this is where I fit in

[nchomemaker]

I'm both a homemaker and a homesteader on a small piece of land less than an acre.
I have a vegetable/herb garden 1900 sq. ft.
I have 2 flocks of chickens. One is 2 1/2 yr. old layers. The other is 3 months old females and 7 roosters, 5 of which are destined for the freezer!
I bake all my own bread from scratch, and I mean scratch. I grind wheat berries in a nonelectric grinder and do not use a bread machine. I prefer doing things the old fashioned way except laundry.
My life is very simple, I keep it that way by choice as I consider time more valuable than money.
I try to be as frugal as I can and I love the simple life.
This is where I fit, this is how God made me, this is how I'm the happiest.
I look forward to this forum and sharing thoughts and ideas.

 

[nannygoat]

will check on this forum regularly - we have picked items from the both worlds[modern life and homesteading ] with what we do when depending mainly what is going on in our life - at times all our meat comes from our animals but I buy some also - eggs come from our chickens when they are not sitting or hiding the eggs - since eggs are a side effect of having the chickens for pest control - we do not buy any milk since normally have at least one goat milking all the time - the last two years we have not had a garden since time has just not been there but have a neighbor we trade and also still have the raised beds to start up again - but do not have any more grape vines due to hubby forgetting to close the gate to the garden between manure loads and the goats thought that was an invitation to come in[sigh]

I have baked bread many times - have not ground my own wheat yet but have the grinder - like the bread machine though since can do more of a set and forget thing and when made it otherwise seemed to make way to much at one time and there are only two of us who are trying to watch our carbs and fresh hot bread is very hard to limit eating<g>

have cooked over a open fire many times as a kid camping but prefer not doing it now if I can help it but could - the knowldege is still there - I prefer the gas stove or crock pot for slow cooked meals but do use the wood stove in the winter when we need the heat and yes we heat only with wood [ were told that is a big no-no to sell this place{sigh] anybody want to buy this place set up pretty good for selfsuffiecienty but house can not get a morgage for since we will not put in a central heating{sigh} [ we are moving even farther out]

basically we live a modern life - as in love the computer and tv and radio and CD's and hot showers etc but could go back to near primative living with not much change in life execpt more time spent doing housekeeping and food production but as people have said the knowledge to know how to do these things is very important and both of us sure have that

 

[Deena in GA]

nchomemaker, you sound a lot like me, lol. Except I don't have chickens. We are about to get our first guineas though. And, while I do have a hand grinder and used only it for a long time, I do now use my electric most of the time. Do make my bread from scratch too, as well as most other things. I made a pizza dish the other night while my son's girlfriend was here for supper and she came in and told me she was very impressed that I was making pizza dough. I was astonished that she said that, but she went on to say that her mother never made things from scratch.

My favorite homemakey thing to do is hanging my laundry out to dry. I really enjoy that, as crazy as it sounds.

My garden's doing great right now with the exception of the butter peas. We just had to plant them for the second time as the first planting resulted in maybe a 5% germination rate. Looks like the two new peach trees have died too, so we'll have to replace them.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

It's not how much land you have that matters, but what you do with what you do have that is important. I've read about a fella in Southern California who makes a fair living on somewhat less than an acre. Grows fresh herbs and edible flowers for high end restaurants.

Deena, don't feel bad about the trees. I plant new trees every year. Some are new stuff and some are to replace stuff that didn't make it for one reason or another. All just a cost of doing the homesteading business.

Interesting to hear about the butterpeas. I've never tried them myself though they are on my "must try" list. I plant the Florida speckled butterbean (pole type) and usually have to beat them to death when I can't stand picking them anymore.

.....Alan.

 

[nchomemaker]

It's great to have the know how even if we are not currently using some of the skills.
I hope to be in a position to be able to carry on through hard times, with God's blessing of course.
I have thought about what to do if I couldn't buy chicken feed. I certainly can not raise grain here on my lot and have heard it's difficult to raise enough.
Does anyone know how well chickens will lay if they only have what is on the ground to eat if they free range, plus kitchen scraps?

 

[A.T.Hagan]

<b>Does anyone know how well chickens will lay if they only have what is on the ground to eat if they free range, plus kitchen scraps?</b>

If they can truly free-range as in have the run of a large diverse area to find their feed then if you'll give them some corn once a day you should achieve acceptable egg production so long as the weather is conducive to active plant growth. It's during the winter, very early spring, and long dry spells that egg production will plummet because there won't be any insects or succulent green leafies for them to eat.

Good range can usually provide sufficient protein, vitamins and minerals. What it is generally gong to be short on is carbohydrates, thus the corn. It's usually pretty cheap at the feed store.

.....Alan.

 

[goatlady2]

My 8 hens and 1 rooster free range over 30 acres or more depending on how far they roam. I can't believe the egg production - from eight 4, 5, and 6-year-old hens I get 5-6 eggs per day consistently! My neighbor swears the rooster must be laying. They get a corn ration morning and night, about 1-1/2 cups each time.

 

[nchomemaker]

Those are some great layers you have there!
Thanks about the corn. I may try to stock a couple hundred pounds of it. Have your chickens eaten whole corn or do you get it partially ground?
I think my close neighbors would have a fit if I let the chickens roam into thier yards, but if tshtf, and I could give them eggs, maybe they wouldn't mind so much. I do have a little patch of woods on one side but the other 2 sides are neighbors close by, the 4th side is the road. Maybe I could keep them confined but in a larger area than they have now which is completely stripped of vegetation.

 

[Army Girl]

There used to be a fella here at timebomb by the name Zog, he had an interesting thing that he did with sprouting grain for his chickens, said they thrived on the sprouts. I have the information in my chicken files somewhere around here.