Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Stumpy]

I just wanted to mention something about honey sales. Be sure to check your local market and demand for it. In my area, it doesn't sell well.

 

[mickey328]

Excellent point, Stumpy...before planning on raising/producing anything for sale, you need to check your market first.

 

[annabananaandfamily]

I like the idea of planting some fruit trees. I know there are a couple of apple trees already on the property and the home and property have both been wonderfully maintained. The owner definitely loved it. Also looking forward to adding a couple of guineas in the spring (have I said that already? I am really excited about that). I dont think we will have too much time this fall to focus outside, but I will be doing everything I can to get the chickens ready for winter, garden prep for the spring and will check out the fencing (at first glance it all seems to be in pretty good shape). Not really keen on the idea of keeping bees. I'm not big on honey and there doesnt seem to be much of a market for it. But sheep sound like something I need to look into a little more...

 

[ScottnLydia]

i disagree with the advice on the pigs. i tried it a few years ago. i bought 2 babies raised them none produced babies that lived. bought 4 more that grew up and started having babies like crazy. i hd 24 little piggys, yay !!! i thought. then i got laid off work and started doing the math on how much i was spending on feed,meds,etc... so i decided to take some to the market to keep the dream alive. well i left the aution yard soo ****** off i couldn' see straight. i didn't get s**t. so i liquidated that venture A.S.A.P. i still wish i had the $ 9 k. i took in the shorts over that ordeal. but hey, life goes on. don't get me wrong, i love piggys, they are right up there with puppy dogs and chickies but when i do it agian we are going to buy it at weened, raise it on food we grew for a few weeks and butcher it our self.

Excellent advice! Go into everything with caution! The last time I raised pigs I had a bountiful supply of free food for them. Lydia has been after me to get some more but I have been hesitant since I no longer have that supply, and I can't afford to buy feed.

What I was trying to express was my feelings towards sustainability. Our chickens not only produce eggs, they produce our meat birds when we need them, as well as their replacements when the time comes. Our turkeys produce a crop of turkeys each year. Our sheep give us, on average, a %600 return every 2 years with an average of twins born three times in 2 years. In our area, at least, weener pigs sell very quickly indeed for $75 to $95. I only wish the market for lambs was as steady! But like Mickey said, research you OWN market.

Absolutely the best way to lose money is to take livestock to the auction! It's fast, true, and in your situation you did what you had to do. When you are not in so much of a hurry, though, Craigslist ads work very well. Again, at least they do around here.

I can't help but feel a little sorry for Annabanana, she asked for some suggestions, BOY is she getting suggestions!

~S

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Excellent advice! Go into everything with caution! The last time I raised pigs I had a bountiful supply of free food for them. Lydia has been after me to get some more but I have been hesitant since I no longer have that supply, and I can't afford to buy feed.

What I was trying to express was my feelings towards sustainability. Our chickens not only produce eggs, they produce our meat birds when we need them, as well as their replacements when the time comes. Our turkeys produce a crop of turkeys each year. Our sheep give us, on average, a %600 return every 2 years with an average of twins born three times in 2 years. In our area, at least, weener pigs sell very quickly indeed for $75 to $95. I only wish the market for lambs was as steady! But like Mickey said, research you OWN market.

Absolutely the best way to lose money is to take livestock to the auction! It's fast, true, and in your situation you did what you had to do. When you are not in so much of a hurry, though, Craigslist ads work very well. Again, at least they do around here.

I can't help but feel a little sorry for Annabanana, she asked for some suggestions, BOY is she getting suggestions!

~S

Hehehe, I like reading everyones suggestions, gets the wheels turning in my head. Nice to see what others would want to do, and then see what it inspires in me! Now I will open the doors to even more!

Thoughts on Alpacas? There is a pretty decent market for their fibers in my area, and a great farm that stays in touch and works with new owners, so it seems like a decent idea...

 

[ScottnLydia]

Hehehe, I like reading everyones suggestions, gets the wheels turning in my head. Nice to see what others would want to do, and then see what it inspires in me! Now I will open the doors to even more!

Thoughts on Alpacas? There is a pretty decent market for their fibers in my area, and a great farm that stays in touch and works with new owners, so it seems like a decent idea...

Now that's what I call thinking outside the box! Yeah, both alpacys and llamys are great! They CAN be sweeties (sometimes not) and as you found out, the fiber is quite marketable. Llamas aren't quite as valuable as alpaca, but still up there. The only thing I know about alpacas is that they aren't any good against predators like llamas. At least that is what a lady that raises them told me. She keeps a llama with her alpacas to guard them.

You can get into breeding and selling crias, or just expanding your flock. Just use caution with financing a large number of starter animals. Start small, then breed a bigger flock (bunch? Conglomeration? Thing?) Alpacas come in a wide variety of prices as well as colors so shop around. In my local craigslist today there are people that are practically giving their alpacas away because they can't afford the hay, along with horses and llamas. Some are deals, some aren't worth your time. Point is, ...well you know, just another old guy saying, "Be careful! Them durn ol' city slickers!"

~S

 

[Peep_Show]

What I can’t understand is that lately, I have noticed the hair on the top of my head has gone thin, and it has reappeared coming out of my ears! What’s with that!?!

And with women the hair vacates the eyebrows and migrates to the chin. Wonky hormones.....

 

[ScottnLydia]

And with women the hair vacates the eyebrows and migrates to the chin. Wonky hormones.....

No, it's gravity! Quick, get the pliers and PULL!!! (pull the eyebrows and the chin hairs will pull back in) Ask Dennis, HE says it really works!

 

[mickey328]

Yeah, I made the mistake of pulling a whisker and one of my eyebrows just clean disappeared!

We visited an alpaca ranch a while back and had a really good talk with the owners. They're generally much better tempered than llamas, although if they're breeding, all bets are off. Of course, that pretty much goes for all critters. A proven breeding pair can go for a pretty penny, depending on their fiber, but it sells well around here too. She said the cost of feeding them wasn't really bad; they don't eat that much if its good quality. They feed flake alfalfa and the alpacas also graze. They're quite hardy but Scott's right...they're prey. The lady at the ranch had a Great Pyrenees who lived with the herd as well as a couple of llamas as guardians.

I was amazed at how clean they are! After petting on one while we talked, I noticed that my hand didn't feel greasy or gritty like it usually does after petting livestock. There was also no odor. I asked if they'd been bathed recently and she said no...it was just naturally that way. They also use one part of their pasture as a latrine...they all go in one area so clean up is easy and I also noted that there wasn't the odor I'd expect...at least in our arid climate, it seems to dry up pretty quickly and dry poo doesn't have nearly the odor the wet stuff does.

If I were to go that route, I'd probably start with one female and pay a stud fee for breeding her. They breed right after birthing so can produce every year if you want. The fleece goes for a decent price, but you have to get it OFF the animal...it's a time and learning commitment if you want to do it yourself, and an expense if you pay to have it done. If you start that small, you can see how it goes for you and decide if you want to really make the investment or not. One thing that appealed to me was that you don't have to kill the animal to harvest...all you take is the fiber, which in summer, actually makes the animal more comfortable. What I should have asked and didn't was how long they live and what, if anything, you can do with them when they stop producing.

Unfortunately, it's a moot point for us...no room for 'em in our back yard, LOL. But it's definitely on the list to look at if we ever manage to get ourselves some acreage.

 

[ScottnLydia]

I shaved Moofy myself this spring. He was coming out of anesthesia from getting castrated, so that helped. But it can be done. The technique is not hard, the rest is just style and confidence. I've been cutting my dog for years and this was easier, except for the weight of the clippers. Like Mickey says, it's a renewable resource that needs shearing every spring anyway so that they don't overheat come summer.

It's true, they don't smell, and neither does their poo. They are quite tidy with their bathroom habits and only use 1 spot so collecting the 'beans' for composting is easy. They don't burn plants so they can be used directly in the garden. Some people around here even bag and sell it for fertilizer.

It's also true that they don't eat much. Heck, when they're shaved they look like a stick drawing with a lollipop head!

My understanding is that their life span is somewheres around 12 to 15 years, give or take. After the inevitable, I don't know what you would do with them. I know that there is a wolf sanctuary near me that will come and get downers. I don't know of any market for tanned hides, and they are pricey to do. But still, it's good to consider.

~S

P.S. Mickey, you guys could get a 'house trained alpacy' if you really want one. Just keep him in the kitchen at night and let him out in the back yard during the day. Easy-Peasy!