Homesteaders

[LBejaran]

Oh I love mint!!! YAY I am going to try growing that around the edges of my raised bed-which BTW we start gathering the rocks for this week. I know the chickens will eat the mint because I have purchased it from the store and fed it to them. Any herbs that will deter the chickens?

I was reading another page (and an eHow page) that using river rock gravel helps keep chicken's away from your plants because they don't like walking on it. If you have a large enough space, using rocks instead of mulch could prevent them from going there in the first place. That being said, when a chicken is determined to get something delicious, I've seen them try to get on a crackling fire pit, so discomfort probably means little to them in comparison to a tasty treat, haha!

It's still worth a shot, though. It would certainly stop them from digging up your plants.

 

[rancher hicks]

I object to the people calling themselves homesteader wannabes. Us "wannabes" are really the heart of the homestead life style. Homesteading is all about being self sufficient and doing the best you can with what you got. I feel it's about using creative means to reach your goals and most importantly understanding that today's zombie like culture and self mutilating food culture is not natural, and trying to do something about it. Most of us weren't blessed to be on large lands but finding a way to live this life style on a small city lot where the majority of the population lives is amazing. Honestly I think the under funded homesteader on a small city lot is a lot more impressive than the rich guy that dropped out of society to live in Alaska. The adaptability of a city dwelling homesteaders really embodies what the life style is all about. Homesteading today looks a lot different than it used too and too many people get caught up with being down on themselves for not having a big ranch or being a newbie.


Stepping off my soap box:

My wife and I are expecting our first child in March and are running our small operation out of a rental house on about 3/4 acres. We have a 150 pound Irish Wolf Hound, a 15 pound street dog we adopted, and 7 chickens. We Foster for the Humane society and have pups coming in an out. Our rental is 1.7 miles from the Down town square. We keep an 8x4 raised bed and some containers for our garden. We haven't been able to grow year round yet but we are learning with every grow. We have 3 Ameraucanas, one silky, and 3 French Black Copper Maran chicks still in the brooder. In the spring we are hoping to start an Oliver Egger project with them.

My dream is to one day be completely off the grid inside the city the limits. Once the student loans are paid for I would like to go full time and try to provide the local establishments with real meat and eggs. I want as many people as possible to be as close to their food as we are. When we eat an egg or a bird we know exactly who it is from or who it was. I dream of being able to supply the public with the same knowledge. How cool would it be to buy a dozen eggs and have a photo of the hen inside the carton and a hand written date on the shell?



Edit: In the mean time our focus is learning how Grow, pickle, ferment and store our crop. North Texas can be a challenging area to be grow in.

Lots of Opinions about homesteading and we'd all like to live off the grid. I'm old so I know a few things. No one is ever completely off the grid. Check out Grit magazine and you'll see what I mean. Not one supplies 100% of what they need. Not one doesn't have a job or at least one of the couple does.

Just do the best you can.

Gotta run.

 

[newbie32]

Lots of Opinions about homesteading and we'd all like to live off the grid. I'm old so I know a few things. No one is ever completely off the grid. Check out Grit magazine and you'll see what I mean. Not one supplies 100% of what they need. Not one doesn't have a job or at least one of the couple does.

Just do the best you can.

Gotta run.

I don't think they did in the old days either. They would trade or sale what they did have for what they didn't. I think getting as close to self sufficiency as we can get is more the goals here. We don't all know everything. I sure wish I did though!! It would take a few lifetimes to learn everything there is to know. And blacksmithing and husbandry and farming and sewing and canning and tanning and smoking and wow just too much for us all to do ourselves.

 

[Butterflyhigh]

Fun thread! I've got a cool perspective on homesteading because I am a single woman. I'm still pretty new to homesteading and am consistently working towards living a more independent and self-sufficent lifestyle.

I live on a rural farm in which I lease out the tillable acres to a local farmer. The amount I get is enough to cover all of my annual bills, property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc. Basically the farm pays for itself.

I heat my home primarily with wood, don't have any air conditioning or a dishwasher, and reuse instead of throw away (glass instead of plastic, linen and china instead of paper, compost everything).

I barter for goods and services as much as possible. Currently I have over two cords of firewood, 150 lbs of beef, and 100 lbs of fresh pork in the freezer. A neighboring farmer uses his awesome equipment to till up my garden, spread compost, and deliver manure to me. I also get free straw. All thanks to bartering.

I am just now finally getting into chickens. I have three Giants, one Orphington, and two Americaunas. I literally *just* started getting eggs! Very very excited about that. Also five female Muscovys but I don't expect any eggs from them until the Spring. I am making meat chicken plans right now too. One of my biggest goals with the chickens is to get them to pay for themselves which seems kinda hard to do considering I'm surrounded by farms.

I would like to say that the previous comment about how no one should feel like a "homestead wannabe" is spot on. Some of the most beautiful and productive homestead properties I see around me are the smaller places, maybe around an acre in size or less. Any amount of sustainable change is a wonderful thing to add to our lives.

 

[newbie32]

Fun thread! I've got a cool perspective on homesteading because I am a single woman. I'm still pretty new to homesteading and am consistently working towards living a more independent and self-sufficent lifestyle.

I live on a rural farm in which I lease out the tillable acres to a local farmer. The amount I get is enough to cover all of my annual bills, property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc. Basically the farm pays for itself.

I heat my home primarily with wood, don't have any air conditioning or a dishwasher, and reuse instead of throw away (glass instead of plastic, linen and china instead of paper, compost everything).

I barter for goods and services as much as possible. Currently I have over two cords of firewood, 150 lbs of beef, and 100 lbs of fresh pork in the freezer. A neighboring farmer uses his awesome equipment to till up my garden, spread compost, and deliver manure to me. I also get free straw. All thanks to bartering.

I am just now finally getting into chickens. I have three Giants, one Orphington, and two Americaunas. I literally *just* started getting eggs! Very very excited about that. Also five female Muscovys but I don't expect any eggs from them until the Spring. I am making meat chicken plans right now too. One of my biggest goals with the chickens is to get them to pay for themselves which seems kinda hard to do considering I'm surrounded by farms.

I would like to say that the previous comment about how no one should feel like a "homestead wannabe" is spot on. Some of the most beautiful and productive homestead properties I see around me are the smaller places, maybe around an acre in size or less. Any amount of sustainable change is a wonderful thing to add to our lives.

They will pay for themselves if you allow them to free range often! And since you are surrounded by farms then you will have plenty of bugs for them to eat. Sounds wonderful! Just one question-how did you barter for the meat? or did you raise that meat?

 

[rancher hicks]

Fun thread! I've got a cool perspective on homesteading because I am a single woman. I'm still pretty new to homesteading and am consistently working towards living a more independent and self-sufficent lifestyle.

I live on a rural farm in which I lease out the tillable acres to a local farmer. The amount I get is enough to cover all of my annual bills, property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc. Basically the farm pays for itself.

I heat my home primarily with wood, don't have any air conditioning or a dishwasher, and reuse instead of throw away (glass instead of plastic, linen and china instead of paper, compost everything).

I barter for goods and services as much as possible. Currently I have over two cords of firewood, 150 lbs of beef, and 100 lbs of fresh pork in the freezer. A neighboring farmer uses his awesome equipment to till up my garden, spread compost, and deliver manure to me. I also get free straw. All thanks to bartering.

I am just now finally getting into chickens. I have three Giants, one Orphington, and two Americaunas. I literally *just* started getting eggs! Very very excited about that. Also five female Muscovys but I don't expect any eggs from them until the Spring. I am making meat chicken plans right now too. One of my biggest goals with the chickens is to get them to pay for themselves which seems kinda hard to do considering I'm surrounded by farms.

I would like to say that the previous comment about how no one should feel like a "homestead wannabe" is spot on. Some of the most beautiful and productive homestead properties I see around me are the smaller places, maybe around an acre in size or less. Any amount of sustainable change is a wonderful thing to add to our lives.

I think it's good that you take account of what you buy and what you supply for yourself.

I always cringe when I read about homesteaders, but one or the other is a writer or some other profession. OR they inherited the property or live on land their parents or some other relative own. I gave DW a small plaque I bought that says "every successful Rancher has a woman who works in town".

I've recently decided to keep files on what I spend on my chickens and what I sell. Records are important.

So far what we spend on chickens and feed is more than if we bought eggs outright. BYC helps think about how to save and manage my chickens. One thing I've learned is don't put all you chickens in one basket. I keep a variety of breeds since they're laying cycles and habits can vary. This way I have eggs at all times, though I will say my Dels are best. Hybrids are better layers. Dual purpose is best but many breeds have been ruined and some of us here are trying to fix that. Utility and heartiness is my goal in breeding and keeping.

It can be hard to figure on crops and quantity. How much is needed and how much to plant. Though I suppose more is better, since it does a body good to donate to the less fortunate.

So that said since I began, We no longer buy eggs of course, I do can jellies and jams, tomatoes and freeze some other vegetables.

Now be aware that while we did pay to pick apples, there are free apples and fruit out there if you can find abandoned orchards. My neighbor gave me apples that only needed to be peeled for free. Another neighbor has a pear tree loaded that also will need to be peeled but are fine other wise.

I trade chickens/chicks/ hatching eggs for hay. Find a farmer who needs to clean out his barn for the new years harvest.

We no longer buy garlic. An easy crop to grow in my raised beds.

I have a Granny Smith apple tree to plant and garlic of course. We got our first frost last night.

If you can't afford magazines go to the book store and have a look for free. Though Mother Earth news is affordable IMO. Or share a subscription. I do subscribe but then barter with back issues if I can.

Remember to collect that cardboard for mulch. Store it up if need be. Saves lots of time. Remember to use #19 cans or other things around the plants you can to conserve and save time watering.

Homesteading to me is an on going process. I like how it evolves so I don't get bored.

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[Butterflyhigh]

They will pay for themselves if you allow them to free range often! And since you are surrounded by farms then you will have plenty of bugs for them to eat. Sounds wonderful! Just one question-how did you barter for the meat? or did you raise that meat?

My current layers free-range all day long so their feed costs are pretty low and my start-up cost were only $81 (chickens plus necessary improvments to an existing coop). Buying stuff for raising meat chickens plus the cost of those chickens, are what I'd would like to see a return on.

The meat was part of the deal I made with the farmer that leases my crop land. He is a small family-run farm and couldn't afford the pricer-per-acre that the bigger outfits offered, so I came up with the idea of closing that income-gap by taking a 1/4 beef and 1/2 hog each year. I never buy meat at the store now and it has drastically cut my grocery bill thereby increasing my monthly cash flow. Next year I'm going to have corn thrown into the deal to use as feed for the ducks and chickens!

I find it fun and challenging to live a more simple and frugal life.

 

[kentuckychicks]

Hi there I just wanted to subscribe to this thread. I'm would love to be as off the grid as possible! We have an acre garden but I want to make that even larger because I can actually have my pressure cooker going right now! I put in ten fruit trees six blueberry bushes four raspberry bushes and have probably 40 blackberry bushes. I want to add on to that number yearly. I'm actually pretty close to the veggie production that my family needs leaving out fresh lettuce ect in winter months (gotta get started on that greenhouse!!!!) My husband is a big time deer hunter which we make jerky with and have processed (gotta get a good meat grinder!!!!) into "hamburger" meat enough that it's very rare I have to buy ground beef. We are getting 30 dual purpose chickens this spring and still trying to settle on a number of the Cornish x. We are also starting (in the spring) to raise meat rabbits, though I need to do way more reading on. Sigh. The year after that we are planning on fencing in two acres for kinder goats. I'm a stay at home mom to two small kids so our income is limited but would love to add a root cellar (I have food everywhere!!!) a greenhouse, a cistern ect ect ect lol. I'm very interested in learning more homesteading skills (spinning, dehydrating (I only do on a all scale just meat ect). There just doesn't seem to be too many people around here that I know of that are into the same things! I live in western Kentucky and I'm sure there are some here but I've yet to find them! I would be willing to volunteer my time to help in exchange for the hands on knowledge!

Any ways I'm rambling I'm just excited about this thread!

 

[rancher hicks]

My current layers free-range all day long so their feed costs are pretty low and my start-up cost were only $81 (chickens plus necessary improvments to an existing coop). Buying stuff for raising meat chickens plus the cost of those chickens, are what I'd would like to see a return on.

The meat was part of the deal I made with the farmer that leases my crop land. He is a small family-run farm and couldn't afford the pricer-per-acre that the bigger outfits offered, so I came up with the idea of closing that income-gap by taking a 1/4 beef and 1/2 hog each year. I never buy meat at the store now and it has drastically cut my grocery bill thereby increasing my monthly cash flow. Next year I'm going to have corn thrown into the deal to use as feed for the ducks and chickens!

I find it fun and challenging to live a more simple and frugal life.

Same here. I may not meet all my goals but it does give me something to shoot for.

 

[kentuckychicks]

Just wanted to share my canning pantry but I have tons more in my laundry room, my kitchen, hall closets, bedroom closet and under my bed. I really need more storage for food!!!