Accidentally becoming a homesteader

[Linka]

The term "homestead" definitely came from America, from the 1800s when the government gave people land for free in "new" territories (which weren't actually new, just new to European settlers after the Native people had been kicked off their land.) If the settlers could build a house and raise crops or livestock in two years, they would receive permanent ownership of the land.

Today, the term "homesteader" can mean lots of different ways of life, but the commonality is that they live self-sufficiently, with all or at least most of their needs met by what they can grow, raise or create from the resources on their land. Most of the time, it involves off-grid power from solar, windmills, or a hydro system from a nearby river or creek.

Often it's a "work-in-progress" where at times someone in the family has to work for an outside employer to pay the taxes, doctor, or vet. But as long as they're developing more skills and things to sell or barter in order to get away from the need for outside employment, or at least employment outside of their local community, it counts as "homesteading."

It sounds like what you're doing definitely qualifies!

What breed of goats are you raising? Are they for milk, meat, or selling babies?

We are going boer it is of course a meat goat with horns, not the best milker or high fat, but hopefully will provide us with plenty of milk, And hopefully yogurt, maybe if lucky cream and cheese, and if we get excess we will likely do pigs too with the spare food.
We plan to breed, I understand after you bred first time unlike cows they keep milking, but we will likely rebReed. Boys are likely to end up in the pot although the first boy is a wither companion and not for the pot, to be honest we rarely sell and rarely eat, although I have eaten goat and liked it, we will try selling them first if it comes to that but I understand boys more often end up in the pot poor souls. As a limiter of cockerals i have had to harden my soft heat, and if the neck does not go first time I can get upset. But I balance it with they had a good life not couped up in small cages.

 

[Tre3hugger]

The term "homestead" definitely came from America

The term yes. The concept no.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Beautiful goats!! I would be curious to know how much milk you end up getting from them. Goats are near the top of my list. So cute and useful!

 

[Linka]

Nailed it!!!!


Sounds like you guys have taken some huge leaps! I believe homesteaders/diyers are Modern Day Heroes. Saving the world from capitalism and blatant consumerism. Excited to take the journey with you!

Well we planted over 1600 trees,across 900 species on bare fields. Some are now 30ft plus and we did not go build a plantation then tear it out and take the government subsidies, so the land was bare again. Our fruit and nut collection alone helps with food for us and the animals. Plus if we ever get on a plane again I think I have a balance on the plane emissions, so not likely contributed to the greenhouse effect, the total opposite, with that number of trees. We added fruit bushes, and are working towards the permaculture forest. We also sourced some trees from specialist nurseries that were rare trees that had fallen out of favour, so helping on the conservation side.
We now have buzzards (good and bad points, but love watching the adults teach the babies to hunt) Foxes,rabbits,hare, we are a haven for the pheasant come shooting season, and the muntjac in the old greenhouse has hung around for years, I know they are vermin but the odd one we can cope with. In the snow we get all sorts of foot prints inc the odd badger. Heron, and others we do not recognise. We have squirrels but unfortunately the greys, I found out they too are vermin when I called the RSPCA they said if I brought them in they would put them down, and if I had taken them into the house (which I hadn’t) I was no allowed to release them.

 

[Linka]

Beautiful goats!! I would be curious to know how much milk you end up getting from them. Goats are near the top of my list. So cute and useful!

The girl we have has to reach a threshold weight before the breeder I use will mate her, so if she comes on this year she will kid about May next year. The breeder obviously lets her. Goat feed the kids, I could ask her if she milks and how much you can get, but I do not know any other goat people so cannot give you a Definitive,I know jersey goats are creamier just like jersey cows, so more fat equals better milk and cheese, we wanted goats that were bred And could be registered at least half Boer and chose Boer as they are fairly healthy by goat standards but a Boer cross with say a jersey or another Breed might give more milk and preserve the healthier characteristics. I cannot say if cross breeds take the best characteristics or if it is luck of the drawer, but I would say do not take just one persons word,research and double check as a goat can live 12-14 or older so you do not want the wrong type, I do know Pygmy goats are too small for milking purposes, just an odd fact I read.

 

[Linka]

Oh and goats are prone to worms so source a good wormer people often struggle to find goat worming and use sheep I read - so not certain of this - that all except one sheep wormer is often double dosed for goats except one whichh is max one and half because it is toxic otherwise, and you need to trim their hooves once a month, boers are clean animals and to date have needed no special care,and one should learn the different colours of diarroah so you know the likely causes, and if a vet does not know the terms for goat scours/diarroah they are not likely to be much use. They are endearing animals, playful, but some are escape artists especially if aware of tasty food nearby.we have electric fence.and the rarely even test it.we also were advised to ensure a mineral lick.and a salt lick.

 

[Linka]

And back to chickens,

 

[Linka]

Sorry for the delay been super busy
queen swarmed
caught a swarm with a young queen
a swarm took over a hive a marked queen now in one of our hives,we do not mark our queens so she is easy to see

we had baby chicks I’ll try and get photos
we have 2 new goats try and get photos
one dog died very sad her sister is now super clingy poor thing
we have new duck and potentially Others, something sat on the duckling who hatched as she is super quick, we had A black one called pepper this one is yellow so will be white so calling her salty.
when I get a chance I’ll upload some pictures. When I get the chance to take a breath......

 

[Linka]

Last year we only hatched Pepper the duck because he was blackk, and this time we had a yellow duck so likely a white duck so we called her Salty, she moans if you leave her alone, she thinks she is a runner duck who needs to win the 100m and races everywhere, and was definitely not a solo Tatar’s duck, so a few days in we got another black duck so we called her vinegar, well Salty was soon whipping her into shape, but she showed her the ropes, we showed salty where the food and water was and other than one dip of the bill for vinegar salty showed her whose boss and what’s what, but as the pictures shows we had 2 more days and 5 new black ducks, then another 25 hours and a salty 2 although she is more yellow, salty on one side and vinegar on the other and the extras were soon whipped into shape too, all eating, and will soon be out of the really useful box and into the rabbit hutch.

 

[Linka]

Koffee (swartzkopt ‘ black head) and Nutella/Ella (as in the song sung at full volume as Ella is a full volume goat, Koffee the wither boy is much quieter (wither means not a full male as he has been castrated) males goats apparently play rough and castrated ones are much more docile (winces) and we only needed a companion not a breeder.
Anyways Phoenix and Sambucca are two extra girls. After Nutella pointed out to the two new baby’s that koffee may boss her around but she is their boss everything is pretty smooth, and all goats are feeding well, despite the new goats for the first couple of days wanting mums milk and not dry goat food.When the see me they all rush over to see if there are any treats, stroking them while feeding gets them accustomed to you as the desire to eat wins over there fear of new people.