Living off Social Security

[Pork Pie]

Id have to be able to get under the house... I am not being negative here but I am not in the best of shape...

sigh.

deb

Sheets are for getting under, not houses - j/s

 

[perchie.girl]

Sheets are for getting under, not houses - j/s

LOL Porky Porky Porky.... Been a long time... like thirty years...

 

[itsasmallfarm]

aquaponics with the tilapia? get both fish and veggies.

 

[perchie.girl]

OK here are my plans for the new Coop/poultry house....

I am assuming I will be in a wheel chair eventually... still walking but hard to get about without walker assistance... Dang Arthritis

deb

 

[Pork Pie]

I’m seeing a pen between the two guineas - Emu or Ostrich?

 

[perchie.girl]

I’m seeing a pen between the two guineas - Emu or Ostrich?

thats an Ell Shaped pen... Them suckers like to run.... they even run on the roosts. I experimented in old coop with hung roosts V shaped supports hung from the roof.... OMG the chases.... LOL Sadly the baling twine wasnt always the most reliable. So next time I am using Wire....

The ell part with nest boxes will have brush and deeper sand... HOpefully I can make it dark enough to create a nesting room for them.

we will see.

deb

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I just realized I will be 65 in June. In kind of backwards way I have been planning for this...

But I feel I need to do some formal planning...

First of all I am a single gal and am very used to doing things for myself. I bought eighteen acres of land in 2003. I bought it according to affordability and location. It is NOT farm land Nor is it Ranch land... its High desert. Though I could raise sheep and goats I would have to buy 100 percent of the feed.

My idea is to make everything dual purpose

Chickens Eggs, meat, feathers
Guinea fowl eggs, meat, keets, preserved pelts, predator alarms including people.
Muscovy Eggs, meat, ducklings
Turkey eggs, entertainment

Yep that's a lot of eggs but there is a market for blown and clean egg shells I can preserve the protein for me later either by freezing or drying.

I can get basic canned food by going to the food bank or using commodity's... two bags of groceries per month. Beans and rice too.

My greenhouse room would be an excellent spot to set up hydroponics for veggies.... Its about fifteen by 24 has a source for water drains and power for extra light if needed. I might even try tilapia but it gets too cold in winter.

There are some trees that grow very well.... mesquite I have and the seed pods can be ground for flour... Pomegranite.... Love it thrives in the desert. Both take minimal water.

Some Citrus can handle the very short winters... Lemon Lime Tangerine and some oranges.

anyway I am looking forward to others ideas and or solutions to living with little to no money.

deb

I haven't read this long thread, so if someone else has suggested this, forgive the repeat.

I know a gal who has done something similar in her "retirement." She raises fowl that have colorful feathers and is making a nice living selling the feathers to craft companies.

She uses a lot of feathers, so this isn't just walking around and picking up dropped feathers, so she breeds, raises, and butchers solely for the feathers.

She uses a lot of mille fleur Cochins, Cream Legbars, and turkeys (palm and several other showy breeds). She then also sells breeder eggs and started Cochins which make excellent brooding mothers. (She actually uses the Cochins to brood the turkey eggs.)

She is pretty self sustained, though I think she helps out at a feed store a few days a week, but her purpose is full retirement with this set up.

Just ideas.
LofMc

 

[perchie.girl]

I’m seeing a pen between the two guineas - Emu or Ostrich?

Though I am considering getting Richenowis Possibly a male for doing a cross breed.

I was speaking to a former Guinea Breeder and he said Richenouwis are quieter and larger and will cross breed with Helmeted. They also retain more of the original "traits" that we humans have been trying to breed out of Guineas...
it may take a while I been having spotty results on string searches.
deb

 

[ShouldabeenaVET]

Just my Opinion but letting you all know that wind power is NOTHING compared to solar. We started out with a huge (expensive) wind turbine and have went solar since. The turbine just quit and our sales man said "You wouldn't believe how many of those I have in my backyard!" grrrrrr The solar has by far out performed the wind.

 

[moniquem]

I am not a baker but probably will give bread making a go just for toast in the morning

Home made bread is great, not just for toast. You can make croutons, french toast with those eggs, bread pudding.....or you can trade it!