Tuco's journey from "total-reliance" to "self-sufficient"

[Tuco]

I had never thought of quail before. I'll have to look into that. I'm already considering chickens and catfish in addition to rabbits. Perhaps ducks too.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Forgot to mention that they're really easy to butcher too. From live bird to skinned and gutted carcass - with a little practice - maybe 5 minutes.

 

[sumi]

@TwoCrows keeps quail. She can tell you more about them and what they need. I hear their eggs are lovely for eating and you don't have to wait months for them to start laying, unlike chickens.

Check out the rabbit section on our sister site for more info on raising them etc: http://www.backyardherds.com/#rabbits.78

 

[TwoCrows]

If you are thinking of getting into quail, start with Coturnix quail. They mature up at 8 or 9 weeks of age and start laying or are ready for butchering. If you use some for breeding and use an incubator, (it is rare that quail go broody), you can turn them over very quickly and have a good source of meat on the table at all times. This breed of quail is a good starter quail, easy to handle and are quite domesticated compared to other breeds of quail.

If you are interested I can tell you more about raising them and what they need.

 

[Tuco]

Here is a rundown of many of the things I'd like to do on my (future) urban homestead. I may not implement everything listed here, it's just a starting point from which I can determine what is going to work best for me. I've been scouring the web, and whenever I find an information resource that I find is particularly good, I'll add it here.

TUCO'S RESOURCE GUIDE
A Work In Progress
​

ENERGY
SOLAR POWER http://www.sufficientself.com/threads/6000-off-grid-whole-house-solar-system.14082/

SOLAR HEATER

WIND GENERATOR

WOOD BURNING STOVE/ROCKET MASS HEATER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZQdu2wNi4

LIVESTOCK
BATS (to take care of the skeeters. not really livestock, but, let's keep all the animals listed together. I won't be "raising" them either, just "attracting" them) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaE693An_mU

BEES
How To Keep Bees, The Basics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8WZ-Mo17hM
Homemade Honey Extractor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiQrSuaSaVg

CATFISH/TILAPIA AQUAPONICS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv4k57DBClg

CHICKENS
Chicken Tractor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTfgmeId7mM

DUCKS

EARTHWORMS
http://www.permies.com/t/1135/composting/Vermiculture-Worm-composting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SuBT7SukdI

GOATS

QUAIL

RABBITS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1sEpGxeTsg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR2Ink1ovE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PZh_gadbDY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXAhzfqhMNE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7tJO-IP0Jk



GARDENING
KEYHOLE GARDENS

BACK TO EDEN: http://vimeo.com/28055108

RUTH STOUT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNU8IJzRHZk

COMPOST
Compost bins http://backyardfeast.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/how-to-build-the-ultimate-compost-bin/

GREENHOUSE

HUGELKULTUR

PERMACULTURE

WATER
GREYWATER SYSTEM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBMpaWq4EKE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1DfNlxlk-A

RAINWATER COLLECTION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Rubm0tU4U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSV7oP43Fi8

WATER PURIFICATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYG_TLoI9O4

SOLAR WATER HEATER

MISC PROJECTS
BLACKSMITHING

COB (for Rocket Mass Heater, and perhaps some decorative things in garden like benches)

COMPOSTING TOILET (if I went totally off the grid)

SMOKEHOUSE

SOLAR FOOD DEHYDRATOR

SAW MILL

 

[baymule]

Bear in mind that you want to do this on a small property within the city limits. I'm thinking a house on a lot? Chickens are great, I have 20 hens and I live just blocks from downtown in my small town. But no roosters. They crow. They crow a lot. They would draw unwanted attention and annoy the neighbors. Local feed stores always have chicks in the spring or you can order from a hatchery. I wouldn't strike chickens off the list because of roosters.

Ducks. I ordered 20 ducks this spring to raise for the freezer. 17 Pekins and 3 fawn and white Runner ducks just for giggles and grins. Pekins are LOUD! They NEVER SHUT UP! Ducks also do not sleep at night like a chicken does. They stay up all night and QUACK at any and all noises such as a leaf falling out of a tree, or the dog walked by their run or a dog on the next block barked. I was never so glad to cut the heads off any animals as I was those Pekins. They are delicious BTW. The Runners are much quieter, but if you wanted really quiet ducks, get Muscovies. They don't quack, they hiss.

Rabbits. Quiet. Easy to raise, you would need to buy pellets, hay, or grains. Hard to raise enough to feed a rabbitry.

Immediately plant fruit trees, berries, grapes and nut trees. If you plant the right fruit trees and berries, you can have something bearing fruit from late spring to early winter.

https://www.willisorchards.com/

http://www.treesofantiquity.com/

http://centuryfarmorchards.com/

http://www.greenmantlenursery.com/fruit/rosetta-apples.htm

 

[Denim Deb]

You can also attract swallows and bluebirds. Both of those will also eat insects and will be out during the day. Swallows like to have a house up in the air, bluebirds like to be down lower.

You can also put in a small, shallow pond. Don't put any fish in it, but have plants. You'll get frogs and dragonflies. Both the tadpoles and the dragonfly larvae are aquatic will eat mosquito larvae, and the adults will eat the adults.

 

[goatgurl]

@baymule thanks for the apple info and girl you need to get muscovies, quiet and tasty too. i get so tickled at people who visit and think the duck is 'gonna get them' because muscovies hiss, of course i almost never laugh out loud tho. that would be rude, lol
@Tuco, kiddo you're gonna need more room if you plan to raise all of the above and the food you give them too. but after you have a place you will be able to decide what is the most important to you so keep the research and it will all come together

 

[baymule]

@goatgurl I plan on getting muscovies. I want the big white ones with blue eyes. I still have the trio of Runners, but I think I will get rid of them before we move. We bought a house on 8 acres 160 miles north of where we are now. I will be able to have a rooster too!

 

[goatgurl]

@baymule i love my roosters! they start to crow before daylight and go all day long. one of them starts to crow when my sister turns on the bathroom light at her house in the middle of the night. aggravates her when she has her windows open but since i can barely hear it at my house I'm ok with it. mean i know, I'm the bad sister but it is my property. i also have the buck goat who smells to high heaven right now as well as the pig that will be going to freezer camp soon. she tells me about it ever now and then...
and white muscovies with blue eyes??? never have seen one but they would look so much better than a pink eyed one. all of mine are chocolate except elvis and he is black with a white head. i would love to find some blue ones. i am a blue fan. have some blue marans that i love so blue ducks would fit right in.