BarredBuff's Homesteading Shenanigans

[Blackbird]

Hi James!!! How are you doing?
What kind of goats are you going to get?!

Arin, I've read that sometimes they will roll onto their back, freak out, start thrashing and snap their back. Same with if you're holding them and they start to get away. Catching them mid-air, or grabbing a leg, etc. Better to let them drop. Ask me how I know. Lol.

 

[BarredBuff]

BB, I tried to PM you but your box is full.

Its clean!!!

Im doing great Blackbird! Planning on getting Nubians mainly because of availability...........Im ready for Homemade Ice Cream!

 

[Blackbird]

Whoooo!!! Go Nubians! My favorite!

How many? Have you anything lined up yet? I'm sure I could hook you up with a few goat websites if need be... And remember.. Ask about testing!

 

[BarredBuff]

Whoooo!!! Go Nubians! My favorite!

How many? Have you anything lined up yet? I'm sure I could hook you up with a few goat websites if need be... And remember.. Ask about testing!

2 for now. Nothing yet we have to get shelter built first. I will my dad is going to help us he is very experienced in veterinary stuff.

 

[BarredBuff]

Wow long time since a homestead update! I have been gone to Indianapolis all week and havent been home. But I have ducks rehomed. Im just left with the original pair, which I plan to get rid of. Tomorrow the girls will be locked up hopefully to reveal to them where they should lay eggs. 5 eggs out of 30 hens, NOT ACCEPTABLE. The rabbits have been bred for almost 3 weeks which reminds me I need to get the new one a nest built soon!

 

[savingdogs]

Hi James!!! How are you doing?
What kind of goats are you going to get?!

Arin, I've read that sometimes they will roll onto their back, freak out, start thrashing and snap their back. Same with if you're holding them and they start to get away. Catching them mid-air, or grabbing a leg, etc. Better to let them drop. Ask me how I know. Lol.

We had not been handling him....I do know about them breaking their backs from incorrectly handling them from my veterinary days, but we had not moved him????? There were other times when we probably didn't handle them the greatest (learning curve here) but no one had been messing with him at all so we didn't really understand. I gave him one last chance to try to mate with my doe, aren't I terrible, but he couldn't. He was paralyzed, so Hubby shot him. I should have saved the hide or cooked the meat, but I liked him too much and he wasn't young. So we gave him a grave.

 

[BarredBuff]

My Evolution as a Homesteader

My journey as a kid homesteader begins in the summer of 2008. I had never wanted to help in the garden or help can or nothing I like that. I hated farming because of an earlier episode with beef cows. We had 400 head at one time at my Dads place and he wasnt pleasant during the work on the farm. So I told myself that I would NEVER own any animal that had to be cared for or anything. But that year in 2008 I helped can and garden all summer, I even took an inventory of it. Then all through the Fall of 2008 mom talked about getting honeybees so we could have honey here at the homestead but also so we could maybe make a profit with them. I was all over it, I even have my own bee suit too. SO I could be apart of the bee farming. She was also talking about starting us a flock of chickens for eggs. She said we would never raise meat birds because she didn think she could eat them and I didnt think I could kill them. She asked me which I thought we should get first and I said Honeybees because we had to get them that spring or wait another year. So we put the chicken flock on the back burner. So In April 2009 we got our first hive of bees for free, there was some sort of ordering malfunction. We ended up with a free hive from the extension office. We knew we wouldnt supposed ot get honey until the following year. So we now had our first "livestock". Then we continued talking about the chicken flock. Then in July 2009 we built our first coop and bought 11 RHode Island Red Pullets and a Cockerel. I LOVED these chickens, originally me and my sister were supposed to feed and water then get eggs. But I got the choring from my sister and did it myself. I fed them and watered them for monthes waiting on those eggs. Then we had an outbreak of coccidiosis and lost all but 3 hens and the rooster whom still hadnt laid yet. So that October we bought 16 Barred Rocks and they laid eggs for us for the next year. Then in Spring 2010 we ordered 35 Dominique Pullets and Roosters, they became the foundation of the flock I have currently. We sold half of them. During this time we also got a pet rabbit from TSC and then had a hutch built with 2 new rabbits, one of which is the matriarch of my meat rabbit herd today. Then for the first time in September 2010 I butchered a rooster and he gave me the idea for meaties to raise the follwoing Spring. Then at the end of September we accquired 4 Muscovy Ducklings. I bought these with the intention to start a flock for eggs and meat. Oh how many ducks those four made. The four ended up being a male and three females. I kept all four. So I took care of my new ducks and started investigating a breed of chickens which I thought was better suited for Homestead life, the Buff Orpington. In February 2011 I acquired a broody buff and eggs. She hatched and raised them. I now a have young, HUGE buff pullet and HUGE cockerel for my flock, I also acquired more buffs along the way. During this time I was thinking we need a Milk source on our homestead, and it seemed like everyone on this forum so I was like mom lets get dairy goats and she was like NO. So I still had the notion we should have Homestead milk. I began to pop it up at intervals during the year then this summer after we had harvested my first 6 meaties she said okay lets try some goats. Also during this time we/I began working on an extensive food pantry, and it is underway now. Then after carefully researching the goat idea, it has became apparent goats are not for us a cow is better suited. So we now will be getting a milk cow in the Spring. I have pregnant rabbits whose babies will be used as meat, then I have meat chickens in the coop to be harvested.

I personally think its amazing how I have went from a Hobhy Homestead with pet chickens and a little garden to a Hard Core Homesteader with a large flock of laying hens, a pair of ducks, meat rabbits, meat chickens, survival pantry, a large garden, and the fact we will have a milk cow next year.

Oh how time and the environment changes a person/group of peoples.

So now who/what do I give my inspiration for such a set of tasks? I would say the Economic Crash of 2008, I was/am perceptive young'un I know when things are going to get bad. Plus this forum who has given me idea after idea to living a more self reliant life....

 

[bambi]

I personally think its amazing how I have went from a Hobhy Homestead with pet chickens and a little garden to a Hard Core Homesteader with a large flock of laying hens, a pair of ducks, meat rabbits, meat chickens, survival pantry, a large garden, and the fact we will have a milk cow next year



How exciting!!!!........... are you going to get a Jersey?

 

[bambi]

OOps my box didn't surround your quote sorry

 

[Woodland Woman]

You are years ahead of other youngin's!