Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

Bee, Beautiful pics. Would make a nice calender. I love the hoop. I only used wood on the back side of my large hoop. The others are covered from and back with Hardware cloth, backs with feed bags and fronts with fleece. You've more snow sitting on yours but the pic looks very nice.

Those rocks are nice too. I've the C. Rocks from Scott and what I like about them is the roosters and hens don't have large combs making them great for the cold.

I'm always saying Rocks make good "Homestead" birds.

I also love the dogs. Do they bother your chickens?

Again beautiful pics.

 

[Beekissed]

They guard the chickens, so they wouldn't last long here if they bothered them. The white dog is a pup in training to take over those duties and help the older dog. They all live peacefully together.

I think WRs are the perfect homestead breed as well. Go broody enough to reproduce their own kind but are not excessively broody, lay well all year round, provide huge amounts of meat for canning. For a self sustaining flock and good food production, they are my top pick breed for that purpose.

Side note: I'm watching out my window at my dogs playing in the snow and it's 1* out there...most people nowadays thinks that it's cruel to keep a dog outdoors, especially in the winter, but if they could see these dogs acting like it's full summer out there they'd see the truth. The truth is, they are designed by God for just that kind of life and are greatly suited for it. I'm glad I can provide that for them.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Yes I agree. My dog loves to come in for some love and treats but then she wants back out in the snow, the house is to warm for her. Really summer is a bigger problem for my old girl then winter.

 

[Beekissed]

Mine too. Keeping cool is harder than keeping warm for most animals, unless they are designed for living in warm climates. My dogs are cold weather breeds, so do well for three seasons out of the year and then just tolerate summer. Sort of like myself.

 

[Loc20chick]

Great pics @Beekissed

My chickens mostly don't want to venture outside much except for the ones in the coop that has their water outside. They are much like me LOL!! I'm not a winter breed lol

I admire you Beekissed!!. I already have some tweaking to the coop and run come spring to make it more hardy for the birds to venture out in winter.

 

[Ameraucanas]

LOL

 

[Chicken girl 15]

These birds lay a big brown egg, not as dark brown as a BA.   They are much, much heavier than a BA, though.  I love the BA breed and that's my second favorite breed of all times but they just don't have the meat on them that the WRs have.   What's really funny is your leghorns probably eat way more feed than these big ol' WR hens, as the WR has a very slow metabolism and burns fuel at a slower rate, so requires less feed to maintain their bulk and laying production.   We always had leghorns and RIR flocks when I was growing up, so I'm familiar with the breed and they lay well....but are not much good for anything else, neither meat production nor feed thrift. 

I love the board and batten style of housing, always thought they were cute.  You'll have to keep us posted as to your homesteading venture...that's always interesting, especially if you have pics.  Most of my raising up was off grid like you describe and it was a good life.  A great life.  Makes you appreciate every little thing and comfort that comes your way and keeps the world in perspective. 

We bought an old wood cook stove today. Its not a huge one like I want but it has 4 burners and a small oven. I love Craigslist it cost us $75 so no big investment but many years of food cooked like my grandparents did. I will post pics of it when we get home and again after I clean it up and get it running .

 

[Beekissed]

You'll likely be glad it's small when you have to can on it come summer time. That's some hot, hot doings to can on a wood cook stove but we did it each year for awhile, then switched to canning on a gas range instead, using the wood cook stove for winter cooking after that.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I have a 2 burner electric plate for canning because hubby prefers I do it outside. He hates the smell of vinegar and I make lots of pickles.

The bread will have to be made in the wood oven though. I will have it in a room that opens on 3 sides for summer use so it won't be bad.

 

[rancher hicks]

We have a small room on the back of the house I'd like to turn into a "Garden" Kitchen, just for food storage prep. We have cupboards to add so it would just mean getting the hook ups for water and gas. Though a wood stove would be good as it would be seasonal.