Homesteaders

[CLSranch]

if I remember correctly, Shelby is a lgd that Reach is training for farm chores.

Neato and thanks for the answer.

 

[rancher hicks]

Wow! We have SO MUCh in common! I'm also an avid crochetter and canner, gardener of food (small scale though), and would LOVE goats some day! I also bake bread goods from scratch, and don't buy much processed foods at all. My husband works outside the home as a lineman, but I stay home to take care of our youngest who will be 3 in Jan. We just brought home our flock a few days ago, consisting of 6 hens and a rooster. I don't think I would consider us big enough scale to be considered homesteaders, but I've always wanted to be! Dreams! and Goals!

Welcome. There are lots of nice folks here. Mostly women. Guess the men, other than me, are computer shy. Sounds like your off to a good start. Lots of good ideas too. As I always say no one idea works good for everyone.

I figured I'd start out with 25 chickens and it's gone up from there, so one good piece of advice is plan big housing. I thought I'd down size from five to three coops but it looks like it might be four. I've got a broody hen in with three chicks she hatched. I sold my incubator thinking that hens can supply me with enough newbies.

Have raspberries this year and picked a few in the cold dark this evening while closing things up. Still have some Kale to pick too.

Always planning, always dreaming. Set up a bigger and third compost area yesterday.

Still much to do before the snow comes or it's doing it in the snow. You don't say where you are, but you're sure to hear from someone in your area.

I wish you well,

Rancher Hicks.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Wow! We have SO MUCh in common! I'm also an avid crochetter and canner, gardener of food (small scale though), and would LOVE goats some day! I also bake bread goods from scratch, and don't buy much processed foods at all. My husband works outside the home as a lineman, but I stay home to take care of our youngest who will be 3 in Jan. We just brought home our flock a few days ago, consisting of 6 hens and a rooster. I don't think I would consider us big enough scale to be considered homesteaders, but I've always wanted to be! Dreams! and Goals!

homesteaders are not classified by the size of our operations but the size of out heart and our "try" for lack of a better term. Sorry my brain is fried from too much time with my daughters cheerleader team. I'm only on 9 acres with 1/2 of one acre used for a garden and 1 full acre for the chickens. It's not how much space you take up, it's how little a mess you make of nature. Of course that's all just my opinion, we all see Homesteading different. Same with being self-reliant, it's all a matter of opinion. City people see self-reliant as owning a home and having a steady job. I see self-reliant as being able to live by only buying the bare essentials, such as flower and sugar and such. Having your own fresh goods to trade with community members for other goods or services is also part of it. Like my family, we can fix anything with a motor and we can cook or bake anything. We have no large farm equipment though. So we bake and cook weekly for one neighbor and he helps us with all things big. We also trade eggs for fresh produce during the summer months. We have paid for work to our house with processed chicken and fresh bread. No one can live 100% independent, the goal is to live as "money free" as possible and as stress free. We found that trading goods and services removed a lot of stress from our life.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

​Neato and thanks for the answer.

no problem. Not all of us are here all the time so sometimes others will answer if we know. Some of us (like me) have no life off the farm so this is our only social networking.

 

[CourtneyBowman]

Welcome. There are lots of nice folks here. Mostly women. Guess the men, other than me, are computer shy.  Sounds like your off to a good start. Lots of good ideas too. As I always say no one idea works good for everyone. 

I figured I'd start out with 25 chickens and it's gone up from there, so one good piece of advice is plan big housing. I thought I'd down size from five to three coops but it looks like it might be four. I've got a broody hen in with three chicks she hatched.  I sold my incubator thinking that hens can supply me with enough newbies. 

Have raspberries this year and picked a few in the cold dark this evening while closing things up.  Still have some Kale to pick too. 

Always planning, always dreaming. Set up a bigger and third compost area yesterday. 

Still much to do before the snow comes or it's doing it in the snow.  You don't say where you are, but you're sure to hear from someone in your area. 

I wish you well, 

Rancher Hicks. 

I'm from Pahrump NV, and it was impossible to find anyone closer than Vegas in here, which is over an hour away but it's closer enough that the weather is the same at least

 

[RustedOak]

Wow! We have SO MUCh in common! I'm also an avid crochetter and canner, gardener of food (small scale though), and would LOVE goats some day! I also bake bread goods from scratch, and don't buy much processed foods at all. My husband works outside the home as a lineman, but I stay home to take care of our youngest who will be 3 in Jan. We just brought home our flock a few days ago, consisting of 6 hens and a rooster. I don't think I would consider us big enough scale to be considered homesteaders, but I've always wanted to be! Dreams! and Goals!

In my humble opinion, homesteading is a state of mind... For some, thats 40 acres and a mule. For me, it's a suburban back yard with gardens, fruit and nut trees, berries and herbs, chickens & quail (sometimes other critters). We cook and bake from scratch, collect rain water, fish, hunt, preserve our own goods and reuse/repurpose all we can get our hands on etc. It's about doing what you can where you are... You sure sound like a budding homesteader to me.

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm from Pahrump NV, and it was impossible to find anyone closer than Vegas in here, which is over an hour away

but it's closer enough that the weather is the same at least

It's good to know where folks are because what grows where you are won't here so how can we advise you if needed. I will say this. Some breeds of chickens don't do well in the heat, others in the cold. Point being, have a friend in Israel who tried Brahmas and they died in the heat. I chose breeds that would do well in the cold and in confinement since my birds spend time in a run when I'm not home, but also would do well ranging when they can.

In my humble opinion, homesteading is a state of mind... For some, thats 40 acres and a mule. For me, it's a suburban back yard with gardens, fruit and nut trees, berries and herbs, chickens & quail (sometimes other critters). We cook and bake from scratch, collect rain water, fish, hunt, preserve our own goods and reuse/repurpose all we can get our hands on etc. It's about doing what you can where you are... You sure sound like a budding homesteader to me.

I agree. I have not read one book, article about Homesteading where someone, at least one partner didn't have an income coming from off the homestead. I have a sign hanging near my desk, that DW had hanging at work. It says, "Behind every successful Rancher is a wife who works in Town".

I figure that if we acquire a percentage of our needs from the land we're doing better than not. Needs being spiritual, mental and physical well being. The more the better.

Have a nice day folks,

Love ya, Rancher

 

[RustedOak]

Well said Rancher!

 

[CourtneyBowman]

Thank you huggstaff and rancher!

I did join my local NV group, too.

As far as my flock goes, I bought from our local feed store, and they only carry chickens that can survive in our heat it doesn't get as hot as Vegas does, because we don't have the heat radiating of cement and buildings. But it still gets hot lol

 

[rancher hicks]

Pictures of today. Chicken cleanings make good mulch. Old screen doors have a use and my new compost "bin". I wanted one I could just roll the wheel barrow into and dump it. The pallets and lumber were free snaggings from around town. Parsely is hardy for some cold. I've covered them with mini green houses. The raspberries were freebies and doing better than the store bought. I've got to get a Sawsall for the old tires dumped in the woods so I can recycle them. Picutures will follow.