BarredBuff
El Presidente de Pollo
....
Feeding Yourself and the Homestead when the SHTF
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Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
I think rabbits would be a priority as they do very well on a variety of grasses and common things growing wild. While they definitely do better on grain, they do not require it. And they reproduce fast!
If it got really bad, I'd probably have to resort to eating the dog and cats. LOL.
The alfalfa field would need to be expanded for the goats, a lot actually..
If it got really bad, I'd probably have to resort to eating the dog and cats. LOL.
The alfalfa field would need to be expanded for the goats, a lot actually..
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I don't know about y'all but this generic term SHTF doesn't really give us any clear perimeters as to how much "S" we are talking about. There are different degrees of "S" and some would be way more affected by the "S" than others....like city dwellers and such.
So.....what level of "S" are we talking about? Total system collapse? No utilities? No more fuel? No more going to work every day because there is no gas, no roads, no work place? Is everyone in the world in the same condition or is it a local "S" and only affects us temporarily? Is it a long term "S" with no easy solutions or is it a short term "S" that can be restored to previous conditions?
Inquiring minds wanna know......
So.....what level of "S" are we talking about? Total system collapse? No utilities? No more fuel? No more going to work every day because there is no gas, no roads, no work place? Is everyone in the world in the same condition or is it a local "S" and only affects us temporarily? Is it a long term "S" with no easy solutions or is it a short term "S" that can be restored to previous conditions?
Inquiring minds wanna know......
Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
I'm just assuming it means that we have to do as much as we can for ourselves by ourselves as possible. 
Anyway, I know my freerange chickens wouldn't carry much meat on them if they didn't get any grain. However I've noticed that our mixed breeds, while much flightier and weighing less than other ideal breeds, they don't do better with less grain in comparison, and they don't seek it out as much as the others. Has anyone else noticed this with mixed breeds?
Anyway, I know my freerange chickens wouldn't carry much meat on them if they didn't get any grain. However I've noticed that our mixed breeds, while much flightier and weighing less than other ideal breeds, they don't do better with less grain in comparison, and they don't seek it out as much as the others. Has anyone else noticed this with mixed breeds?
i_am2bz
Lovin' The Homestead
The chickens would have to free-range; the dogs & cats would get table scraps...hate to think of being desperate enough to eat ANY of them.
Mackay
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plant a lot of sunflowers for your chickens. Store the heads. They can pick the seeds out in the winter. High in protien
Shiloh Acres
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Chickens, guineas, geese can survive on freeranging. How well depends -- if the grass grows well I can have FAT geese. I can't grow enough grain on the property i've got for goats and chickens so ... There is a lot of browse. I could expand the pastures and might have enough. There are two I would most likely slaughter -- the wether a less-healthy doe. Rabbits can survive on what grows.
If it's short term not such a big deal. If it's permanent, I'd have to reassess how many and which animals I can realistically support. No need to try to raise dozens of babies for slaughter if I can't eat them. So ... It's a question of whether I want them to survive short term or whether they need to be productive from here on out with what I have.
As far as cats and dogs ... My one little kitty is very precious to me and carries very little meat (part Siamese). The other is pretty much lazy and fat and useless. LOL. The dog I would hope I can support. A trained dog is a very useful thing. He's a natural at guarding and is doing very well with the animals too.
If it's short term not such a big deal. If it's permanent, I'd have to reassess how many and which animals I can realistically support. No need to try to raise dozens of babies for slaughter if I can't eat them. So ... It's a question of whether I want them to survive short term or whether they need to be productive from here on out with what I have.
As far as cats and dogs ... My one little kitty is very precious to me and carries very little meat (part Siamese). The other is pretty much lazy and fat and useless. LOL. The dog I would hope I can support. A trained dog is a very useful thing. He's a natural at guarding and is doing very well with the animals too.
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BarredBuff
El Presidente de Pollo
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Beekissed
Mountain Sage
In that case...and it only lasts a year....I would pretty much do what I do now except I would grow more grains for the chooks.
There is so much one can do if they don't have to worry about going to work anymore...so much time to prepare, grow, forage, maintain.
I'm used to living off grid and am prepared to slide right back into it, so I would probably do what I used to do while growing up....just on less acreage. Although, under those circumstances, I doubt if the absentee owner of the field next door would object if I used his hay for my sheeples and the woods next to the field will yield much firewood.
I have a scythe, axe, two man saw, oil lamps, extra hand dug well, outhouse, apple trees, honeybees, a big store of wheat and some seeds stored.
I have male and female sheep and chickens, so I can reproduce the flocks. I have several bows, arrows, etc. We are a hunting family with great success in that area. I am adept at killing, butchering, processing without electricity or running water...did it for nine years. I have guns.
Sheep produce a lot of tallow for cooking, lighting, candles or soap. Beeswax makes great candles, honey for sweetener. Eggs can be stored for over 3 months if you coat them in vaseline and place them in sand. One could also pickle them. I have sea salt stored.
I have hand carts x 2, a wood stove, buckets galore and rope. I have plenty of hand tools to work a garden with and am no stranger to this type of work. I have plenty of sharp knives and sharpeners, hand saws, etc. I can even improvise a harness system in case I want to use the sheep to pull a cart, plow, wood sled, etc.
I have enough soap supplies for over a year and galvanized wash tubs for handwashing, as well as clothesline for drying. Be it plant or meat, one can dry just about anything on a tin roof or slowly next to a wood stove. I have all I need to store any and all of my own foods.
The dogs would be a problem and I would probably have to kill the older one...she is old and very arthritic. We could definitely use her meat for the other one and her hide would be very warm if tanned on one side.
The younger one is a great hunter and forager...I'd likely take him to the woods each day and let him find his own food while I gathered wood, berries, nuts, etc. He would be eating deer scraps also, though there would be less of those than there normally would be. A good hunting dog will be a valuable thing in times like that...some people will wish they hadn't neutered or spayed.
The cats would be fine.
The one thing I lack is a hand grinder for my wheat...but one can improvise if you have rocks.
A lot can be done with these things in times without electricity and fuels.
The thing about preparing is to be fluid...your food supplies need to be something you can reproduce and it needs to be varied. You need to have heat, some light, water and shelter. You need implements with which to kill, cut up and preserve your meats.
There is so much one can do if they don't have to worry about going to work anymore...so much time to prepare, grow, forage, maintain.
I'm used to living off grid and am prepared to slide right back into it, so I would probably do what I used to do while growing up....just on less acreage. Although, under those circumstances, I doubt if the absentee owner of the field next door would object if I used his hay for my sheeples and the woods next to the field will yield much firewood.
I have a scythe, axe, two man saw, oil lamps, extra hand dug well, outhouse, apple trees, honeybees, a big store of wheat and some seeds stored.
I have male and female sheep and chickens, so I can reproduce the flocks. I have several bows, arrows, etc. We are a hunting family with great success in that area. I am adept at killing, butchering, processing without electricity or running water...did it for nine years. I have guns.
Sheep produce a lot of tallow for cooking, lighting, candles or soap. Beeswax makes great candles, honey for sweetener. Eggs can be stored for over 3 months if you coat them in vaseline and place them in sand. One could also pickle them. I have sea salt stored.
I have hand carts x 2, a wood stove, buckets galore and rope. I have plenty of hand tools to work a garden with and am no stranger to this type of work. I have plenty of sharp knives and sharpeners, hand saws, etc. I can even improvise a harness system in case I want to use the sheep to pull a cart, plow, wood sled, etc.
I have enough soap supplies for over a year and galvanized wash tubs for handwashing, as well as clothesline for drying. Be it plant or meat, one can dry just about anything on a tin roof or slowly next to a wood stove. I have all I need to store any and all of my own foods.
The dogs would be a problem and I would probably have to kill the older one...she is old and very arthritic. We could definitely use her meat for the other one and her hide would be very warm if tanned on one side.
The younger one is a great hunter and forager...I'd likely take him to the woods each day and let him find his own food while I gathered wood, berries, nuts, etc. He would be eating deer scraps also, though there would be less of those than there normally would be. A good hunting dog will be a valuable thing in times like that...some people will wish they hadn't neutered or spayed.
The cats would be fine.
The one thing I lack is a hand grinder for my wheat...but one can improvise if you have rocks.
A lot can be done with these things in times without electricity and fuels.
The thing about preparing is to be fluid...your food supplies need to be something you can reproduce and it needs to be varied. You need to have heat, some light, water and shelter. You need implements with which to kill, cut up and preserve your meats.
