Permaculture for when the SHTF

[lcertuche]

'Going to bed with the chickens' meant you slept when it was dark and worked during daylight. I sure would miss my TV and computer however no matter how I protest the fact to my family. I've actually tried talking DH and the Wuldbunch into going on a electronics break. If I ever pick up a good book TV is forgotten but my family would hate it. I am trying to get self-help, gardening and just good reads for such an event as an EMP. As far as the freezer I am trying to get away from freezing most of our food. I am dehydrating and even canning now that I have a canner and jars. Today I canned 7 quarts of dried beans. I know they would last during an electrical outage but I like them so much for taste, texture and convenience.

I would like to stock up on salt, sugar and vinegar for salting meats and canning. I would be easy to repurpose all those dead refrigerators and freezers into smokers and root cellars if needed.

I know not everybody believes Jesus is returning but I do and hopefully can miss the worse of everything. SHTF or not we should all be able to take care of our families with food and water. On the subject of "going to bed with the chickens' we will probably be tired from hard, physical work and ready to sleep when the sun goes down.

 

[Mini Horses]

And speaking of those chickens -- my grandparents NEVER bought layer mash ! First, no money. Second, no way to get to a feed store -- if there was one, more of a mill. They kept themselves fed on bugs & worms & forage. Some food scraps thrown out -- that's it!!! They did grow/dry corn for winter feed.

 

[lcertuche]

Mini Horses you are right about the chicken mash. Mine go for weeks, sometimes months without it and are healthy, quick and alert. It is their instinct to go out and get all those ticks, chiggers, spiders, snakes, mice, frogs, and every other creepy crawly booger that doesn't eat them first...and boy do they like kitchen scraps! When I mentioned this on BYC I was accused of being a bad chicken mama but oh well. There are sure to be small areas chickens need feed and I do give mine more when everything is dead in the winter or as babies and want them to grow up fast but I have a 3 +acres and surrounding forest and fields for them to roam. I go out every couple of hours and call them back to the house and throw out a few scraps to keep them closer to home but they are wise to hawks hiding in our holly trees or under thick brush. Now I just need to get another rooster and try to preserve those genes through hatching a few eggs.

 

[MoonShadows]

During the nicer months when my chickens free range they eat very little of the all natural pellets I use. In the colder months, they eat more, and I supplement with black oil sunflower seeds and whole corn. Of course they eat a lot of leftovers; they like their bread; and, they go berserk when I have chicken scraps whether cooked or uncooked.

 

[lcertuche]

Mine are cannibals too, last night they went to town on chicken and dumplings leftovers!

 

[tortoise]

I want to grow sunflowers for winter chicken feed, but the dang gophers go down the row and each every seed I plant!

 

[tortoise]

YouTube is the best for an example. Fill a milk jug with water, pour it down the gopher hole and the gopher runs out into the jug!

 

[lcertuche]

I think this is an interesting idea.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.c...ticles/plant-your-own-secret-survival-garden/

 

[lcertuche]

https://cals.arizona.edu/cochise/waterwise/waterharvest.html

Think there isn't enough rain? A one-inch rain will collect 600 gallons from a 1,000 square foot roof, while 4,500 square foot lot will receive 2,800 gallons!

Where we live, I'm sure we could collect enough water to live on if there was enough storage capability.

 

[Amiga]

Thanks!