I don't get to write here like I used to..life on the farm keeps us pretty busy. We have had a good crop of babies born this year - goats, chicks, ducklings though no piglets :(
We butchered our broilers last weekend. A local friend lent us their EZ Plucker, and it was so much faster and nicer than doing so by hand. I have another batch of Freedom Ranger chicks in the chicken tractor. It will be a couple of more months until they are ready to butcher. The Franken Chicken (Cornish Cross) grows faster. I have always been put off by them, but we were given a bunch for free from the SA Rodeo this year. They are freaky to look at, but PH said the taste is much better than the other two types we have raised before (Black Broilers and Freedom Rangers). I guess after this batch of Freedom Rangers we will determine if we will stick with the Cornish Cross from now on. I made fried chicken last night from one of them, and it was wonderful. PH was very pleased. Back to the plucking....I do like learning how to do things without power, just in case I am ever in a situation where I will need to do so. But once I learn a "powered down" skill, I am okay with using electricity. I'd borrow the plucker again, though we are considering getting our own. We'll see.
It costs me a total of $250 in feed, though I am subtracting half of that amount, because I was feeding the Freedom Rangers at the same time. So, that is $125 dollars divided by 15 chickens for a total cost of $8.33 per chicken (not counting labor-I don't include that, because, well I am at home anyway). I used to pay $15.00 plus for an organic chicken bought either at Whole Foods or from a local provider. So, If I had bought 15 chickens at $15 each that would be $225 dollars, so I saved myself $100. PH is all about the cost savings, but I am about the cleaner food for my family. I don't raise animals to be cost effective. I do try to have most of my animals free range, but raising Cornish Cross meat chickens isn't really conducive to free ranging. Maybe in a time of necessity, I'd have to do something different. The Freedom Rangers are great at foraging, but allowing to free-range causes them to build up muscle, which makes their meat TOUGH. The plan this time around is to keep them in the large coop, to see if it makes a difference in the meat. If not, we'll do something different next time.
A friend and I go back and forth about grid electricity and what it means to be "off grid". It means different things to different people. For me, it means no electricity at all, not even solar panels or batteries. I gear my homestead to run without power during an emergency. We have lots of those lately. From wild fires, to tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, having the ability to cook, heat our house and to SEE when the power is out is very beneficial. Now my friend wants to have all her electrical conveniences that grid power provides, so she and her husband concentrate on battery packs, solar power, wind turbines, etc. I don't have the funds for that, so my money goes into food production/storage.
The chicken coop has been completed, and while it wasn't my original plan, it keeps my chickens/ducks safe from being eaten by the pigs. To date I have lost over one hundred chickens/ducks to the pigs. Once we butcher these last few, we are out of the pig business. I really like pigs, and they provide a lot of meat for the cost of raising, but my chickens are more important to me.
The quail are in their own cages, hung on the wall in the chicken coop. I have seven quail (5 females, 2 males). I rotate the males from cage to cage. I'll try and get PD#1 to take a picture for me to post.
We have seven ducks left. Four males and three females. One of the females is currently sitting on a nest, so hopefully we will have a couple of ducklings waddling around soon.
The weather has been warming up, though the evenings are nice. This greatly helps with cooling the place down. We are trying to not turn on the AC yet until it reaches at least 100. We have only had one day of that so far. We did receive a good amount of rain about a month ago. A total of three inches. Our pond was totally dry, and was then full. Praise God! I was so excited to have a full pond again. It is going down again, what with the animals drinking out of it and evaporation, but I am thankful for every little blessing.
Our well went dry, or too low for the pump to suck up water. We were without water for almost 2 weeks until we had the county water supply line installed. A great lesson in learning where to get water, how to haul it, and how much you really need to use in a day. PH is now in the process of pulling out the pipe and pump from the well to see if the side walls have collapsed, or what is going on with it. The pump itself is good, but only sucking up sandy bits of water. This is really a stressful situation for us. I loved having an independent water source, but this drought is taking it's toll. We are in the process of gathering the materials to install water catchment on the house. Not 55 barrels but a large 1500 tank. We need to head into town to pick up the tank. PH thinks it is silly to put water catchment on a house in South TX when it rarely rains. I have insisted, telling him that it makes even more sense to be able to catch whatever rain we do receive. I really try not to insist on having my way, but when it comes to having water, it is important. So, the topic has been a "pit bull" issue (meaning I have my teeth in it and won't give up). By not having something in place NOW, we are wasting and losing a wonderful opportunity to store drinking water for ourselves. We already have a system on the barn to help water the animals when the pond has gone dry. It is supposed to rain the next couple of days, and I am frustrated that it isn't in place already, but I am on PH time schedule.
Due to the drought and a shortage of water, we are not planting a garden this year. I am depending on friends and family who are better gardeners, and know how to get the most with less water. I am a horrible gardener, and have resorted to gifts, purchasing from the produce dept in the nearest Metro area, and harvesting wild edibles (melons, grapes, blackberries, nopales, prickly pear fruit, Algerita berries, Mesquite beans, grape leaves, wild-crafted herbs for tea and medicinals). There are also several abandoned homesteads with orange and pear trees that we have been able to pick from. Also, a few trees on State and water company's property that we have been given permission to pick.
Work has ground to a halt on the house. It is a busy time outside, and with work. I am still working at the library part-time. PH and I are also in the process of starting out own business, which will hopefully be productive in a year or so, when his job moves to Ohio. The plan is to work part time on the business, and then to slowly transition full time into the business. Praying it provides enough security for us to live off. Thankfully, we have greatly down-sized our needs, and have little debt. We aren't looking to get rich, but to provide a reasonable income for our family. I am in the process of completing all the start up paperwork, meeting with a CPA, and registering to be able for us to bid on projects for county, city and state projects. I am attending training and networking seminars, and finding out what there is out there for a majority, Woman-owned business. I will be doing the office work (along with PD#1) and leave the technical, complex aspects of the business to PH's expertise and experience. I really wanted it to be our business, but there are more bid opportunities for a Woman-owned business it seems, or a minority-owned business. PH doesn't have a tribal, registration number and has never been interested in applying, so this is the best route at this time. I am very happy that PH has decided he is ready to branch out on his own, business-wise. This is another step in being more self-sufficient/reliant. (Yes, you depend on customers, but not worrying about getting fired.)
PH finished the bathroom. We are very happy. We also have begun the work of clearing out the shipping container that we lived in for four years. We have been so busy, and did not have the time to devote to it, but it has been our focus lately. PH was given several large, metal, shelving units. These are about 6 feet tall and total 21 feet in length, so almost half of the container's length. PH is taking over the front half of the container for his tools/work area (thought leaving the galley kitchen for me to use as my canning kitchen/emergency food prep area. The container is also our storm shelter.) The bathroom is still in place, and I will be using the shelves in there to house my toiletry storage (soap, t.p., etc). The back bedroom is now the family storage room. I have my food storage area, clothing storage in rubber totes (I try to keep a few articles in each size/gender, plus shoes for each family member), plus Christmas decorations, a sewing area set up with my treadle sewing machine, the bookcase with homeschooling curriculum. The loft will be cleaned up and a mattress placed up there to be a sleeping space for guests (in the event of an emergency).
Hope everyone is doing well. Keeping plugging away caring for your families. Keep your eyes open, and be ready for whatever lies ahead.
Paratus Familia!
