Questions about your Homestead

[Farmfresh]

How much did you can this year?

I have canned a few batches of tomatoes, some jams and some veggie pickles so far this year and frozen quite a bit of sweet corn, okra, zucchini and berries. I will do more canning when the weather cools down some more, making sauces of frozen tomatoes and more goodies from the berries and other fruits that I harvest. I have LOTS still left from last year, when I went a little crazy canning as well.

How many chickens do you run?

I maintain between 3 and 6 laying hens at all times. They provide us with all of the eggs my family can use and some to share with friends as well.
I also raise between 25 and 50 meat chickens a year. This year I currently have 28 Cornish X that I will be free ranging with protection and possibly a few of last years hens to cull for meat as well. I also raised 5 turkeys this year for the freezer.

We purchase almost all of our meat that we can't raise (I live in the city) on the hoof and have it custom processed. We try to buy grass fed animals whenever possible and animals raised the way I would do it if I had a chance. We currently own a beef steer that will be shipped to the processor at the end of the month.

Do you buy many processed foods?

I am Celiac, which means I must eat gluten free. This causes me to buy many more processed foods than I used to. I used to be able to make my own bread, cakes etc, but now I must buy the mixes. At least until I get better at cooking GF. It is really really hard to make things fluffy without gluten.

Do you butcher meat rabbits?

We used to raise our own meat rabbits. We had three does and a buck and they provided much of our meat supply when my children were little. These days I simply buy live meat rabbits from friends that raise them.

We also supplement our meat larder with squirrel that I trap, fish and other wild game that I get by bartering with friends who hunt.

Thanks...I was curious.

Anytime. By the way... I do all of this in the middle of a BIG ole city. Homesteading is a matter of the mind set.

 

[Beekissed]

I am curious about how my self reliance measures up to other SS members. Thanks for your help!
How much did you can this year?

Still working on that but it will be so much less than previous years due to losing the garden to drought.

How many chickens do you run?

I currently have a flock of 30 laying breeds but already processed 20 CX and 8 culled layers earlier this summer.

Do you buy many processed foods?

Nope.

Do you butcher meat rabbits?

Used to raise meaty rabbits and have processed them...usually left that up to my sister as I seem to have a soft side when it comes to rabbits. I can do it but it turns my gut.

Thanks...I was curious.

We processed a 6 mo. old calf this past winter and are still eating the ground meat from that but a large portion of it went into homemade dog food for my older dog.

I will be processing one of my hair sheep lambs this winter just to get a taste of my own stock and see if its as good as they say....plus, I think the hides are beautiful and I want to tan some.

Hope to get a few deer in the jar and freezer this year as well.

 

[freemotion]

Measure yourself against only yourself, girl, for a true measure of success! But I know what you mean, I do it, too. Here goes....it was a rough year for us with family stuff, but we still got a bit done.

How much did you can this year?
Season will be starting for me soon, as I don't can veggies. I will be starting my ferments this week, and am planning on salsa, ketchup, mustard, horseradish, salad dressing, saurkraut, bean paste, more wine. Already fermented a bunch of wine (13 gallons in various stages so far) and lots of dill pickles and some extra dill just in case.

Canning, based on last year, will consist of 365 jars of catfood, lots of soups, stews, and chili for quick meals, meatloaf, spaghetti and pizza sauce (have to buy tomatoes for that thanks to a resourceful goat), pork, beef, and chicken chunks, cream of mushroom soup, lots and lots of broth, beans, and who knows what else!

We will do some root cellaring...pumpkins and squash and mangels, mostly to feed the dairy goats and a bit for the chickens. And them pigs. Maybe.

How many chickens do you run?
Hmmm....think we have about 22 right now, plus the guinea cock and the pair of turkeys. We lost so many to the eagle this spring so I have 15 layers and 10 meaties on order, to arrive this week. I have a few roos in the group of this year's broody-raised chicks so will process all of them before winter gets serious. They still have some growing to do, all being of laying/dual purpose breeds. Planning on getting a new roo for the spring to bring in new blood if the new group of pullets doesn't have a cockerel in the mix. We'd planned on 50 meaties but life got in the way. We will still end up with up to 18 meat birds, depending on survival of the new ones and number of cockerels in the current batch. So not too bad, considering.

Do you buy many processed foods?
We regularly buy organic whole-grain bread. Occasionally a soda (I had three this year so far.) We also regularly buy three-ingredient tortilla chips and the occasional jar of mayo if I've been lazy. I can't think of anything else. (Wow, really? Yippee! Didn't realize how far we'd come!)

Do you butcher meat rabbits?
Not at this time but my dad and I have been talking about it for the past year....that plan went the way of the meat chickens....on the back burner for now. If we do, I will tractor them spring/summer/fall and hang the cages in the coop for the winter, just a few breeders. We raised them when I was a kid. Dad says they are far easier to butcher than anything else.

 

[dinytcb]

I have canned:
52 quarts green beans
12 quarts yellow beans
28 pints corn
9 pints potatoes
27 pints pizza sauce
25 pints tomato sauce
11 pints ketchup
17 pints & 15 half pints salsa
11 pints carrots
7 pints pickled beets
7 pints pickle relish
7 quarts & 2 pints pie cherries
7 pints blueberries
7 quarts peaches
5 pints strawberry applesauce
8 half pints currant jelly
6 half pints black raspberry jelly
6 half pints strawberry jam
13 half pints blue berry jam
8 pints grape jelly
4 half pints blueberry jelly
6 pints sauerkraut fermenting
1 1/2 bushel of tomatoes sitting in the kitchen waiting
apples on the tree waiting
picked pears today for pear butter
have blackberry juice, dandelion water and beet water canned for jellies later, then I will be done.

 

[dinytcb]

My homestead is divided into three places. Our home in town, my DGK's place(they have 13 layers)' and my SIL's where my big garden is.
We have no other animals as of yet.
I am slowly getting away from processed foods even though My DH still has to have his bologna every now and then.

 

[FarmerChick]

I am curious about how my self reliance measures up to other SS members. Thanks for your help!
How much did you can this year?
canned green beans and a few other things---mostly frozen corn and other produce
How many chickens do you run?
300 layers but with getting out of biz sold off about 250 right now and left with about 50
Do you buy many processed foods?
well, kinda, I guess, I buy what I need to make my usual meals etc
Do you butcher meat rabbits?
no, a farmer sells them at the market I attend and we trade whole hog sausage for his rabbit which are delish
Thanks...I was curious.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

How much did you can this year?
Several dozen pints & quarts of broths & stocks, 14 blackberry jam, 12 pepper jelly, 30 pints mushroom soup, several dozen tomato products, crushed, diced, sauces & such. I froze a lot & dried a lot more. Dried corn, tomatoes, broc, beans, potatoes, carrots, zuchinni, squash, fruit leathers, fruit slices, cabbage, eggplant. The dried goods outweigh the canned stuff by far.
How many chickens do you run?
Last year it was 7 hens & 1 roo, this year we have 28 still on the lot, with about 8 roos to butcher. We're buying at least 50 more heavies (possibly Cornishx).
Do you buy many processed foods?
If by processed you mean boxed & frozen quick stuff, no. Not anymore. We do buy many of our veggies for cooking, canning & drying, but we buy fresh veggies, sometimes frozen, not canned.
Do you butcher meat rabbits?
Yes, we've done 7 so far. Yummy yummy, but you do have to add fat. Bacon is the best to add, IMO.

 

[PamsPride]

How much did you can this year?
80 quarts (probably more than that because I stopped counting) spaghetti sauce, 17 pints salsa, froze 4 quarts green beans and 75 quarts corn
Still have apples/applesauce and pears yet to do.
How many chickens do you run? 12 layers, 4 roos that are going off to freezer camp, already sent two off to camp, 7 turkeys...4 of those are being sent off to freezer camp later this year.
We have goats for some milk. I hope to be getting more milk next year.
Do you buy many processed foods? I try not to but.....
Do you butcher meat rabbits?
Bees and rabbits are on the agenda for next year.

 

[urban dreamer]

How much did you can this year? I have 20 jars in the pantry. We've probally eaten another 10 this year and I'm canning again this weekend.
How many chickens do you run? I am only allowed to have four in the city.
Do you buy many processed foods? I have cut way back on the processed stuff. Most of my meals are made from scratch or close to it. i can't wait until I get better at this gardening stuff!
Do you butcher meat rabbits? No bunnies in the city.