Homesteaders

[JulesChicks]

The only part of Homesteading or farming I have mastered is the "well crap, what did I just do" look. I have a few seasons of experience in processing both birds and vegetables, however with everything I read every day I will never be anything more than a beginner. I won't pay to take a class taught by some 25 year old who had only been living the life for 2 years. However!!! I could spend years with people like @Beekissed and never get bored. Not because she knows all and is perfect but because she teaches as she learns as she advances. Hope I didn't confuse anyone. My point? Ask experience for answers don't ask books (or the arrogant @$$ who memorized them).

Lol -

Me too! This morning I took the kids to their bus stop (at the end of our driveway came back and heard cackling in our carport. Well, shoot, who's doing that? Well, turns out I must have not bungeed the gate shut on one of our coops and all those birds were looking for breakfast! A few days ago it was the tractor that got left open on accident (not my fault that time at least). Thankfully no coyotes were walking by both times! Always something here!

I value the experience of @Beekissed and others like her immensely!!

The lady who is a "master canner" was a by-the-book person. "You must follow the Ball Blue Book" - and the newest one at that since they removed recipes from the older version that are no longer deemed safe. She actually lectured me and was afraid for my life (and my family's) if I didn't follow the right book.

 

[JulesChicks]

I can give 4 demonstrations of how not to process a chicken because that's how many poor birds suffered horrible deaths before my 9 year old helped and it went smooth. The difference in what she did to what I did was all mental. She was not nervous and I was. Neither of us have ever processed a bird by the books though, its more of a "fit by the seat" sort of ordeal. Maybe in spring I will get a video of her and a chicken. Its beautiful to watch. She looks like she was ment for a farm.

Wow, that's awesome! I would love to see it. My son wanted to do the deed (he's 10). We wouldn't let him but clearly we should have!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

  
Wow, that's awesome!  I would love to see it. My son wanted to do the deed (he's 10). We wouldn't let him but clearly we should have!

there is no law saying our kids can't help make dinner. And in my house that's all processing a chicken is.

 

[Beekissed]

They ALL use that very same phrasing, like maybe they teach that in the Master classes now...if people won't listen to you on how to can by the book, threaten them with they will be killing their family, that always works!

Same happens when you want to feed your flock differently than the majority....they threaten you will be shortening the lives of your flock if you do that, but since they've never done it, how would they know? They don't, they just read about it somewhere that someone who knows someone who told someone else that something they read said it could happen. Never any actual proof, just a lot of fear mongering and threats to conform to their way of doing things.

 

[Beekissed]

Wow, that's awesome! I would love to see it. My son wanted to do the deed (he's 10). We wouldn't let him but clearly we should have!

I've started training my granddaughter on it, she's 2 1/2 now but she watched it all last year too, even watched me kill a bunny....clapped when he stopped moving. I thought that was funny! She's an avid student and wants to watch it all being done.

My boys were killing their own deer at 7-8 yrs of age, so 10 is fully old enough to learn how to kill one's own food, how to gut it, skin it and piece it up for eating. It all means so much more to them when they learn it young and how to do it properly.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

  They ALL use that very same phrasing, like maybe they teach that in the Master classes now...if people won't listen to you on how to can by the book, threaten them with they will be killing their family, that always works!    

Same happens when you want to feed your flock differently than the majority....they threaten you will be shortening the lives of your flock if you do that, but since they've never done it, how would they know?  They don't, they just read about it somewhere that someone who knows someone who told someone else that something they read said it could happen.  Never any actual proof, just a lot of fear mongering and threats to conform to their way of doing things.  

conform?? Why on earth would a farmer or homesteaders do that?? Isn't that 1 reason we do our own thing?? Sorry I went all grumpy again. My bad.

 

[Beekissed]

Hmmm, closed group...
What's the story on pressure canning eggs? I've heard no, you can't safely do it...
But fish and meat can be canned...
Is no eggs more 'canning police' speak?
Don't know how they'd hold up though. Ever tried it?

Never tried it but can't see why a person couldn't do it. If you can can meat, butter, milk and such, then it's likely you can do an egg. I'd say you called it correctly...no eggs is more canning police stuff. They will also say you can't can butter, milk, lard, gravy, etc. but these are all things one finds on the store shelf in cans and containers(other than the butter, which is usually kept in the cooler but folks have been canning that stuff for a long time).

I can't find any info on just canned eggs, only on canning pickled eggs. I'm guessing if you can can them pickled, you can can them not pickled.

 

[lcertuche]

There is too much generated about correct ways. I like the old ways (mostly). Nowadays, there are too many communities trying to tie the hands of individuals. I'm lucky to live in a small town where everyone grows gardens, has livestock, hunt and fish. I don't worry too much about those SHTF scenarios because we all know how to make do and have skills (mostly). We are the only family I know that doesn't have some kind of hunting rifle or shotgun. We know how to share and barter. I hate it when someone post about free ranging and someone else jumps on them about being irresponsible bird mama's or daddy's. We all have different situations and something that works for one may not work out for another.

Now about canning eggs. I don't think they would be very good because you would have to process them too long but pickled eggs are good for sandwiches and in salads and good for just snacking. You can also freeze eggs, dehydrate or a technique called glassing eggs. Good luck which every method you choose.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

There is too much generated about correct ways. I like the old ways (mostly). Nowadays, there are too many communities trying to tie the hands of individuals. I'm lucky to live in a small town where everyone grows gardens, has livestock, hunt and fish. I don't worry too much about those SHTF scenarios because we all know how to make do and have skills (mostly). We are the only family I know that doesn't have some kind of hunting rifle or shotgun. We know how to share and barter. I hate it when someone post about free ranging and someone else jumps on them about being irresponsible bird mama's or daddy's. We all have different situations and something that works for one may not work out for another. 

Now about canning eggs. I don't think they would be very good because you would have to process them too long but pickled eggs are good for sandwiches and in salads and good for just snacking. You can also freeze eggs, dehydrate or a technique called glassing eggs. Good luck which every method you choose.

oh!! Freezing eggs. Use an ice tray to freeze them individually then put them in a bag or container and use as needed. I currently have in the area of 5 dozen.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

There is too much generated about correct ways. I like the old ways (mostly). Nowadays, there are too many communities trying to tie the hands of individuals. I'm lucky to live in a small town where everyone grows gardens, has livestock, hunt and fish. I don't worry too much about those SHTF scenarios because we all know how to make do and have skills (mostly). We are the only family I know that doesn't have some kind of hunting rifle or shotgun. We know how to share and barter. I hate it when someone post about free ranging and someone else jumps on them about being irresponsible bird mama's or daddy's. We all have different situations and something that works for one may not work out for another. 

Now about canning eggs. I don't think they would be very good because you would have to process them too long but pickled eggs are good for sandwiches and in salads and good for just snacking. You can also freeze eggs, dehydrate or a technique called glassing eggs. Good luck which every method you choose.

as for criticism of how one raises a flock!!

on whoever doesn't like my method. I love ideas but I can't stand when I'm told "your killing your birds" or "your lucky your kids aren't dead". I use "Old school" methods as much as possible. We like fresh over bought and my chickens don't like fences.