How to become self-sufficient (kinda) with chickens.

[The Zoo]

Also - is the Encyclopedia of Country Living good for someone who is vegetarian? Like is there enough info in there for someone who wont eat meat or butcher her animals?

 

[hikerchick]

How does one provide one's own internet access? We all seem fairly dependent on that.

 

[Kismet]

If you don't own it already, you should get "Putting Food By" by Greene, Hertzberg, and Vaughan. It is the bible for food preservation. That, and of course, Ball's Blue Book.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
If you are feeding back the eggshells to your chickens, I would boil them first. You can also put them in the oven. I usually boil the shells because I have forgotten the temperature and time at which to "bake” the shells. If you burn them.......P….U! These methods are used for sterilization.

I also break up the shells after boiling because I do not want the chickens to recognize the shells as eggs. I feel this might lead to an egg eating behavior.

 

[jsanders]

It took me so long to read this I forgot what I wanted to say!!!

Bartering - A friend and I are starting a local bartering group to help be prepared for the worst or just help the planet now.

It makes sense to keep it local for simplicity. I started a group on yahoo so people can post what they want and have and made suggestions for people who don't garden or farm, ie buy in bulk and trade...sugar, salt, vinegar and so on. Services will also be a big thing to find. And don't forget to freecycle.

I know there are some people here from central alabama who might be interested and also people who need to start their own group. DO IT!

Where is my coffee going to come from???

 

[phoenixmama]

H.R. 2749 is pretty scary. Call your representatives! We cannot let this thing pass.

Okay, no more politics from me.

Anyway, love this thread! I also started over at Sufficient Self, but need to start posting. I've just been lurking for a few months now.

I'm so happy that DH is onboard with me on the self-sufficiency thing. Our house sits on irrigated land that is just shy of 1 acre. We are working to make it as productive as possible right now. Our 5-10 year plan is to buy land up in the high country, lots of land...and work to be as self sufficient as possible. We will stay here until our kids are graduated, so within 18 years we plan on having a small house built, a well dug, and it all ready for move-in.

I think that I got started on the self-sufficiency thing around the time I was diagnosed with cancer. Cancer sucks, but it sure does change your perspective on life. I was already doing the cloth diapering, breast feeding thing with our children...which felt so good. It has been awesome raising children "naturally" and not having to run to the store to buy formula and diapers. (I do have to buy formula now though...stupid chemo) It felt comforting, really...and that was only the beginning for me!

Thanks for the tip on comfrey, I'll look into planting some. Hardy plants are good here in the low Sonoran desert. And I'll be the 4th (or 5th?) person to recommend Carla Emery's book. I cannot say enough about it. It is my go to guide.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
If you need duckweed, I will send you my ten-gallon aquarium.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

I saw another book on Amazon when I bought The Encyclopedia of Country Living and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It was the Guide to Root Cellaring, or something very close to that. Weirdly, I have a basement even though I live in CA. I do a little accidental root cellaring now, but would like to get into that more. Has anyone read this book? I decided not to buy it yet because I worried I would be overwhelmed with reading, and never get to the doing. I need to start small and add it in increments. Growing some plants that are specifically for the chickens would be a great start. Yes, Comfrey is probably going to be the first experiment. Wild oats grow here, but the chickens don't seem to pay it any attention. They do love miner's lettuce in the spring. It has huge vit C, but not sure about any calcium.

TheZoo - I live in earthquake country too, and am really not ready for the next large quake. I do have a water filter, which would make any water drinkable. The filter would last for about a week. It's not a long term solution, but would get me through an earthquake situation. I am walking distance to a creek.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Quote:
Thank you for pulling the list out and summarizing.

I wanted to look at getting the recommended books, but hadn't had time to pull all the titles out. This summary is very helpful.

 

[rileysgranny]

I wouldn't rely on any "natural" source of water in case of an event. Depending on the situation, it could be polluted. Or, in the case of a river or stream, who's to keep your neighbor upriver from damming it up so you can't get any? If you are stockpiling, I'd include bottled water. Either purchased or collected on your own. Just my two cents.

My DH says if the bomb hits he's running toward it instead of away from it. He is more worried about the state of things in the aftermath than the event itself.