rty007 winemaking Q

[Jamsoundsgood]

I know you're going to hate me for this, but the mother in me can't resist. You still need to get your degree so you can have a boring, safe job, just in case. There are plenty of us that have day jobs just to support our SS lifestyle you know. And even with lots of money floating around in your family, who's to say that it will be used to support you when your well thought out plans don't quite work out? You don't want to be stuck out in the middle of your SS Eden with no money, no food, no heat, and no access to any of it.

This is why I like that you are taking so much time preparing for this adventure. You get to look at every single scenario we throw at you.

 

[rty007]

Make the snow go away ;(

I think I am just gonna lay down and die.. honestly does it have to take so much damn time?

@wifezilla

You absolutely SURE? maybe you need a snowman? I can roll one up and send it in pre-made

Your mother probably doesn't think being a farmer is as prestigious or secure as being a lawyer or doctor or whatever else she has in mind for you.

CHECK, well she seems not to have any career path in mind, as long as it won't lead to living on a farm and having a good if not whole portion of the income connected to it. It is not even that, I don't like programming, and she never ever pressured me into that, but oh well... it changed. I know that people are not supposed to change, but I did, I just do not see myself sitting in a office, 9 to 5 job. I could do some odd websites, which I sometimes do even now.

@Jamsoundsgood
I most certainly do not, I just regret the complete lack of will to even talk about it. What you should remember is, that I live in Poland, and they pay along with the EU donations to the farmers, apart from what you earn from your crop. Taxes are minimal, health care for farmers is mighty low, and If you menage to, your table can be made of about 70% of your own produce. I do have some thing I would not be able to give away just yet, like black tea. So the costs are slim to none. Considering that the firedept which is THE institution that is supposed to take care of fallen trees, often dumps that duty on willing citizens looking for free firewood, so both the electricity and heat would be provided at a low cost, adding to that a small forest of your own. There are things that I am not willing to produce like sugar, or salt, or some of the cooking herbs, rice, tea( I will try to work on that, but our climate.. hmmm )

the grand total for the land and making it work, considering there is no income made during the time from buying the land to the 5year mark, but you live after the first season mostly on your produce, is around 250,000$ that includes hatching eggs, starter rabbit herd of 3 x 3, then a starter herd of 5 sheep and a herd of 3 cows. Along with separate breed housing and run for the rabbits and chickens, couse most polish farms already have a pig or a cow barn so it would just take some refreshing.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I remember you are finishing your degree, so you would still have that to fall back on, or to make some extra income.

If you are taking good care of yourself and eating healthy, the health care wouldn't be a big issue. Could you get something equivalent to accident insurance- to cover possible injuries?

Electric companies will cut trees/limbs they consider too close to their electric lines. Fallen trees are usually the land owners problem. Or blessing, if they need the wood and it went down in a safe spot.

You might grow maple trees and make a syrup and sugar from them. Or grow some Stevia. They can be good substitutes. Maple syrup is a gourmet item here and priced accordingly.

 

[rty007]

Today I was at my friends house, he was just looking throught some photos someone sent him, and I stepped on him drooling to one saying, "check that out" and I went.. "uuuu what a cutie little lambie"
you should see his face, he turned back, looked at me like... well there are many things you could write here, but they all wouldn't quite describe this expression.
"dude... LOOK at those BOOBIES"
And I am standing there, thinking what breed the lamb could possibly be... "heee?"
"boobies, BOOBIES, one booby, second booby"
After a while I went... "oh.. yeah, I see"
He thought I was strange, to see the little lamb on that picture not the naked lady holding it: It was a naked shoot promoting some part of Austria alps I think, I can't find it now.

And I am thinking of getting myself a 12-part set of chisels, to try to make something nice, and remind myself some of the things my girlfriend tough me about woodworking. And I'll probably get a couple nice wood pieces for a beer or two from the hmm woodman? Really no idea what the name of this profession in English is. It is a guy, who takes care of a area of forest, he allows lumberjacks to cut down trees and takes money for that, checks local wildlife, and such.

 

[big brown horse]

Here we have "game wardens" and "forest rangers".

 

[FarmerDenise]

I think the closest thing to that would be a park ranger, game warden or forest ranger. Here they are mostly in charge of making sure people abide by the law, and then doing some of the ground keeping. We are not allowed to take wood from our parks.
I am assuming that Poland has a similar system as Germany. It different here.

 

[rty007]

Even though, I am just checking really, but I would like to know answers to a couple of questions about meat chickens:

1. Why do most of you, and people on BYC raise meaties during summer, while you keep your laying flock in winter under a nice sheltered run?
2. How old, for butcher time?
3. Do you keep a trio for hatching eggs or do you just buy em?
4. When you raise more then one batch of em, how do you manage the housing?
5. Is Raising meaties in winter, not an option due to their immune system being weak or just not economic, due to lack of pasture feed, or the amount of poo which meties produce that would have to be shoveled out in the cold of winter which wouldn't be fun to do.?
6. What is the percentage amount of hatching eggs to butchered birds. I am talking about not fertile eggs, birds that die during the first week or so.

 

[dragonlaurel]

We plan on raising chickens too, and I did plenty of research to try to get ready for it. I am not an expert but this is what I will do- and it seems pretty normal for a family flock. Foraging will be a large portion of my flocks diet. They will be in coop for nights and nasty weather. I will be using
natural methods, for their care and the breeding goal will be naturally healthy animals. I prefer to have a good variety of colors and types, so showing is not likely.

1) Letting the chickens eat all the free food (bugs and weeds) during the warm season, is healthier and much cheaper. When the weather gets really cold, many plants and bugs aren't available for free chicken food. Then, the farmers decide how many layers and meat birds they are willing to pay to feed through the winter. Most meat birds and really poor layers usually go to the freezer then. Feed prices tend to rise in winter too.

2) Butchering age varies by breed of chicken. Cornish X (Frankenstein-chickens) are raised a couple months but are not a hardy, easy-care bird. They are known for having a big appetite and not being very mobile. They sometimes have weak legs that wont support their body or weak hearts and die prematurely.

Many of the large, dual purpose Heritage breeds are much healthier, forage well and are considered good meat.

3) I will buy mostly pullets and a few roosters. Keep the rooster(s) we like best. Let them breed and raise the future flock. Mamas will teach and protect the baby chicks. She will have a protected spot in the coop while they are really young.

4) I plan on keeping the meat birds in a different section or a different coop. Let hubby tend them, so I don't get to know them much- and get too attached to them.

5) Old breeds tend to be strong enough for the winter if the coop is dry and not drafty. Chicks need more protection from the cold. You have to find the right balance between ventilation and drafty. Heating costs are a factor in some areas. Predators try harder if other food is scarce. Less maintenance is nice if the weather is yucky- but there will always be some to do.

6) No idea. I'll use broodies to raise them and just try to make sure they have good living conditions (and treats, so they decide to like me). We need more layers than meat birds anyway.

Edited for clarity.

 

[Farmfresh]

Even though, I am just checking really, but I would like to know answers to a couple of questions about meat chickens:

I will give you my personal answers and ideas about this stuff.

1. Why do most of you, and people on BYC raise meaties during summer, while you keep your laying flock in winter under a nice sheltered run?

I actually PREFER to raise my meaties starting them in late August or early September. My reason for this is the weather is SO hot out I barely have to use a brooder at all except for the first few week. Then the weather obligingly cools off as my meaties get bigger and fatter. This works especially great because the meaties are quite heat susceptible. I HAVE raised chickens for meat in the winter, but it is really not as cost effective. The chicken has to burn some of the feed calories that I am paying my dollars for to keep themselves warm. They gain weight faster when they are at their optimum temperature.
I also think many people raise their meaties and other chickens in the summer for the main reason most people don't plant a garden in the summer. Spring just seems to be the season for chicks. By the way I plant for that fall garden too!

2. How old, for butcher time?

This depends on what KIND of chickens you are raising. My Cornish/ White Rock cross broiler birds go from hatch to my freezer in about 40 days!! I buy my chicks from a hatchery that specializes in broilers. A heavy dual purpose breed like a Rock or an Orpington for example takes about 5 months to finish.

3. Do you keep a trio for hatching eggs or do you just buy em?

Currently I buy them. It is because of space issues however, I would love to keep a trio of birds specifically for raising my own broilers. If I had my choice I would keep a Dark Cornish roo and Delaware hens or possibly Ameraucana hens.

4. When you raise more then one batch of em, how do you manage the housing?

I often raise two batches a year. I stagger the batches so that the second batch is ready for my broiler pen about a week or two AFTER the last batch is ready to butcher.

5. Is Raising meaties in winter, not an option due to their immune system being weak or just not economic, due to lack of pasture feed, or the amount of poo which meties produce that would have to be shoveled out in the cold of winter which wouldn't be fun to do.?

Raising meaties in the warmer months is a definite plus, as far as food is concerned. As long as you have grazing and fresh plant matter available to offer it provides good nutrition AND lowers the cost of food in general. The more grazing involved the cheaper the meat is to produce.

6. What is the percentage amount of hatching eggs to butchered birds. I am talking about not fertile eggs, birds that die during the first week or so.

I usually buy between 25 and 32 day old chicks in a batch. It is unusual for me to lose more that 2 or 3.

 

[rty007]

thank you both very much

further on, on chickens

would hatching eggs survive the trip over the big puddle? couse I really seam to have trouble finding the breeds I want.

OR if anyone is from UK and I am sure There is someone but I can't remember who, maybe they have some online hatcheries which would ship to Poland?