Homesteaders

[boskelli1571]

I suppose that would be ideal, however I question the need for that much space. If you can grow many of your veggies 'upwards' like cucumbers, melons, use patio pots for tomatoes etc. do you really need 3 pigs? It's a good general guide for beginners tho', as you know, when you get practiced at something you can reduce the area needed - or expand to grow 'for sale' produce.

 

[rancher hicks]

Found this interesting. Opinions?

Everyone has different needs and what's right for you may not be right for me. You can always put a small box inside large one but not the other way around so I always say buy more than you think you will need as far as space goes.

Me? I always pray for enough for us and some to share. We have almost three acres.

I like it.

 

[rancher hicks]

Anyone want to offer advice? I started my tomato plants and they've come up nicely. I expect I have to transplant them to single pots or do I leave them in the little ones they're in and pinch them off to one per cell?

There is quite a bit of moisture on the covers. I've opened the vents, but is there anything else I should do? I don't want them to "damp off".

They're long and lanky right now. Should I wait til they get their "true" leaves and transplant them deeper in new pots?

 

[rancher hicks]

Found this interesting. Opinions?

Without planning the farm rarely looks this neat. Too depending on where you live you'll need to plan on animal shelter, feed and bedding storage. Many barns aren't animal houses as some would think but a storage shelter for hay, straw, machinery and tools.

I mention this because this is where I'm at and I only have chickens. I have shaving bales in the garage. Not where I'd like them. Hay or straw I keep in the chicken runs but it gets pooped on. Which is fine because I don't use it for feed. They of course love to climb on it and it adds to the floor space. I've since taken to stacking it on milk crates tipped on their sides, leaving space underneath. In the winter or when it's wet I let them scratch a bale apart and cover the floor. It's keeps them from getting muddy feet. Spring cleaning is mucking everything out to the compost or garden.

My trouble with pigs is finding someone to butcher them. Be sure you have this lined up BEFORE you get hogs. How will you get them to slaughter, will they be picked up or will you have to transport them yourself?

Finding someone to process my chickens is not easy nor cheap. $2.50 per bird.

 

[trsturself]

We pay $3/bird here! It really adds to the cost of the bird. The same place does pigs but I'm not sure how much. There's another place that does them too because we buy a half pig from a local lady and she deals with them somehow.

I agree, a barn is a necessity for MANY things. I don't think we want to raise pigs anytime soon but I have read many times that they are the best for meat conversion but DH isn't a big pork eater (except for bacon and ribs).

 

[rancher hicks]

We pay $3/bird here! It really adds to the cost of the bird. The same place does pigs but I'm not sure how much. There's another place that does them too because we buy a half pig from a local lady and she deals with them somehow.

I agree, a barn is a necessity for MANY things. I don't think we want to raise pigs anytime soon but I have read many times that they are the best for meat conversion but DH isn't a big pork eater (except for bacon and ribs).

Here in NY we're having a picnic for BYC NYers and I believe there is a plan to have a seminar of sorts to show how to process birds. I've no quams about the killing and plucking part just the gutting.

Hogs of course is another matter.

 

[trsturself]

Here in NY we're having a picnic for BYC NYers and I believe there is a plan to have a seminar of sorts to show how to process birds. I've no quams about the killing and plucking part just the gutting.

Hogs of course is another matter.

We've done our own birds. It wasn't too bad. I've watched a video on a homesteader that did their own pig and cow. That's a lot of work! I don't think I could handle that.

 

[Anna6]

There are all kinds of You Tube videos and this website that show the killing, gutting and processing. The gutting is not too bad. If you do not like the plucking then you can pull the skin with feathers off of the chicken.

That said I have a 100 lb plus pot belly pig that needs to be processed. It is taking the time and being prepared. I am contemplating scraping the hair off and cooking the whole pig at one time on the spit and then freezing cooked meat and skin instead of all kinds of raw pieces. I am just worried that a pot belly pig might be a bit lean especially one that has lots of space to roam on.

 

[Anna6]

Found this interesting. Opinions?

I would want more goats and chickens. Castrate most of the male animals and eat those for meat. We do castrate the bucks already and hope to learn to caponize the roosters. Bees might be nice or sugar beets. We do have ten in the family still so that changes the picture too. It is fun to look at this and dream. We are from from this.

 

[Raech]

Anyone want to offer advice? I started my tomato plants and they've come up nicely. I expect I have to transplant them to single pots or do I leave them in the little ones they're in and pinch them off to one per cell?

There is quite a bit of moisture on the covers. I've opened the vents, but is there anything else I should do? I don't want them to "damp off".

They're long and lanky right now. Should I wait til they get their "true" leaves and transplant them deeper in new pots?

It depends on how big your starting pots are. For the little 1 square inch pots I would pinch off to 1 per pot. But if you have the larger 3" starter pot you can do 2-3 if they are bunched together in the middle. That's how I do mine anyway. I wait till I have 4-6 leaves or 4 inches tall which ever comes first, if it is just the 2 top leaves I leave it in just a little longer, and if you are using a grow light, lower the light a little bit and they won't be so lanky, they are trying too hard to reach the light/sun. If you start the grow light as low as it can go, just like a couple inches above the pot when you first plant the seeds, then slowly raise it up as the plant starts to grow it gives the stem more strength since they aren't stretching for the light, so they are thicker.