It's officially spring! We hate winter, but it does have its opportunities. During the 'real' winter months- December, January and February- there is two main goals in the house. We spend a lot of time researching and a lot of time relaxing. Researching is my forte, the girls get more schooling in during those months, and usually will help me on the computer or with all our noses in books. Beginning in February we start our seeds indoors. Although we haven't had good luck yet starting from any seed, we still try.
The first year I started gardening I got too early of a start. Last year I was doing great until a strong windy March day tried to make my greenhouse fly. I lost all my seedlings and months of work and research. I am trying again this year. I have most of the more expensive plants started in a window, where I've watered them every 3 days and turned their little boxes daily. All of my hardy plants are in the ground and perennial vegetables are in the ground. Ozark Strawberries, Mary Washington Asparagus and Rhubarb that has already re sprung. I've planted my herbs in their window boxes, and they are coming up in droves! In a little over two weeks our feeder pigs that we've taken care of for 5 months will be going to slaughter and their pen will be used for "experimental" crops. This is the first year I've ever even seen a peanut plant, never mind that I planted them from raw unsalted nuts and they are coming up! Corn and potatoes are ready to make use of all that tilled, fertilized land too!
We've also mated our rabbits again. Fritters is due in a week, so we're watching for her fluff pulling to signal the delivery will be soon. We're using a cheap cat litter box and scraps of clothing for her nest and cage when the time is closer. Our chicks are 1 month old now, giving them free reign of the large pen with the ducks that are about 2 months from free range freedom. Our broilers are 1/2 done, and in about a week we'll be getting more to replenish them when they are slaughtered the end of April. At that rate, we should be able to do a slaughter once every month to 6 weeks. That should fill our freezer at the end of October with about 210 lbs chicken, minus all the chicken we use in the meantime. Between the chickens and pigs, we'll have just over 500 lbs meat produced on our farm this year. About the same time in October, the rabbits should be ready to sell or kill as well.
Everything has a beginning, a purpose, and an end. Nothing is exempt from their own cycle of destiny.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Meat
As I've strained in previous posts, We are attempting to be self sufficient. Here is my topic on meat.
We, as an Ohana, are carnivorous. Sure, we eat all that comes out of the garden, next to a nice piece of seared, juicy meat. Chickens were our first into meat. Our first flock we intended on being just layers (only for laying eggs). 15 white rocks. 8 months into that flock, they started to get sickly. We culled 6 to try and stop the progress. That time of the year the garden had just put out the last of the harvest, so Erick put 3 into the garden to weed out and destroy the bugs and larvae. With the last 6 we butchered for practice and meat for the winter. Soon after, we ordered the only chickens available at that time, Cornish X rocks. little did we know what a mistake we made. They arrived, healthy and happy. Within two months they were full grown, and we were faced with a problem, some of them stopped walking. Scrambling to find answers, we talked to several people about it. Tried Vitamin B- known to give extra energy, nothing. tried several medicinal ideas, again- nothing. Thats when we found our answer; they were meant as broilers from day one. You see, a broiler is not made to lay or even live past 3 months, they are strict meat bird. With the medicine I gave them, we had to wait two weeks before butchering that flock. In December, you have two choices on getting new birds. You can pay a lot of money to order some under strict regimens (required quantities, required breeds of bird) or wait till spring. The cost of simply heating their coop and ordering that time of year made us wait till now, March. We have a new flock, three actually. Our mistake taught us a very good lesson- know your breed. We purposely bought 10 more of the broilers, after we made them their own area, strictly for their meat. We also got 25 assorted layers this time around. and 12 ducks whose main purpose is to destroy bugs throughout our yard.
They offer more then food though. Eggs are eaten by everyone here. Egg shells are cleaned, crumbled and made into grit for the birds, egg whites make mayo, egg yolks are split between our feeder pigs and our dogs. When we have far too many eggs to eat- we make a souffle out of them and freeze it. they can be dehydrated as well for skinny times or added to recipes for extra calcium.
We had hemmed and hawed about raising pigs. They are called feeders because they only live to slaughter time, about 6 months. Our first year we simply didn't have enough time or manpower, but that next winter we decided that it would be a great time. our harvest and canning were done, chickens were frozen or already eaten, and we finally picked a decent spot for their pen. We had been getting pretty good at using pallets and fencing, which is what the majority of their pen consisted of. After speaking to a friend at work, we had three new piglets heading home in the smelliest car ride Chris and I had ever taken in our life. Note to self- use pickup truck next time. They will be ready for their trip to the slaughter next month, which will leave their pen up for grabs by peanuts, corn and potatoes.
The rabbits serve a purpose as well other then meat. Babies produced can be brought to trade shows for sale, the furs of those we keep and eat can be sold or made into items.Our dogs are here for protection and use. The oldest is best at digging up roots that are in our way. Another is great at grabbing sticks off the ground for kindling and mower protection. One of the girls is great at protection and guarding the home, and not one person could get past this barking security of a combined 350 lbs of teeth and snarl.
We had adopted a new saying this year for the farm. Only feed what will feed you or serves an intricate purpose for the home.
We, as an Ohana, are carnivorous. Sure, we eat all that comes out of the garden, next to a nice piece of seared, juicy meat. Chickens were our first into meat. Our first flock we intended on being just layers (only for laying eggs). 15 white rocks. 8 months into that flock, they started to get sickly. We culled 6 to try and stop the progress. That time of the year the garden had just put out the last of the harvest, so Erick put 3 into the garden to weed out and destroy the bugs and larvae. With the last 6 we butchered for practice and meat for the winter. Soon after, we ordered the only chickens available at that time, Cornish X rocks. little did we know what a mistake we made. They arrived, healthy and happy. Within two months they were full grown, and we were faced with a problem, some of them stopped walking. Scrambling to find answers, we talked to several people about it. Tried Vitamin B- known to give extra energy, nothing. tried several medicinal ideas, again- nothing. Thats when we found our answer; they were meant as broilers from day one. You see, a broiler is not made to lay or even live past 3 months, they are strict meat bird. With the medicine I gave them, we had to wait two weeks before butchering that flock. In December, you have two choices on getting new birds. You can pay a lot of money to order some under strict regimens (required quantities, required breeds of bird) or wait till spring. The cost of simply heating their coop and ordering that time of year made us wait till now, March. We have a new flock, three actually. Our mistake taught us a very good lesson- know your breed. We purposely bought 10 more of the broilers, after we made them their own area, strictly for their meat. We also got 25 assorted layers this time around. and 12 ducks whose main purpose is to destroy bugs throughout our yard.
They offer more then food though. Eggs are eaten by everyone here. Egg shells are cleaned, crumbled and made into grit for the birds, egg whites make mayo, egg yolks are split between our feeder pigs and our dogs. When we have far too many eggs to eat- we make a souffle out of them and freeze it. they can be dehydrated as well for skinny times or added to recipes for extra calcium.
We had hemmed and hawed about raising pigs. They are called feeders because they only live to slaughter time, about 6 months. Our first year we simply didn't have enough time or manpower, but that next winter we decided that it would be a great time. our harvest and canning were done, chickens were frozen or already eaten, and we finally picked a decent spot for their pen. We had been getting pretty good at using pallets and fencing, which is what the majority of their pen consisted of. After speaking to a friend at work, we had three new piglets heading home in the smelliest car ride Chris and I had ever taken in our life. Note to self- use pickup truck next time. They will be ready for their trip to the slaughter next month, which will leave their pen up for grabs by peanuts, corn and potatoes.
The rabbits serve a purpose as well other then meat. Babies produced can be brought to trade shows for sale, the furs of those we keep and eat can be sold or made into items.Our dogs are here for protection and use. The oldest is best at digging up roots that are in our way. Another is great at grabbing sticks off the ground for kindling and mower protection. One of the girls is great at protection and guarding the home, and not one person could get past this barking security of a combined 350 lbs of teeth and snarl.
We had adopted a new saying this year for the farm. Only feed what will feed you or serves an intricate purpose for the home.
Big Plans 2
With homeschooling the girls, our time expanded enormously. Better yet, we got to enjoy the girls throughout our projects, from the planning to placement and the joys and obstacles that both brought with them. They were learning in a way that reminded me of their younger years, a way I had missed miserably. When they were little, explaining why's and why nots was a way of life. Now, being able to explain the steps helped me concrete them in my mind and find the issues that might arise. They had a lot of hands on learning the first year, a lot of change that swept through not only their new home, but in their minds as well. Maturity was overcoming them, but it was a nice change for the most part. They are in the middle of learning so many new things, cooking and sewing, planting and taking care of our animals. Death became reality.
We decided to raise rabbits as both a secondary meat source and money from babies. We chose two Californian mixed rabbits known for their meat, and have been raising them almost a year now. The first time we put our female, fritters, into litter- she gave birth to 5 babies. We planned out almost everything, and when the 21st day came, no babies came. It wasn't until the 27th day, a day no one was home, that she gave birth. We had her on metal fabric, and three babes still fell through to their deaths. My youngest daughter found them, there was no saving them. The other two we attempted to put with mama in a dog crate in the house. Fritters decided to make a snack out of them. Poor things didn't make the night. We are attempting it again soon, with a little more preparedness towards the week of the birth instead of the day.
Our plans are simple- use the money we get from wages to pay bills and only get things we cannot make. Have several plans for disastrous weather, both the mother nature kind and society. Meat is a staple. We have the rabbits for one source (back up source) we raise feeder pigs for pork products (main source one) and have chickens as our other main source. The only thing we have not nailed down is beef, but it is on our agenda.
We decided to raise rabbits as both a secondary meat source and money from babies. We chose two Californian mixed rabbits known for their meat, and have been raising them almost a year now. The first time we put our female, fritters, into litter- she gave birth to 5 babies. We planned out almost everything, and when the 21st day came, no babies came. It wasn't until the 27th day, a day no one was home, that she gave birth. We had her on metal fabric, and three babes still fell through to their deaths. My youngest daughter found them, there was no saving them. The other two we attempted to put with mama in a dog crate in the house. Fritters decided to make a snack out of them. Poor things didn't make the night. We are attempting it again soon, with a little more preparedness towards the week of the birth instead of the day.
Our plans are simple- use the money we get from wages to pay bills and only get things we cannot make. Have several plans for disastrous weather, both the mother nature kind and society. Meat is a staple. We have the rabbits for one source (back up source) we raise feeder pigs for pork products (main source one) and have chickens as our other main source. The only thing we have not nailed down is beef, but it is on our agenda.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Big Plans 1
We were all moved in by the middle of September. I hate moving and hate cardboard, I could not wait to get either out of my short term memory. From then to April the following year, we did not stop. We planned out the garden, the chicken coop, had contractors here almost every day- it felt like a beehive. The girls would come home from school about 4 pm and at that point in the day, Erick and I had been up since daybreak. We looked into home schooling over so many reasons. We met many parents in our new hometown that homeschooled. Our schedules would be have to be re-prioritized but in a great way. I have always loved research, and this was an opportunity to really teach them things I feel they will really need in life. How to care for animals, raise plants, research their dreams and make them into reality. Even if what they want is to work for a living, go to college, or have a family; I want them to have a better foundation then what they were recieving. We are almost done our first year and its only March. We follow both our private homeschool that we belong to that requires 1000 hours a year, and the public school system that states 180 days and 4 hours a day. At the end of March, we will have acquired 1100 hours and 190 days.
We will restart our 8th grade April 20. At this pace, we will finish middle school curriculum by January, 2015. One goal the girls have is to finish by their 16th birthday. For Katlyn, that means May 22, 2017 she will be ready for her next adventure. In the next few semesters, one of my plans is to incorporate community service, maybe an internship into the field of their choice. My greatest pleasure about homeschooling is that I can make school tailor to our family, and not the other way around
We will restart our 8th grade April 20. At this pace, we will finish middle school curriculum by January, 2015. One goal the girls have is to finish by their 16th birthday. For Katlyn, that means May 22, 2017 she will be ready for her next adventure. In the next few semesters, one of my plans is to incorporate community service, maybe an internship into the field of their choice. My greatest pleasure about homeschooling is that I can make school tailor to our family, and not the other way around
Hitting the ground running 1
We knew what we wanted before we arrived at our new home. Become self sufficient the best we could. But we had other dreams that had to be woven into these thoughts. Up north, we worked so much that we never saw one another other then written notes and telephone calls. I felt so disconnected from "life" outside of work and errands. I wanted my girls to play sports, excel at anything they wanted, be popular if that was one of their dreams. That proved disastrous. First week at their middle school and I get a fundraiser packet. Second week I was begged to tears for new cell phones and the last straw was a field trip to the high school they would be attending in a two years. The high school expected us to buy each child a laptop for their usage in and out of school. This felt like a slap in the face after paying our taxes that just went up, along with our adjusted property taxes. Yet that was droplets compared to the new children that just strolled in after school. Attitudes and swears were something I wasn't prepared for in 5th grade, Along with troves of barely-there clothes of their classmates, tugging along cellphones that was suddenly a neccessity of my 11 year old that walked literally 1 block to and from school. At night, the children that stayed after school would mock my children as they passed for helping me outside. The backyard was no haven either, as the slope of the hill that faced their school adjoined our private space. Trash would be littered in and around our tiny front landscaping, meticulously done by my husbands' 69 year old mother. My car sat out front on the street, the canvas of too many vandals over the years. When I brought up our moving to the children, the only sadness was missing of a particular friend that they had become close to. They decided to become pen pals and helped us pack the last of our belongings.
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