Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

potatoes are so rewarding to grow, me and my wife grew a small amount of little red potatoes this last year and had a lot of fun digging them all up.

Now these we might want to grow. Red potatoes are very expensive here. We love them.

You know I'm Irish. I've read that had the Irish diversified their varieties of Potatoes they wouldn't have starved. I learned from that lesson and plant more than one kind of everything if I can.

I just want to be able to store them for the winter. I hate the cold and hate to go out when it's cold. My arthritis hurts so bad. If DW would let me I'd attach the coops to the back of the house. I do think I could build a "hoop" tunnel to them if I had the money. That would be so cool.

I know some houses had tunnels to the barn so folks didn't have to go outside.

If you're just starting out that might be something to consider. A hoop tunnel to the barn?

 

[trsturself]

Now these we might want to grow. Red potatoes are very expensive here. We love them.

You know I'm Irish. I've read that had the Irish diversified their varieties of Potatoes they wouldn't have starved. I learned from that lesson and plant more than one kind of everything if I can.

I just want to be able to store them for the winter. I hate the cold and hate to go out when it's cold. My arthritis hurts so bad. If DW would let me I'd attach the coops to the back of the house. I do think I could build a "hoop" tunnel to them if I had the money. That would be so cool.

I know some houses had tunnels to the barn so folks didn't have to go outside.

If you're just starting out that might be something to consider. A hoop tunnel to the barn?

A hoop tunnel sounds great. I want one! I too hate going out in the cold. The poor horses didn't get fed until after 10 this morning because it looked so miserable out I just couldn't work up the motivation to go outside. Even when I did, I was quick about it. My hands were numb by the time I came back in. I need to run out one more time and refill the chickens water. They had enough this morning that I let it wait until the sun came out.

Mono crops is what worries me about our current food system in this country. I too plant a couple different varieties of everything I plant. Plus it just makes things more interesting.

 

[KentuckyMom]

Years ago, when we lived in Germany we visited a friend's home. Their barn WAS attached to the house. You stepped out of the house into a small room where the muck boots and coats were kept and then out a door on the other side directly into the barn! Not once did we step outside! I was totally amazed! I thought we were just stepping into another room, and, lo and behold, we stepped into the barn
( full of cows and manure!). There was no smell in the house at all to clue you in to the fact that it was all attached. I would imagine that besides not having to go outside to get to the cows, all those animals would have helped keep the house warmer too.

 

[rancher hicks]

Years ago, when we lived in Germany we visited a friend's home. Their barn WAS attached to the house. You stepped out of the house into a small room where the muck boots and coats were kept and then out a door on the other side directly into the barn! Not once did we step outside! I was totally amazed! I thought we were just stepping into another room, and, lo and behold, we stepped into the barn
( full of cows and manure!). There was no smell in the house at all to clue you in to the fact that it was all attached. I would imagine that besides not having to go outside to get to the cows, all those animals would have helped keep the house warmer too.

You may be right. Animals generate quite a bit of heat.

If you had the right set up you could put in a tunnel from the basement to the barn. I don't have a barn.

If you had a hoop tunnel in the winter you could use it as a trellis for beans in the summer. I zip tie plastic over this one, but you could zip tie some tarps for a wind block. When the sun is out it's gets nice and warm. Water in it doesn't freeze as quick as it does in the other run.



I do staple plastic up most of the front.

 

[Raech]

We are finally getting a puppy!! So it seems only fitting that I rehome my children before bringing the puppy home. Joking aside, my oldest asked if we would get rid of the kitties when we get our puppies, this was years ago when we first started saving for a puppy. Due to the landlord's size restrictions we can not get our mastiff or malamute hybrid, so we went down to breed #3 on our list, bulldog. Found a person selling Olde English Bulldog puppies and we are driving 6 hours to pick her up. Hoping the roads are good so we can hurry before it gets icky, we have to run the river road along some windy roads early morning. So now we have a dog to help clean the floor and soon to have a backyard for the kids and soon to be a bunny for the garden, and a nice spread out garden. Wish me luck guys and gals, 3 am is going to be rough.

 

[trsturself]

3am, yuck! Puppy, awesome! We have one puppy left from our litter of 7. He'll be going to my parents who live in a different state so we are holding on to him until they can get him. It's a lot of work! Especially with 3 other dogs.

 

[wyoDreamer]

We just got our new puppy on Sunday! and with only a 2 hour drive. He is 7 weeks old and 13 pounds already; I think he is going to be a big German Shepherd.

 

[Raech]

We just got our new puppy on Sunday!  and with only a 2 hour drive.  He is 7 weeks old and 13 pounds already; I think he is going to be a big German Shepherd.

I know the runt was only 6 pounds, but I forgot to ask how much she weighs, Hubby thinks around 13-15 pounds at 9 weeks. I wish it was only a 2 hour drive, our 6 hour turned into 4 1/2 due to a friend speeding and an increase i speed limit up to 80.

 

[rancher hicks]

Good garden o' peas! It's so cold here they've changed the nursery rhyme to, " Mary had a little lamb stew"...................

I heard a knock at the door and it was the chickens wanting to come in.............

It's so cold my chickens were wearing Fox furs.

 

[DesertChic]

Good garden o' peas! It's so cold here they've changed the nursery rhyme to, " Mary had a little lamb stew"...................

I heard a knock at the door and it was the chickens wanting to come in.............

It's so cold my chickens were wearing Fox furs.

Maybe it's time for you and your chickens to move south for the winter. It was chilly here today, but tolerable at 61 degrees. In a couple more days we'll be back up to the 70s. I love winter in AZ!