dacjohns
Our Frustrated Curmudgeon
If you share your successes and failures in self reliance we can also learn from what you do.
One step at a time to become self suffient....what's next?
- Thread starter chicken stalker
- Start date
tamlynn
Lovin' The Homestead
I haven't read all the pages, so not sure if someone mentioned this. I feel it is very important to be able to take care of your animals -and obviously your family- in an emergency. I would look into some type of water storage in case your current water source becomes contaminated or disrupted for some reason.chicken stalker said:
PunkinPeep
Humble Ambitions
That brings something to mind for me. On BYC, i've learned TONS about medical emergency care for my chickens. Does anyone know of an online resource for emergency medical care for cats and dogs? I know vets are the professionals, blah blah blah, but vet care is not always necessary if we just have a little knowledge. For example, i recently learned that if my cat or dog is bitten by a snake, the vet will merely give him benadryl. Well, i don't need to bother with the vet if i know that, right? I can know it was a snake bite, and i can get the benadryl in my animal a lot faster if i know what to do as soon as the emergency arises.tamlynn said:
Anyone know of a site where i can find lots of tips like that for my dog and cat?
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I've used a couple of these in the past:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/consultant/consult.asp
http://www.drlarrypetvet.com/
http://www.askvetadvice.com/
Often, if you do a search on these sites, someone has already had that problem and you can find the answer to what they advised to do about it.
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/consultant/consult.asp
http://www.drlarrypetvet.com/
http://www.askvetadvice.com/
Often, if you do a search on these sites, someone has already had that problem and you can find the answer to what they advised to do about it.
PunkinPeep
Humble Ambitions
thanks! i'll check those out.Beekissed said:
Iceblink
Maa Maa Mama
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For me one of the big hurdles to SS living is learning to like what I can make/grow/buy locally, before I give up the 'worldly' alternatives.
I buy most of my milk from a semi-local farm. They have 7 grass fed Jersey cows. Fresh, grass fed, raw milk TASTES DIFFERENT! and not always in a good way. I grew up only drinking store bought milk, now I can actually taste the grass, or the different forrages in the milk and I am still getting used to it. I tell myself how much better it is for me, but I still buy a limited amount of store milk for tea and such where I just can't get over the stronger flavor. I'm working on changing my tastes before I get a cow. Or goats.
I am also getting aquainted with a lot more veggies and fruits that I could grow but haven't yet. Like beets and kohlrabi. Grilled beets are good on salads, and maybe if I learn to like them enough, I will be alright with giving up olives on salads.
This summer I tried crabapples and discovered I love them. I am finding ways to substitute crabapple juice for lemon juice in some things. Both provide tartness, but one is local, one is not.
And last but not least, I have prepared myself to spend more, at least at first, on SS living. Everyone here talks about saving bunches of money, but to be honest, my spending has only increased. There is no way I can raise chickens for less than I spend on eggs, unless I already had a coop, and grew their food myself. The cost of a coop and at least some bought grains and minerals is more than even local, organic, pasture raised eggs. Eventually the cost will be amortized though. I hope.
The cost of all the canning jars I have bought this year make my veggies and jams and pickles far more expensive than comperable store bought ones. Next year they will be cheaper though, because I won't have to buy jars again. I guess I look at my SS endeavors as a somewhat expensive hobby that will pay off in the long run.
I buy most of my milk from a semi-local farm. They have 7 grass fed Jersey cows. Fresh, grass fed, raw milk TASTES DIFFERENT! and not always in a good way. I grew up only drinking store bought milk, now I can actually taste the grass, or the different forrages in the milk and I am still getting used to it. I tell myself how much better it is for me, but I still buy a limited amount of store milk for tea and such where I just can't get over the stronger flavor. I'm working on changing my tastes before I get a cow. Or goats.
I am also getting aquainted with a lot more veggies and fruits that I could grow but haven't yet. Like beets and kohlrabi. Grilled beets are good on salads, and maybe if I learn to like them enough, I will be alright with giving up olives on salads.
This summer I tried crabapples and discovered I love them. I am finding ways to substitute crabapple juice for lemon juice in some things. Both provide tartness, but one is local, one is not.
And last but not least, I have prepared myself to spend more, at least at first, on SS living. Everyone here talks about saving bunches of money, but to be honest, my spending has only increased. There is no way I can raise chickens for less than I spend on eggs, unless I already had a coop, and grew their food myself. The cost of a coop and at least some bought grains and minerals is more than even local, organic, pasture raised eggs. Eventually the cost will be amortized though. I hope.
The cost of all the canning jars I have bought this year make my veggies and jams and pickles far more expensive than comperable store bought ones. Next year they will be cheaper though, because I won't have to buy jars again. I guess I look at my SS endeavors as a somewhat expensive hobby that will pay off in the long run.
freemotion
Food Guru
Yep, you do have to spend a bit at first in order to save. Sometimes the savings are not based on what you would pay in the store....For example, eggs. You cannot even find the kind of eggs I produce here in any store. But if I bought the most premium eggs, they are around $3 per dozen. I didn't, couldn't afford to. But....
If I have just enough hens laying to provide just my household with eggs, they are the more expensive eggs. If I can sell just a dozen or two a week at $3 per dozen, now the hens are covering all their feed and my own eggs are cheap. If I can sell a few more dozen, then they are covering their feed when they are not laying as much, and they are covering the price of their replacements, and the price of the feed to get their replacements up to laying age and my eggs are free. A few more laying hens, and I am making a small profit....to buy a goat!
If you eat the older hens and any cockerels, the savings are more.
Goat's milk is the same way....but we were buying Lactaid milk every week, so Mya paid her purchase price within a few months just on what we saved on milk, and it is only me and dh, no children. I also make cheese, which is a big part of our diet. And butter now, but not enough to stop buying butter in the store.
Goat butter is $15 per pound, storebought cow's butter is $2 per pound or so. The impact on my budget is really $2, but I get to eat the gourmet stuff, very high in vitamin A and other great nutrients that are lacking in the storebought version.
Worth the extra in the beginning, IMO.
If I have just enough hens laying to provide just my household with eggs, they are the more expensive eggs. If I can sell just a dozen or two a week at $3 per dozen, now the hens are covering all their feed and my own eggs are cheap. If I can sell a few more dozen, then they are covering their feed when they are not laying as much, and they are covering the price of their replacements, and the price of the feed to get their replacements up to laying age and my eggs are free. A few more laying hens, and I am making a small profit....to buy a goat!
If you eat the older hens and any cockerels, the savings are more.
Goat's milk is the same way....but we were buying Lactaid milk every week, so Mya paid her purchase price within a few months just on what we saved on milk, and it is only me and dh, no children. I also make cheese, which is a big part of our diet. And butter now, but not enough to stop buying butter in the store.
Goat butter is $15 per pound, storebought cow's butter is $2 per pound or so. The impact on my budget is really $2, but I get to eat the gourmet stuff, very high in vitamin A and other great nutrients that are lacking in the storebought version.
Worth the extra in the beginning, IMO.
mrs.puff
Lovin' The Homestead
I haven't read all the pages, but one thing to consider is gift-giving at the holidays and birthdays. Homemade is the way to go. Saves money, and they usually appreciate it more.
And make the thrift store and flea markets your best friends.
And make the thrift store and flea markets your best friends.
PunkinPeep
Humble Ambitions
As a receiver, i agree; i would rather have the tiniest homemade item over almost anything that is a "normal" store-bought Christmas present. It's usually decorative stuff that means nothing to me. But something homemade....that's special.mrs.puff said:
As a gift-giver, i have to remember that you have to work on homemade gifts and think about what to give way way way way earlier than you do with store-bought items. I guess that's why i appreciate them so much more when i receive them.
okiegirl1
Lovin' The Homestead
I agree so much with the home made Christmas gifts. My problem is I put love, sweat and tears into my gifts only to hear "oh,...um... thanks". ???
One year I made lap quilts. Those went over well.
One year I made homemade lotions, soaps, bath salts and fizzies. I got the "oh, um.... thanks"
One year I got into pottery ( SO FUN!) I gave bowls with lotions (I ended up starting a home bases business with the soaps, lotions and bath products)
and last year I made Coffee/Tea/Hot Cocoa baskets. I went over to my MIL's house and her's is still on the counter. never even opened. I think my SIL threw her's away because "she's not much into coffee"
I think this year, I'm going to go out to the burn pile and get home made coal.
One year I made lap quilts. Those went over well.
One year I made homemade lotions, soaps, bath salts and fizzies. I got the "oh, um.... thanks"
One year I got into pottery ( SO FUN!) I gave bowls with lotions (I ended up starting a home bases business with the soaps, lotions and bath products)
and last year I made Coffee/Tea/Hot Cocoa baskets. I went over to my MIL's house and her's is still on the counter. never even opened. I think my SIL threw her's away because "she's not much into coffee"
I think this year, I'm going to go out to the burn pile and get home made coal.
