livestock trailers?

I was going to ask if you had a pickup. And you will probably need a freezer also. And around here U-Haul doesn't rent livestock trailers. But not to fret...a small piglet or goat can be hauled in just about anything. But pigs will stink and any animal will leave presents.

I am not in it to make money as much as I am to save it. Why raise an animal and go through all the trouble if you can get the meat cheaper at the store? I used to not concern myself with the money either...but after spending too much of it I learned. I bring all my hogs...butchered... for less than a dollar a pound and I have sold pigs to buy other animals.

I am retired now and money is tighter than it was when I was working and I spent just about every extra penny on my little hobby farm. A pig can keep a family of four eating very well for about three months. That is money to spend elsewhere.

 

[bettymae83]

My husband is working on his truck. Radiator issues and wiring I think. Its second-third-maybe even fourth hand LOL who knows. He got a deal with his uncle, "You fix this Chevy with that Chevy's parts, then you can have my old wood cutting' Chevy out back. She just needs minor work." kinda deal LOL My husband loves those kind of deals.

 

[politicalcenter]

My husband is working on his truck. Radiator issues and wiring I think. Its second-third-maybe even fourth hand LOL who knows. He got a deal with his uncle, "You fix this Chevy with that Chevy's parts, then you can have my old wood cutting' Chevy out back. She just needs minor work." kinda deal LOL My husband loves those kind of deals.

I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota Sport. The radio doesn't work, the lights stay on bright, and my wife backed into a tree and messed up the tailgate. But it runs and we have been hauling stuff in it for several years. I have an old livestock trailer that is really heavy and we blew out two tires on our last trip with it. I built a livestock carrier out of old palettes and leftover fencing and it will haul anything I need to haul. Besides the trailer is housing goats right now.