Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Amberjem]

 

[Amberjem]

soo I been cultivating the duckweed in my fish tanks more and using the excess which happens FAST to feed to the chickens with some yogurt as a snack treat..they are really digging the duckweed

 

[Wasson6Pack]

soo I been cultivating the duckweed in my fish tanks more and using the excess which happens FAST to feed to the chickens with some yogurt as a snack treat..they are really digging the duckweed

I would love to know how you start growing duckweed and how you keep it going. Does it multiply itself?
Excited!!

 

[Amberjem]

yes it multiplies rapidly will tripple growth in 24 hours so one duckweed turns into three four in 24 hours.. it's easy water light and air and it will rapidly grow ...it also works as a natural water filter for your tank if you have fish in it as well......

 

[Amberjem]

I know ppl who will use a 5 galloon bucket an air pump hose and a air stone put water in bucket incert airstone turn air on add duckweed...........can be outside if you have sunny days and can be done inside under a light...I have grown it with clf with t5's with sunlight and with pretty much any light source works...toss a 25 cent feeder goldish in and it will fertilize your duckweed will also eat the duckweed to survive off of.....

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Give em a Bone to chew on.... They will gnaw down their teeth and get a bit of calcium in the process.

when I worked in the pet shop we gave all our gnawing critters bones... from mice to rabbits and even guinea pigs.

deb

 

[DennisK]

They have 113 acres on which they graze. What they find in the field, represents their main diet; however, each morning I supplement their diet with a 14% protean mixture. It is that time I give them a quick check. When they first came out here, I had vets visit a number of times, but it seemed to me the purpose of those visits were mere contrivances. When they were stabled, we had all kinds of problems like colic, but now that they live like horses should live, nature seems to have its own health care program. Of course, nature imposes is own price. I use to have four horses, but Wiz was taken by a mountain lion. Death is very much apart of life which is something shared by all living things – joy and grief, life and death. All the vets in the world, nor all the doctors too will be able to change that.

 

[DennisK]

It is good to point out to people looking for homesteading advice the fact that animals need care, and that care comes with a price. It is also good to know the issues with having the mini's. Hoof care and trimming is so important to livestock, and it is a topic so many choose to ignore. And if you want to milk, your cow needs to be bred. How are you going to breed her and what are you going to do with the calf?
The "Grandpa never trimmed his Holsteins feet" is not a good answer. If Grandpas cow came up lame, he probably sent her off to slaughter. It was not mean, it was economics; I have seen too many of those "Grandpa's cows" with their hooves over-grown, turned up and rotten.
If you don't have a large animal vet in the area, how are you going to care for sick or injured livestock? A lot of people are coming onto BYC looking for advice on how to treat their sick chicken because the local vet won't work on birds.

@DennisK - how often do you check your horses to make sure they are healthy? do you ever check their feet? I am guessing, since you used to have them shod and trimmed, that you instinctively look at their feet when you are assessing their health.

Ops - forgot to quote:
They have 113 acres on which they graze. What they find in the field, represents their main diet; however, each morning I supplement their diet with a 14% protean mixture. It is that time I give them a quick check. When they first came out here, I had vets visit a number of times, but it seemed to me the purpose of those visits were mere contrivances. When they were stabled, we had all kinds of problems like colic, but now that they live like horses should live, nature seems to have its own health care program. Of course, nature imposes is own price. I use to have four horses, but Wiz was taken by a mountain lion. Death is very much apart of life which is something shared by all living things – joy and grief, life and death. All the vets in the world, nor all the doctors too will be able to change that.

 

[boxofpens]

Give em a Bone to chew on....  They will gnaw down their teeth and get a bit of calcium in the process.

when I worked in the pet shop we gave all our gnawing critters bones...  from mice to rabbits and even guinea pigs.

deb

What kind of bone? Beef? I have some pieces of wood in his pen and some branches for him to chew on, in addition to two types of hay, but I'm always worried they're not enough. Glad to hear about bone. I also have a mouse, so I'll give one to him too.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I gave them the round bones from round steak. But any kind of beef bone... Ever wonder why people rarely find animal bones in the forest... Squirrels rabbits mice and of course some of the meat eaters will chew on a bone. Everything gets used.

For the mice I would give em a chicken leg bone and see what they do with it.

deb