An apocolypse herd/flock

[BrattishTaz]

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OOh good idea! The rabbits to feed the dogs! Never thought of that...

I would suggest you eat the dogs first. They are competition when times get tough.

 

[spiritdance]

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I love my horses, and I have a working team of haflingers that can do it all, from saddle to plow to log chains, but so can "oxen," which are basically just cows trained to do what horses do. If I had to choose (and I hope I never have to), I'd choose the oxen because they can extract nutrients from a lower quality of forage. As for the pigs, pastured pigs are really easy to maintain, and as another poster noted, they are better than a plow for tilling/reconditioning the land. If you want a rockin' garden, turn the pigs out on it a few months ahead of time. Ditto the goats, as they will eat things the cows can't or won't, plus their milk is easier to digest than cow's milk, their meat smokes easily, and they can pull carts for hauling veggies, etc.

 

[redhen]

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OOh good idea! The rabbits to feed the dogs! Never thought of that...

I was thinking you could feed the people who try to steal our food in an apocolyptic world to the dogs.

Just sayin' Gotta do SOMETHING with them.

Yep.. And the pigs will def eat them too! And leave no trace...

 

[redhen]

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OOh good idea! The rabbits to feed the dogs! Never thought of that...

I would suggest you eat the dogs first. They are competition when times get tough.

If i ever HAD to...
if it REALLY ever came down to me or the dog..
I'd literally have to be on deaths door though...

 

[mississippifarmboy]

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I would suggest you eat the dogs first. They are competition when times get tough.

If i ever HAD to...
if it REALLY ever came down to me or the dog..
I'd literally have to be on deaths door though...

Don't worry Red, there's always Hammy....

I bet I get smacked for that one....

 

[spiritdance]

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there is miniature cattle, and you can slaughter them in winter like people use to do, so a secure shed can act as a giant, outdoor freezer

Check out Dexter cattle. They're considered "dual purpose," as they yield a decent quantity of milk, and even though they are much smaller than standard cattle, a trained team could easily do the drudge work on a homestead (plowing, pulling stumps, hauling hay, etc.), and they could be trained as a wagon hitch as well.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I believe that we are in end times. But all I want is chickens (got 'em). We have stinging nettles growing out in the yard that we could always eat in emergencies for vitamins (after boiling). Did you know that you can actually make CLOTHES out of stinging nettle fibers? The stinging nettle is an amazing plant. You can also use it to make cheese (if you have milk) and tea.

The larger animals are just too intimidating to me to care for. And what would I do if the fields are covered in snow and there is no hay stored? At least I can throw a handful of food to the chickens and they won't starve.

I am pretty amazed at all the natural disasters and mass animal deaths! Also all the miracles of light in the sky people are seeing.

 

[Illia]

The thing is, we've got enough poultry and bunnies here to feed our dogs and us, so that the dogs can protect us from other people of threat.

Our dogs aren't your everyday Labrador or something. . . .

ETA: In all honesty, we're prepared already with the dog thing, as we feed them the RAW/BARF diet anyway, in other words - they already are being fed rabbit and chicken.

 

[redhen]

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If i ever HAD to...
if it REALLY ever came down to me or the dog..
I'd literally have to be on deaths door though...

Don't worry Red, there's always Hammy....

I bet I get smacked for that one....

The hubby would go before Hammie..

And yep..

 

[KristyHall]

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there is miniature cattle, and you can slaughter them in winter like people use to do, so a secure shed can act as a giant, outdoor freezer

Check out Dexter cattle. They're considered "dual purpose," as they yield a decent quantity of milk, and even though they are much smaller than standard cattle, a trained team could easily do the drudge work on a homestead (plowing, pulling stumps, hauling hay, etc.), and they could be trained as a wagon hitch as well.

actually that is what I am planning on getting and there is a breeder near here. I am setting up my property for them. can't wait!