Re Post - Homesteading

[deChickyHen]

I posted this in Managing your flock as well, just hoping to find someone who can help with the planing!

I think I understand the homesteading process. This is what my plans are and maybe someone can help me out with this plan...
I just got my dual purpose egg layers a few weeks ago, got some meaties too.
I really dont want to do meaties again because they are tooo greedy and I had plenty of heavy birds with broken legs and dislocated hips..
So heres my plan, by february I should start getting eggs, If I can hatch 30 or more a month and slaughter every 24 weeks I should not have to buy chicken from the stores anymore.
I want to hatch 30 a month for 6 months and then about 30 every other month.
I have the land and the property, can afford to feed them, just wanting to know does anyone else do this process and how effective can this plan be.. or shouold I do some revisions?

 

[LilyD]

I am doing something similar but I am hatching out two large batches very close together. That way I can let them grow out for 24 weeks but any that are still really small then I can give more time and only process those that are large enough to eat. I have Delawares and will start hatching out in January each year so that once the weather starts warming up for the summer I can start processing the meaties and be done with them before the first snows fall. We live in New England and winters are pretty cold here so I want to be done playing outside before it gets here.

 

[triplepurpose]

Please don't be offended, but to be blunt, if you're really interested in homesteading, I'd consider reconsidering the amount of meat you eat.
Please don't take this the wrong way--I am not and never have been a vegetarian, nor to I generally advocate vegetarianism for anyone. However, producing meat on that scale is bound to be a lot of work, and have a huge impact on your farm's resources.
If you feel you need that much protein in your diet, dried beans or field peas, eggs, or dairy might be a much less intensive way to supplement. Back in the heyday of "homesteading," as it were, people simply didn't eat that much meat, because meat was expensive and took a lot of work and resources to produce. Just as people all around the world in less affluent countries still do. The idea of being able to eat chicken every day or nearly every day (or any other meat for that matter) comes from the modern system of factory farming, which as we all know has its own hidden costs to health and the environment.
I don't mean to discourage you from pursuing your plan, if you think you can make it work for situation. I just wanted to provide another perspective to consider...

Good luck!

 

[deChickyHen]

Quote:
oh no offense taken!

an thank you for the advice, but to be realistic , I have a very large family and we eat Meat Everyday! and not only will I be putting away for my family but I will also selling for the extra money, I have been to a few chicken swaps and believe me there is much money to be made. I Have acres that are being used for garden use, I have a room filled with preserves and canned veggies, 2 large freezers full of just veggies and fruit , that will prob last us till next season or longer. we have a small flock of sheep and are thinking about getting a few cows for dairy, next year we will be getting turkeys to do the same thing.

The idea is to get away from the store brought food and get into organic, I am not worried about the work because the outcome is well worth it. at least we know what we are eating and its soo much better to know that the pantry and freezers are always gonna something inside. especially with growing kids and hungry grown-ups

I kinda think that if done right the cost will take care of itself, when we plant, we plant for ourselves, to sell and extra for the animals. the chicks eat the food, then they give us compost to replant next year.. eggs and more chicks hopefully!... I'm not saying that it will be easy and prob some extra cost that I haven't thought of yet, but I am willing to try.

with the cost of gas goin up by the minute it way more cost effective to grow for self.

our meat intake is normal, our family basically only eat meats and lunch or dinner, either way, it's a bird / meat a day
not to mention that we throw parties / get togethers / holidays, all of which you need extras for, I would love to not have to go to the store for anything. To serve family and friends strait from the yard / ground.. would be well worth it

 

[MyBlackHen]

I have read that rabbits are the best animals to raise for meat because their food conversion ratio is very good. I am thinking about starting that next spring. Storey Publishing has a couple of good books about it if you are interested in researching it. It seems pretty straightforward - you get 1-2 does and one buck. The does do all the work in raising the babies until they are big enough to harvest. I forget how many litters per year they have ... 4-6 maybe? Just a thought for you to consider ...

Good luck!

 

[LilyD]

Quote:
oh no offence taken!

an thank you for the advice, but to be realistic , I have a very large family and we eat Meat Everyday! and not only will I be putting away for my family but I will also selling for the extra money, I have been to a few chicken swaps and believe me there is much money to be made. I Have acres that are being used for garden use, I have a room filled with preserves and canned veggies, 2 large freezers full of just veggies and fruit , that will prob last us till next season or longer. we have a small flock of sheep and are thinking about getting a few cows for dairy, next year we will be getting turkeys to do the same thing.

The idea is to get away from the store brought food and get into organic, I am not worried about the work because the outcome is well worth it. at least we know what we are eating and its soo much better to know that the pantry and freezers are always gonna something inside. especially with growing kids and hungry grown-ups

I kinda think that if done right the cost will take care of itself, when we plant, we plant for ourselves, to sell and extra for the animals. the chicks eat the food, then they give us compost to replant next year.. eggs and more chicks hopefully!... I'm not saying that it will be easy and prob some extra cost that I haven't thought of yet, but I am willing to try.

with the cost of gas goin up by the minute it way more cost effective to grow for self.

our meat intake is normal, our family basically only eat meats and lunch or dinner, either way, it's a bird / meat a day
not to mention that we throw parties / get togethers / holidays, all of which you need extras for, I would love to not have to go to the store for anything. To serve family and friends strait from the yard / ground.. would be well worth it

I totally agree with you. We eat a lot of meat here. We raise our own pigs, chickens, lambs, goats and would do beef but have not had any luck finding beef cows. For me it is less about cost and more about the fact that I have a son who has had a transplant and is immunosuppressed. It's scary for me to go to the store and buy food there because every other day they are recalling the things that are sold there be it veggie, fruit, or meat. I can't take a chance that he will get sick from something I buy in good faith that is not kept clean enough for him. So we grow and process our own meat, pasteurize our own milk to make cheese with and grow our own veggies and fruit. My goal is to try and make as much as possible at home so I don't have to use the store.

The trade off is that I am no longer paying such a huge grocery bill. Groceries used to cost me about 250 to 300 a month or more. Now I can get away with around 100 a month for the essentials I can't make. My chickens free range and eat very little feed because they stuff themselves on bugs and grasses so in the spring summer and fall my feed bill is very low. Same for the pigs who eat plants and produce from the gardens and the weeds and roots in the fields. The only goats that get fed grain are the babies and moms when they are milked, and the sheep eat cut grass from the mower, plants from the garden and pretty much anything that doesn't eat them first. Even with the feed cost and the toll on the land it's still worth it for the piece of mind that I get knowing I won't have to throw my food out during the next recall.

 

[deChickyHen]

Quote:
you know I have never eat'n rabbit, but hey I'm welling to try it... that sounds like great news, and if the family doesn't like it, it might be za good idea to raise for the animals / dogs, I worry about what they eat too, and there food is getting to be at crazy prices too!

 

[Beekissed]

Actually...my family DID homestead for several years without electricity and running water, lived off the land, etc. We ate some kind of meat most every day back then as well....canned deer meat was the huge staple, as we harvested several a year. We also raised, processed and canned our own chickens, ducks and turkeys.

I don't find it unrealistic to plan to have meat every day if that is what you build your meals around. Vegetables and fresh fruits were stored, if possible, and dried, if not, back in the days of homesteading, so meat was very much a staple to the diet, particularly during the winter months. Ate a lot of salted pork, dried "chipped beef", venison and the occasional stewing hen. They even harvested winter fattened bear meat, utilizing the fat to waterproof garments/shoes.

 

[MyBlackHen]

Quote:
That sounds wonderful! But hard work I know. How did you and your family like the lifestyle? They're not doing it anymore? Just curious. I've always thought that I would love to truly homestead but who knows if I would be able to cut it!

 

[deChickyHen]

Quote:
oh no offence taken!

an thank you for the advice, but to be realistic , I have a very large family and we eat Meat Everyday! and not only will I be putting away for my family but I will also selling for the extra money, I have been to a few chicken swaps and believe me there is much money to be made. I Have acres that are being used for garden use, I have a room filled with preserves and canned veggies, 2 large freezers full of just veggies and fruit , that will prob last us till next season or longer. we have a small flock of sheep and are thinking about getting a few cows for dairy, next year we will be getting turkeys to do the same thing.

The idea is to get away from the store brought food and get into organic, I am not worried about the work because the outcome is well worth it. at least we know what we are eating and its soo much better to know that the pantry and freezers are always gonna something inside. especially with growing kids and hungry grown-ups

I kinda think that if done right the cost will take care of itself, when we plant, we plant for ourselves, to sell and extra for the animals. the chicks eat the food, then they give us compost to replant next year.. eggs and more chicks hopefully!... I'm not saying that it will be easy and prob some extra cost that I haven't thought of yet, but I am willing to try.

with the cost of gas goin up by the minute it way more cost effective to grow for self.

our meat intake is normal, our family basically only eat meats and lunch or dinner, either way, it's a bird / meat a day
not to mention that we throw parties / get togethers / holidays, all of which you need extras for, I would love to not have to go to the store for anything. To serve family and friends strait from the yard / ground.. would be well worth it

I totally agree with you. We eat a lot of meat here. We raise our own pigs, chickens, lambs, goats and would do beef but have not had any luck finding beef cows. For me it is less about cost and more about the fact that I have a son who has had a transplant and is immunosuppressed. It's scary for me to go to the store and buy food there because every other day they are recalling the things that are sold there be it veggie, fruit, or meat. I can't take a chance that he will get sick from something I buy in good faith that is not kept clean enough for him. So we grow and process our own meat, pasteurize our own milk to make cheese with and grow our own veggies and fruit. My goal is to try and make as much as possible at home so I don't have to use the store.

The trade off is that I am no longer paying such a huge grocery bill. Groceries used to cost me about 250 to 300 a month or more. Now I can get away with around 100 a month for the essentials I can't make. My chickens free range and eat very little feed because they stuff themselves on bugs and grasses so in the spring summer and fall my feed bill is very low. Same for the pigs who eat plants and produce from the gardens and the weeds and roots in the fields. The only goats that get fed grain are the babies and moms when they are milked, and the sheep eat cut grass from the mower, plants from the garden and pretty much anything that doesn't eat them first. Even with the feed cost and the toll on the land it's still worth it for the piece of mind that I get knowing I won't have to throw my food out during the next recall.

I am sorry to hear about your son, I think it's great what you are doing for him and your family. And you are soo right it seems like everything is being recalled.. I just want to be self reliant.. and I know about the money thing... I could tell the difference in the money from the first month, we saved over 400$ the first month, it feels great to have extra in the bank as well.. I have also become addicted to coupon shopping and believe me, it is paying off, with the kids birthdays around the corner and not to mention the holidays being in the same month... I love the fact that I actuall have something extra to make them happy on these days, there where times when we were living check to check, and could not afford to do anything for them..

I have been stacking up on feed for the winter, so maybe that will cut some cost too. When we cut the grass, we bag it and give it too the animals, i'm hoping to have enough left over for the winter so that we don't have to buy any feed for a while. thanks for sharing !