Plan B, whats it worth?

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Nice rifle.................love the statement.

It's a Marlin Glenfield 30A chambered in 30/30 Win. It was a gift from my dad.. Love it. Action's reliable...shoots really true, even just on iron sights. Nice enough to display, but tough and functional enough to take into the woods. Can't get much better than that.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I wish I could say

what a great idea, but in practice it is not.

Before you think about the animals you would have, try and find the land with a landlord who is willing to trade cash for $500.00 in meat/eggs every month. (using $500.00 as an example for rent on say 5 acres - who knows what it actually would be - my local would be different than yours).

What about fencing for the property, barns/housing for the animals, place to store feed, water availability, what about electric? Liability insurance? Then there are predators (animal and human).

If it was me....I would save the money I am thinking about spending on animals now, for when I could purchase my own property or rent a larger place.

 

[GBov]

Hijack away, I learn as much from side tracks as ever from teh beaten path

And waiting, well, have been waiting for 11 years now to be able to afford some useful land with a house on it and now that we have three kiddies, collage tuition calls for savings, rather than the land that hubby DOESNT want

he is happy enough with feed lot beef and battery chicken

Poor man, he just doesnt understand why I want to do this

and he looks upon land as more work, instead of a life changing gift.

*sigh*

But having reached my 40s, waiting for 10 or so more years just isnt the best plan, I have to come up with something workable NOW, now when the pennies are tightest instead of when the kids are grown and the budget is bigger.

One thing I have come up with to help with the not under my eye thing is a couple of web cams, if I can check on them by computer when we are home and with hubbies phone when we are out it helps with teh catching things when they are happening instead of the next day when I am there. That and kick backside fencing and housing. I know you cant plan for every bad thing happening but if you go slow and think it all out and put money into keeping the stock safe instead of replacing them over and over again, it SHOULD work out in your favor.

Oh, and the pig thing.........................my trapping friend pens his caught hogs till they calm down with him and get nice and fat. He hates killing a frightened animal so spends his time tameing them

I think its a bit silly myself but it makes him happier and gets some of them out of the wild so win win really

and they wind up with more meat on their bones so when he sells them on he gets a better price.

I was going to coppy his set up but with more room for my pigs, his are a bit cramped, to my eye at least.

Non of this is ideal but its the best I can come up with. Well, other than winning the lottery, that is

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:
My dream also!

 

[SarahFair]

I seen a place in Montana on 20 acres with a ..cabin.. for $99,999

 

[babymakes6]

I, also, just don't see how well this can work. Animals take money-for feed, shelter, fencing and the like. If you don't have your own land you will also be spending money to travel to/from where they are. You have mentioned already that money is tight.
How would this idea work instead-find a local farmer who would let you help with chores on their farm in exchange for meat, milk, and eggs?

 

[GBov]

Ah hunting, yes, its on the list of "Things to learn how to do!"

Did I mention 3 small kiddies and a daddy who wont mind them for the day while I go off and have some fun in the woods

I am getting some live traps for Christmas so I can trap squirrels in the back yard but unless we can do it as a group it aint getting done till all three are in school and even then, that free time is getting long hard looks with the idea of another pay packet coming in

On the good side, we are doing MUCH more fishing lately although it seems all I get to do is bait hooks and unhook fish and clean em and cook em but still, its a fun and tasty way to spend the day

Ah well, an impossible goal is better than no goal at all lol

Oh, edited to add, I LOVE processing the pigs I buy from the pig man, all he does for me is shoot it, all the rest is up to me

 

[Krysstyllanthrox]

I think the reality is that in this day and age, with retirement savings having gone *poof!* and in "this economy" (I seriously hate that phrase) that finding a landowner willing to rent for a non-guaranteed food source is impossible.

I know that if I were approached with this situation I would say heck no. As you cannot guarantee that the food you would supply would be constant each month. Sickness, predators, weather, etc. would all lead towards differing yields. I'd rather just have the constant money.

 

[Wifezilla]

I am 46. I have a tiny lot. I do what I can, and it is actually kind of fun trying to see how much I can grow and harvest on a lot that is only 7200 sq ft....2000 of which is covered by house, shed and garage.

If you think money is tight now, feeding critters, drive times, etc... will make it eve worse.

I think you might just need to shift your focus. If hubby doesn't want to move, you just need to turn your place in to a self sufficient paradise.

Covenants and local laws wont let you have chickens? Fine. You have the biggest, coolest garden you can grow. Dig a pond. Grow your own fish. Maybe raise bunnies. My grandma did that in a suburban part of Milwaukee. She also had fruit trees a raspberry patch, and a huge veggie garden.

On my little lot I have 2 huge grape vines, 3 fruit trees, several raised garden beds, a pond, 5 ducks and I am getting a quad of quail today (outside quail, not inside quail....but if my choice was inside quail or no quail....I would do button quail inside

). Next year the front yard is being converted to a pumpkin patch.

With three small kids, you DO NOT HAVE TIME to be also caring for critters miles away. I only have 1 left at home and he is full grown and I STILL don't have time...LOL

 

[GBov]

Quote:
True, but if its land lieing fallow, would the chance of something off of it be worth a chance of letting someone use it?

Case in point, the stable I get manure from has almost 2 rough acres, fenced but useless for mini horses.

Its too far from the house to be worthwhile trying there but if it wernt I'm sure something could be worked out. Pigs, chickens and goats wouldnt mind the roughness of the land one bit and the stable owner would love it if it were cleared and made useful. There is alot of land not being used for anything, many people having bought into 2 to 10 acre comunities who havnt any idea of how to use it or even want to use it for anything other than looking at but would like to save money and time by not having to mow it lol.

There is a growing movement for the "I have land but no time and I have time but no land" people. Its gaining momentum in England right now and starting to be seen here and there in cities here too now.

Having costed raising chickens (and done it too) of at or around 3 to 5 dollars butcher weight its just building housing to start that is cost prohibitive and even then, I have worked out a secure and mobile houseing system for less than $200.

Having a bit of tax back coming to us from buying a house I had planned to use my bit for this project. Goats cost $50 to $125 each and cows between $200 to $400 unless I get bottle babies and if I go that rout the goats can do double duty of providing their milk as well as ours. Piglets between $10 to $40. Setting aside the money for each kind plus housing (if its unavailable on site) would let me start slow and yet still let me get started. My little bit of tax back wont buy me any land and if its not hidden away in the form of animals and houseing and feed for them it will be sucked back into the running costs of family raising faster than I can blink. But doing it this way, I can get breeding stock and housing so the inital outlay should be off set by the savings each month of NOT having to buy meat or eggs or milk or in some cases, replacement animals.

I know its not an ideal situation but its the best I can come up with.

I am loving all your thoughts on the subject though