It's been a rough 3 weeks for my homesteading aspirations

[deserthomestead]

I'm so ready to quit right now. I've spent so much money in the last year, and now it's all falling to pieces around me.
Predators got my ducks 2 nights ago.
A sudden storm panicked my chickens 20 minutes ago and they trampled/suffocated 3 of themselves to death, another with a broken wing that might not make it through the night.
Wild rabbits knocked over the wire cages protecting my fruit tree saplings, then ate all the bark off. All but one of my fruit trees is gone.
My domestic rabbits have been bred 3 times, but has only managed one litter of stillborn kits. They had been bred successfully by their previous owners, but we've been pumping money into them with no return so far.

I could really use any words of wisdom or encouragement at this point.

 

[Sclark73]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I know how you feel as I went thru a bad spell after purchasing some mg infected bcm a few months ago which infected my entire flock of 100+ I've lost about 20 so far and seems to be under control but have to run a closed flock. I've spent nearly 2grand on chickens and new housing put away from old coops. I was faced with severe consequences that seemed so unfair to me for someone to do this. All my plans if breeding and selling chicks, my kids showing in the fair are all squashed because of a selfish person. Seems like it never ends sometimes I know but then you just take a deep breath and deal with one thing at a time. Things will come around even when you feel you've lost all hope! Keep ur chin up I wish you the best! Feel free to pm me anytime if u need to talk.

 

[FrostBytn]

I thought I was the only person that couldn't get rabbits to breed.
Someone told me to breed on a full moon, and for the past 7 years it has seemed to work.

As for the other things, I grew up on a small farm, and everyday is fixing something.
And you'll learn, animals die.

It's up to you what you do with your future, but if you make it, you'll know you earned it and it is a feeling money can't buy.
(But money sure helps.)

 

[monsterspaz]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I know how you feel as I went thru a bad spell after purchasing some mg infected bcm a few months ago which infected my entire flock of 100+ I've lost about 20 so far and seems to be under control but have to run a closed flock. I've spent nearly 2grand on chickens and new housing put away from old coops. I was faced with severe consequences that seemed so unfair to me for someone to do this. All my plans if breeding and selling chicks, my kids showing in the fair are all squashed because of a selfish person. Seems like it never ends sometimes I know but then you just take a deep breath and deal with one thing at a time. Things will come around even when you feel you've lost all hope! Keep ur chin up I wish you the best! Feel free to pm me anytime if u need to talk.

What is "mg infected bcm"?

I know how you feel about everything falling around your ears at once. I had a particularly bad day a few months ago that involved a portion of my living room carpet being turned into a duck pond. It was one thing after another, and I ended up standing in the middle of the room sobbing. After I pulled myself back together, got the mess cleaned up, and showered, I was in my bathrobe wondering when the duck smell would go away. Suddenly standing in the doorway of my house is a strange man who turns out to be my husband's best friend from boyhood. Great first impression, stinky house, red puffy eyes and nose, wild out of the shower hair, pink fuzzy bathrobe... Luckily my husband, aka knight in shining armor, came in from work at that imediate moment and I disappeared to my bedroom, looking for a reset button for the day.

Keep it up kiddo, you can do it.

 

[Sclark73]

I couldn't imagine how embarrassed I would of felt for that to happen to me. Sorry you had to go thru that. Thankfully you have a great husband.

Micoplasma infected black copper marans which turned out to be the worst bred ever. Only 3 of the 5 left and one is iffy on keeping.

French on left, broken wing right and other just behind broken. Went out yesterday and the right wing is now flipped backwards, shoulda culled it with first problem.
Besides that had my friends 41 egg incubator which cooked all but 5 of my blue laces red wyondottes eggs so a big loss for me. Thank god I have the Brinsea Eco 20 which will be hatching any minute here. Told friend to throw the incubator in the trash! So yes I know how you feel if its 1just thing its 10! And im by far rich to do all this, and keep losing out so much. However I had pregnant problems with rabbits but am glad because I didn't want another batch this year and buck got with doe twice while in process of building new hutches. I was so worried about another litter but phew she never took. Im not sure where your located but here in wisconsin its been hot and humid could play a roll in your pregnancy problems if its been like here. I still have 4 from first litter to sell. Which was another accidental batch as we were told we purchased 2 neutered boys! One full Satin doe and a Brown Netherland Dwarf buck. Pretty litter but unplanned as everything seems to be lately. Anyhow rambling...sry

 

[deserthomestead]

I'm in southern Nevada, and it's pretty darn hot! we hit 117 degrees a week or two ago. things look a little better this morning, the pullet with the broken wing made it through the night and seems fine. No further losses, thank goodness. Monsterspaz, your story made me smile, although I'm sure it was awful at the time!

 

[Sclark73]

I'm glad to hear your pullet may make it. And I thought it was hot here, 96 and 100% heat index.

Im anxiously waiting for 13 to hatch and haven't slept in near 48 hours. They say your not as hyper after the first hatching. This is my second hatching and feels worse than the first time. All 13 having been wiggling all since I put them in lock down yesterday. I can't wait! Also have 10 to hatch on 29th and 12 on 31st besides the 3 broodies due 27th, 29th and Aug 1st totalling 36 if they all hatch. Gonna have my hands full of chickies!

 

[dyrne]

I think if I were living in your area I would consider a pair of livestock guardian dogs. Not sure what breed would be best suited to your climate.

 

[Spifflove]

Ask yourself what your goals are for self-sufficiency. If it is to "save money" per say, probably best just to pay 10 dollars a dozen for organic eggs. Is it a hobby? Better love it. Is it so you won't be like the folks in NJ who were hoping "da gubermint" would bail them out? Understand that you are choosing a lifestyle that is harder than what life would otherwise be, so weight what you are trying to accomplish.

Now repeat after me:
"All farmers fail."
Say it 3 times.

So what are the rewards of self sufficiency?
1. Knowing where you food comes from.
2. Not reliant on just in time food delivery.
3. Rejection of collectivism in favor of rugged individualism.

I think number 3 is what really drives me. But, one of the major lessons is money invested versus benefit. If you don't need it you just wasted 100% of your money.

So the question you have to ask yourself is are you going to give in to Monsanto and McDonalds? Or are you going to say: No more! No thank you! Now saying no more may just mean buying organic. Or it may mean growing your own food and pumping your own water and even generating your own electricity.

The other question you might want to ask is what will you do with your resources instead? Are you going to buy something you need? Or create a new hobby like collecting purses?

 

[FrostBytn]

All Farmers Fail?
That sounds harsh.
You eat because Farmers are successful.
All Farmers have bad days, but they keep working and get over the bad days.
I don't know any failures and I grew up surrounded by Farms and Farmers.