Post by cottonginwaste on Dec 5, 2014 20:55:09 GMT -6
We are trying to reduce our reliance on corporately produced food stuffs and personal items. We raise rabbits, guinea fowl, and chickens with some confidence now, but are totally open to discussion and debate.
We have also raised pigs and goats, will be raising more, and want to exchange info re this (ex: goat fencing - OMG).
We currently have 2 small cows, and want to discuss pasturing, healthcare, handling, breeding, milking, etc.
We have paid deposits for beehives, to be delivered in the spring 2015. We would like info how to minimize beginner errors, also health issues re bees, as well as crop-specific concerns..
I have medium length hair, and have gone ~one month "no-poo"; I want to talk with folks who are successfully using natural methods for shampoo, conditioner.
We want to live off the grid, before "TSHTF", and want to discuss how - without discussing why -
cottonginwaste, Now a days, seems like everything is loaded with chemicals, whether it be food/drinks/shampoos/ the air we breath etc. etc.
It does make one wish they could move to the country and start a small 'farm-like' lifestyle Your own animals raised by you, chemical free...wow, that is independence at it's finest!!
My problem would be getting to attached to said animals and be saddened to kill them... :'( Then the guilt would start as I was eating them. LOL
I'm sorry that I can't discuss the "How" as I have no knowledge or experience outside of Army survival courses. I'm also willing to stay away from the "Why," since you've made a decision and I have no reason (or right) to question it.
What I wonder is how many people can do this? I am, as you know, an old fart. I have minimal land and resources. Many are scraping by in apartments. Is your kind of "sustainability" limited to a relative few?
Post by cottonginwaste on Dec 5, 2014 21:55:22 GMT -6
There's a 'Transition Handbook,From oil dependency to local resilience' - gaining popularity in Europe. Obviously less so in America; purpose is for local self-sufficiency.
There's a 'Transition Handbook,From oil dependency to local resilience' - gaining popularity in Europe. Obviously less so in America; purpose is for local self-sufficiency.
For anyone interested,
"We live in an oil-dependent world, arriving at this level of dependency in a very short space of time by treating petroleum as if it were in infinite supply. Most of us avoid thinking about what happens when oil runs out (or becomes prohibitively expensive), but The Transition Handbook shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive outcome. These changes can lead to the rebirth of local communities that will grow more of their own food, generate their own power, and build their own houses using local materials. They can also encourage the development of local currencies to keep money in the local area."
Hi, Great thread, and I would like to toss this out to you, Now you can grow this plant in or out doors and it takes Very Little Water.
What you want is this,, That's right; the spiky, green gem has a rich history of various cultures and personalities who used the plant's moist middle in a plethora of practical uses. Like Cleopatra who applied the gel to her body as part of her beauty regimen, the ancient Greeks who used it to cure everything from baldness to insomnia to the Native Americans who called aloe vera the "Wand of the Heaven."
Pamper yourself to a soothing body rub. Slice aloe leaves lengthwise and use the inner sides as a biodegradable body scrub in the shower.
Treat burns from minor mishaps in the kitchen from grease splatters or hot utensils. For more major kitchen mishaps like a scald, mix some aloe gel and vitamin E oil into a little jar for a homemade burn healer. Banish black and blue bruises by swapping on the good goo. Soothe and heal sunburns the feel-good way. Aloe contains cooling properties similar to menthol. Take the sting or itch out of insect bites. Reduce tissue damage from frostbite. Alleviate mysterious rashes.
Help heal herpes outbreaks. Fight Athlete's Foot. Swab over blisters for quick relief. Use as an antidote to allergic skin reactions. Replace creams and lotions as a general moisturizer for dry skin. Aloe is fast absorbing! Prevent pesky pimples and treat acne. Soothe Psoriasis. Prevent scarring and stretch marks. Help rid of Rosacea. Shrink warts.
Treat minor vaginal irritations. Drink aloe vera juice to relieve gastrointestinal disorders like indigestion.
Sip it to aid in elimination. Many times, it's recommended for its laxative effects. Take a swig to reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome including bloating and discomfort.
Take aloe orally to relieve heartburn, arthritis and rheumatism pain. Boil leaves in a pan of water and breathe in the vapor to alleviate asthma.
Drink to lower blood sugar levels especially for diabetics. Strengthen gums and promote strong, healthy teeth by taking orally or use toothpaste with aloe vera ingredients.
Drink to help ease congestion, stomach ulcers, colitis, hemorrhoids, urinary tract infections and prostate problems.
Take orally to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides for a healthy heart.
We are trying to reduce our reliance on corporately produced food stuffs and personal items. We raise rabbits, guinea fowl, and chickens with some confidence now, but are totally open to discussion and debate.
We have also raised pigs and goats, will be raising more, and want to exchange info re this (ex: goat fencing - OMG).
We currently have 2 small cows, and want to discuss pasturing, healthcare, handling, breeding, milking, etc.
We have paid deposits for beehives, to be delivered in the spring 2015. We would like info how to minimize beginner errors, also health issues re bees, as well as crop-specific concerns..
I have medium length hair, and have gone ~one month "no-poo"; I want to talk with folks who are successfully using natural methods for shampoo, conditioner.
We want to live off the grid, before "TSHTF", and want to discuss how - without discussing why -
I used to raise cows and chickens, so I can help answer answer or address any specific problems you may be having in either of those categories.
For cows though, I do recommend electric fence. We had regular fencing, and then ran two wires of electric immediately above the regular barbed wire fencing.. it worked wonders. Once we put the electric in we didn't have to chase cows back home from all over the countryside.. lol
Prior to the electric fencing, the cows were getting out somewhere around 3 maybe 4 times a year. After the electric fencing was put in, only once, and she was terribly spooked so she ran, and didn't care. And that was once overall, not once a year. But once for many years...
Its a better idea, and you can power it either by plugging it in if you run cows near enough to your house, or you can run it straight to a battery pack..
Also, cows, you want to grain them every morning, your not feeding them perse, but you are keeping them close to you, looking to you for a treat, which makes them easier to handle when you need to. I grained mine every morning, and they were like great big huge dogs.. lol. Followed me around like puppies they did!
That closeness - while for some makes it harder to kill them for meat - does make it sooo much easier when you need to give one a shot, or one needs help with a birthing ect.
Something we did, which if you looking at cows you may want to consider, is that we NEVER kept our own bull, we only kept the cows, and used the neighbors bull once a year to impregnate them. Bulls are hard to handle period, and having all your cows calving at the same time, is better. That way your not having a calf born in the dead of winter, and taking the chance it wont survive.
Its basic family planning, that is very helpful. If you do keep your own bull, I do recommend that you keep it separate from the cows until its time to impregnate them, it WILL make life easier for you. Nothing worse than having to keep a calf in your barn and worry about keeping the barn heated ect and making constant trips checking on them in the dead of winter when you don't have to!
PS. You can also artificially inseminate. But I'm not sure what that costs these days..I know pure bred semen costs more.. so it partially depends on what stock your using.. I prefer mutts myself. :)
Chickens, I free ranged mine, but I kept their wings clipped frequently. Now.. when most say free range they mean they allow them loose in a larger pen. I never did that.. mine free ranged over the whole acreage just like the cows did.
You loose more chickens that way.. some years more than others, so how you decide to range them is going to be up to you.. but the meat tastes soooo much better. But it comes back to a slight wild taste, nothing at all like chickens you buy in the store. So the flavor for me makes it a winner, plus you have to buy less grain to feed them that way..
But when you free range like that, you keep the coop lit, and you feed them every evening and morning, and keep fresh water in the coop, and they will always always come home, so long as their wings are clipped.
And by the way, clipping wings is more than once.. its not a one time and your done thing, they do grow back so you have to keep an eye on it and clip as needed.
cottonginwaste, The foxfire collection of books can't be beat for off grid living. Everything from cabin making to blackpowder and rifle making, with everything in between from soap to skinning. It's an older writing of interviews from the people of the Appalachian mountains and priceless information. If you could sit down and talk to your great great grand mother and father about how they lived and how they did things these would be the books.
I can't speak to the list of animals you have listed other than horses, those little critters I know a little about. Learn everything you can about their anatomy vets are expensive. Learn how to trim their hooves it helps in knowing whats going on with your own animals. Remember if you put in a bale of hay you get out almost a bale of hay. Depending on how many you have and the other animals waste is a major consideration. I wouldn't have my living area even close to the animal area, flies and smells get old after a while. Clean the waste up yourself or be involved walking the pens, looking at their scat call tell you how they are doing. One of the fastest things to kill a horse is impacted colic and very very common. Try to feed as little alfalfa as possible it is a diuretic and if the food dries and becomes impacted there is no time to mess around. Of course always have plenty of fresh water, a horse can easily drink 15 gallons of water on a hot day. This should be taken into consideration for all your animals and fresh water requirements.
If you have the property and are in an area with enough rain start growing grass to be eaten by the animals, it saves money lets them play and eat when the want, instead of when we want them to. Horses are grazing animals eat, walk, eat, walk, etc. feeding them twice a day is another potential colic problem. Check with some of the Midwest Colleges on the amount of land required for animals and natural grazing.
Of course these are only the basics for horses and if you have questions let me know I will help anyway I can.
Looking forward to being out of this apartment in 5 months. I have plans, big and small. I haven't lived in an a apartment in 20 years.Looking forward to a piece of land and a shack.
Post by cottonginwaste on Dec 7, 2014 20:04:49 GMT -6
Guohua: Thanks for the info on aloe; it's definitely on my plant list, esp once I have the herb garden growing. I knew it for a skin care/burn treatment, wasn't aware about much of the rest.
Post by cottonginwaste on Dec 7, 2014 20:07:12 GMT -6
We're pretty good with chickens, been raising them for several years; breed for egg color plus have several Heritage breeds, also use broodies instead of incubators. Crowing at 3:30 am sux, but . . .
Cows, now. They're BIG (even tho we have a Zebu, naturally small). And unless we get a Zebu bull, we're gonna have to take our girl for a date. Loading in the trailor, handling her - she was grown when we got her and lets us pet her but . . .
Used electric fencing with the goats, incl solar charged battery. Agree its a needed addition to the woven wire fencing; haven't completed it yet.
No horses in the forseeable future; I don't ride anymore and don't see a function for one. Manual plowing is not in the plans -
Last Edit: Dec 7, 2014 20:21:13 GMT -6 by cottonginwaste
Post by cottonginwaste on Dec 7, 2014 20:26:01 GMT -6
We have the Foxfire books, and quite a few more. I think its "Backwood's Man" magazine? Like 30 yrs worth for a couple hundred bucks - gotta have a place for this stuff, though. And Mother Earth News is useless - although there was a fantastic article recently comparing GM vs traditional crops, comparing root systems , durability, and water needs. Awesome and unexpected.