want to add more animals, need advice on self sufficiency!! #43

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Thanks Ema. I'll do my best to hold on to what I have. But if we have to move, I'm hoping I'll be ready with my miniature cross-breed chicken! Can't imagine having to buy grocery store eggs again! ugh!

 

[SillyChicken]

hope you're feeling better Ema.

We're kinda doing the same. We started out gardening and canning all our veggies. Next came chickens (we picked a dual purpose bird suited for our weather and willingness to brood, plus they're very tasty!!)
We have 10 Salmon Faverolles and about 20 chicks they produced in the fall. More than half are roosters and they'll be processed. The young hens will stay and I'll cull a couple non productive hens.
Next came rabbits. We purchased New Zeeland and Californians off craigslist (great place to look for supplies and animals cheap!). We have 10 breeding rabbits and 9 kits born Jan 2nd. We just processed 6 bunnies that came with the other rabbits. Rabbits are a great readily renewing meat supply, we figure we'd have to sell 4 rabbits a month to pay for their own food. Plus their poops can go straight to the garden, other critter poops need to age a little. To process, we use a board with a slat cut in it, attached to rafters in the garage and with a quick tug, the rabbit is done, with little stress. The first couple can be disturbing because their nerves and muscles go a bit haywire, but they are defiantly dead.
We're considering pigs next.... but I'd like to get a dairy animal of sorts. Goat or Yak or small jersey cow.
With that 50 acres you should consider taking up some hunting. Here in the states I can get a couple deer and other critters to fill the freezer pretty cheap. We can all our meat and veggies so there is no cost to store on a shelf.

I think some costs for raising animals can be offset with raising your own veggies too, this way you don't spend the money there... it helps to even it out.

Also for chickens, in Canada, your winters will put a kabosh on your hens laying the same number of eggs every day. I have 8 hens, and only get 2-4 eggs a day during winter. Granted I don't leave a light on for them, but that's also more money. You could put a solar panel up to power lights for the coop, but they're not cheap either or I'd have them! LOL!

 

[Ema]

well it looks like I will have to be selfish, if and when I get animals they will have to be strictly for my household consumption, I figured I could sell some off the pork or rabbits if I had too many or what ever and I did some research today and I got kind of scared by an article I just came across on a website sent to me by a friend. She lives near Ottawa Ontario and we were just chatting about farming and how I wanted to get pigs. I mentioned that a friend wanted to purchase a pig when it was time to process and she quickly replied that It might be a good idea to check out this site and read about something that occurred to a hobby farmer and sent me this link:

http://www.ontariolandowners.ca/index.php?news&nid=57

I guess this only happened a couple months ago in November, it really makes you think. If I wanted to sell I would have to have all my animals inspected and sent to an Abattoir, which means more out of pocket money. this man only gave his friend some pork, my guess would be someone ratted him out. He is in for one heck of a battle but I will be following it closely and see where this leads.

However my egg sales are safe, as I also checked out my government website on small farms and all rules are meant for commercial eggs, it says small farms where the owner/producer sells right off the farm to the consumer are exempt) :-D

I am still doing research, just to cover my butt, I am happy I did because there is no way I could deal what this guy is going through. But it does say he had the chance to settle it for a 1000 dollar fine, but its the principle that they are going after small hobby farms where no crime was committed in my opinion.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I've been thinking, and if we could keep our black australorps (1 roo, 4 pullets) producing, and IF I couldn't tell them apart, then any babies they have, we could cul the boys for freezer camp (as long as I don't have to do it) and use the girls as freezer camp girls or sell to others.

We love bacon and ham but I can't imagine raising pigs for that. The lady behind us has pigs so I'm thinking about bartering with her. I also love beef, but we have only 2 acres so I'll have to continue to buy or find a way to barter (same neighbor behind us just got 2 calves this fall).

But we're mostly vegetarians (the kid and I) so we could make do with what I posted the other day: goat milk, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. And veggies and fruit! And amaranth and millet (which we grew last year) and corn (which I plan to grow again).

With only 2 acres, I'm working hard to find a plan to be self-sufficient / self-reliant. This economy is really rough!