What I've Learned Since 2008

I have learned a lot in the past 2 1/2 - 3 years of homesteading. I still have a lot of learning to do, but I thought I would share what I have learned thus far that might be useful to other beginner homesteaders! 

About Livestock:

My favorite livestock on the homestead are definitely - and probably obviously -  goats. I will never be without them if I have any say at all in the matter. God forbid something awful happen that would rid me of these wonderful creatures. They provide delicious milk, which can also be made into anything you could make with cow milk (including butter!) while not overwhelming small acreages with too-large animals, and they're just plain fun! 

Goat Pros: These little critters pack a lot of personality and usefulness into small packages. They are a perfect source of milk for people who want a smaller animal than a cow that also has a lot of personality and are just plain fun to have around. (Don't get me wrong, I aspire to own cows one day in the distant future, but I still love my goats and they will probably always be my favorite.) They can also function as very useful weed eaters and provide fertilizer.  

Goat Cons: Goats can require more maintenance, depending on where you live and how your pasture situation is set up. Some people can successfully feed does, even in milk, browse and alfalfa pellets with light sunflower seeds on the side in the Summer, and then add grass hay in the winter. However, my pastures aren't to that point yet. I'm working toward it, but it takes time. If you have a pasture that is currently lacking like mine, you will need to feed grass hay nearly year round as well as pellets and grain. Also, goats will need loose minerals and baking soda free-choice, as well as hoof trimming, de-worming, and - in most areas - copper and selenium supplementation. Some goats are easy keepers and seem to get fat on air, while others take a bit more TLC. I would suggest breeding for hardy qualities.

To Sum it Up: Goats are generally low-maintenance once you get the hang of it, but they can also be more expensive if you don't have adequate browse. The learning curve is steep, and it is easy to get too many too fast and become overwhelmed. However, if you're willing to do quarterly hoof trimming (sometimes more often, sometimes less), and supplement minerals and hay if you don't have browse, they are definitely worth having around. Breed for hardiness to encourage animals that don't need care above and beyond the norm. 

Everyone should have chickens. These are extremely easy to care for and house, provide fresh meat and eggs, and are fun to watch as they go about their chicken business. They also come in seemingly endless breeds and mixes, so you can find one that suits your tastes and needs or do what I do and have a mixed flock for the variety. 

Chicken Pros: These birds are easy to house and super inexpensive to keep. They are at their most expensive when they are chicks and need to be specially taken care of and cannot forage for themselves yet. They do very well when free ranging and only need light supplementation (again, this depends on your situation and how much space you have for them). I like to give mine table and garden scraps. (I do not give them meat scraps.) They lay tasty eggs with or without a rooster, and their eggs are healthier for you if they have access to grass. Sometimes hens will even become broody and hatch their eggs for you, if you have a rooster to fertilize them. They can also be put in a "tractor" and moved around the areas you need fertilized for your garden (or you can collect the fertilizer the old fashioned way, with a scoop).

Chicken Cons: Chickens are very vulnerable to predators. You either must keep them completely enclosed or expect some losses. Some livestock guardians can be used with chickens, but some cannot. 

To Sum it Up: Everyone should own chickens. Regardless of whether you live in a rural area where they can have room to run or on an one acre lot where they must be cooped, they are a real asset. Beware of stray dogs, hawks, and other natural predators. 

You should only have horses if you really love them. Horses can be useful and fun, but they are also very expensive. If you aren't really a horse person and you don't have a real use for them, forgo horses. 

Horse Pros: Horses can be like big puppy dogs. They can also keep large areas mowed for you. If you really want to actually make them useful, you can ride them, use them to cultivate your garden areas, use their manure for your garden, or even use them for transportation or rounding up cattle if you live in areas and situations where that is applicable. 

Horse Cons: Horse are very, very expensive. Unless you truly use them as livestock or really have a bond with them and love to ride, they will never truly give back anything even close to what you spend on them. They eat a lot and you have to have a really superb pasture system to even try to get away with pasture feeding them in the spring and summer. They are prone to colic (some more than others), and their hoof care must be done by farriers. 

To Sum it Up: I am not trying to badmouth horses. However, I could personally do without them and sometimes they seem like more trouble than they are worth. If my circumstances were different, where I could ride them more often, put them to use, or actually have enough pasture to keep them healthy without my family having to buy untold amounts of feed and hay constantly, then I might feel differently and not find myself frustrated with them so often. Don't get me wrong, I do love them, but I wish that I had a better situation for them and myself. If you don't have really great pastures, a real use for them, or a real horse spirit, then skip them or the upkeep for them will leave you frustrated. 

Honorary "Livestock" Mention: Dogs. Dogs are called man's best friend for a reason. I would personally never be without a dog.

Dog Pros: Dogs come in different breeds, all of which have different purposes they were bred for. With this in mind, lets make a quick list of useful skills dogs can have: Livestock or personal protection (guarding), intruder alert (watch dogs), retrieving, hunting (large game, small game, rodents), herding, special needs care (seeing eye dogs, for example), and simple companionship. Dogs are very smart and can be trained to do tons of things. Different breeds excel in different areas, but mutts can be useful, too. I personally have dogs for companionship, intruder alert, and guarding. 

Dog Cons: Feeding dogs is pretty expensive, since there is no way to even supplement their feed (they can't graze, for example, and table scraps are generally bad for them in excess). Due in part to overpopulation and poor breeding, some individual specimens can be prone to behavior problems or health problems, and they may not live up to the standards of their breed if they were not actually bred to the standards of their breed. It is great to rescue dogs since so many are put to sleep due to overpopulation, but sometimes, depending on the purpose they are for, that can pose a risk. For example, I personally wouldn't trust a rescue dog with my livestock. Sometimes it is important to know the history of the dog's genetics. However, for pretty much anything that didn't involve my livestock, I would rescue.

To Sum it Up: Dogs make great companions and can really help out around your home. They can even help keep you safe. Watch out for puppy mills or problem dogs, and rescue if at all possible.

Miscellaneous Livestock Tips:  

• Don't expect to be able to purchase your animals and jump right into the perfect situation, with wonderful pastures, beautiful fences, and all your goals met immediately. There will be set backs. I wasn't able to start milking my goats until this Spring, and I'm still only milking two. Things are still not exactly as I would like them. It takes time to really get things into the flow that you want them to be.
• Don't get too many of anything at once. It is so easy to get overwhelmed. 
• Know what you want and work towards that. Don't settle for less than what will get you headed in the direction that you want to be going. Be willing to recognize when an animal you may not have wanted to sell really does need to go because they no longer suite your needs. I know it can be hard, but eventually you will find that you can't afford to keep everything.

Tips About Homesteading in General:

• Mulch, mulch, mulch! You will lose that beautiful garden to weeds if you don't!
• Raised beds are more expensive upfront, but so much easier in the long run.
• Do something productive every day that you can. I know it's hard when you have school or work to worry about, much less a social life of any sort, but just find something you can do on any day that you are able. No one wants to spend 100% of their time doing the same thing, and that is totally acceptable, but it will make things easier in the long run if you clean, plant, harvest, build, repair, etc a little at a time rather than saving it all for a designated Saturday.
• Sunday is your day of rest. Whether you are religious or not, this is a good rule to live by. I know I just said to do something everyday, but Sunday is an exception. Only do you what you either a) must or b) really enjoy on Sunday. Let your mind and body rest. Read a good book, watch a movie, or just do whatever makes you happy and helps you relax. I am very guilty of not observing a rest day, and boy I certainly feel it for the rest of the week when I don't. 
• Be. Patient. I know it's hard not to rushrushrush and pushpushpush for things to be *just so* right now!, but it will never happen that quickly. Good things come to those who wait.
• Don't worry about what other people think. Yes, it will hurt when you feel ostracized or looked down on by the people who you care about and who choose to be more modern than you want to be, and yes, they will not understand and they will say things that hurt you. Just move past it. Be at peace with your life. Know why you live the way you do, accept that not everyone (or maybe even not anyone you know in person) will be100% understanding or supportive, and move on. This one is very important if you are at all like me and seek the approval of others and have a hard time not taking things too personally.
• Plant not only what you eat, but also what grows well for you. Blackberries and blueberries are great berry plants for this area. I have more or less neglected my blackberries for as long as I've had them, and they still love me. I finally mulched them this year. That's as much care as they've gotten. Don't try to grow water-loving plants in the desert, or a late season crop if you're first frost is in August. Fighting nature's natural tendencies will just make more work for you. 
• Do it if you love it. This should be a rule you live by. If you hate something...why do it? Some people love horses. They breed them and their lives are richer for it. I am not that person, and therefore I don't intend to breed horses. Many, many people swear by rabbits as a homestead staple. I bred them once and found that I honestly just didn't enjoy it and don't intend to do it again, despite the fact that many sources say no homestead is complete without rabbits. Don't do something just because you think you should, because it's in vogue, or because you think it will make you more money. Obviously you won't love every single part of everything you do, but you should enjoy the things you do in general. This is true of everything in life, not just homesteading. Don't become a lawyer or a doctor because they can make a lot of money. In the end, you should wake up most mornings looking forward to what you have to do, whatever it is.

-Rach in Wonderland

Exult in Tribulation: The Year so Far

Hi there. I know I said in my last entry that I wouldn't focus on negativity, but I have decided to recap some of the more...dramatic...events my year has held so far. Unfortunately, most of the dramatic events have been dramatically awful. In any case, I don't intend for this entry to be a "downer." I simply want to go through and explain a few of the things that have happened this year, and then move on to my goals for the rest of the year and even on into next year. I'll start with the bad news first, then move onto the good.

Let me make it clear, before I begin, that I choose to take trials in stride to the best of my ability. As Hank Hill from "King of the Hill" would suggest, I take my feelings and shove them into my stomach. Actually, I let myself grieve for a brief stint and then I attempt to just move on with life. I know that there are those who would find that calloused, but it isn't; it's just the way I deal with things. Don't let my matter-of-fact account of heartbreak fool you into thinking that my heart does not indeed break when I suffer losses, because it most certainly does. I am not heartless and unfeeling. I just recognize that there is no sense moping or giving up, and that there is always a silver lining - always. "All things work out for the good of those who love God." Sometimes that verse is hard to apply to life, but we must face the fact that bad things happen in a fallen world, but if nothing else they allow us to learn from mistakes, build up a tougher skin for life's future heartaches, and empathize with others. That's not to say that I by any means feel bad for ten minutes and move on. I obviously feel bad for longer periods of time. It's just that life goes on. I can't lay in bed and cry 24/7 because life threw some lemons into my eyeballs.

Anywho, onto my recap. The past five months have not been easy ones. I will try to list things briefly and just give an overview rather than a step-by-step novel. First, at the beginning of the year, my mother was hospitalized for pneumonia. She is all better now, but that was clearly stressful. Following that, my bottle-baby, Marli-roo, died. It is my belief that she was suffocated or crushed, though we did not have a necropsy done. Following that, my friend and I stopped at a wreck and had to witness a man burning to death inside of a car. It wasn't anyone I knew, but I still had a massive panic attack. I have never seen another person literally being killed before my eyes...I wouldn't wish to ever witness something like that again. Thankfully, it wasn't graphic; the flames were so big that we couldn't see much inside the vehicle. Anywho, moving right along...after that, all but two of my hens and my one rooster were killed by my neighbor's dogs. Said neighbor was notified of the issues, but did not do anything to rectify the situation or keep her dogs on her property. We should have been more forceful, because some time later, after the remaining chickens were made more secure, the dogs caught our little Pomeranian dog, Bree, and killed her. I am honestly glad that I was asleep when it happened, but I do regret that my parents had to see it and take her to the vet, where she passed. Bree did absolutely nothing to deserve that, and honestly, I'm still very angry. Following that, my doe Rumor went into labor on my best friend's birthday. What should have been exciting and happy ended up being scary and sad. I had to bring her into the vet for an emergency c-section, and we lost both of the babies. I'm glad Rumor herself was able to be saved, but still...I will probably have that poor little boy that almost made it stuck in my mind for a while yet. I was holding him and rubbing him to help him wake up from the drugs, but he was only taking intermittent gasps of air and he eventually died in my lap. I guess the trauma and the drugs were too much for the tiny thing. That was my fault...if I had recognized the problem sooner and brought her in sooner, he and his sister might have lived. I can't undo that, though, but at least I have learned. After all of that, my baby girl, Lucky the Pomeranian, has a tumor in her mammary tissue. I've had her since she was just a little bitty thing, and have actually known her since she was born. I got her when I was 13 or 14, I'd have to look at her papers to be sure. In any case, this tumor has to be dealt with and it's making me sick with worry. Hopefully it will be benign and surgery will go well, especially given her age. I am taking her in to another vet this week for a second opinion and surgery.

That all brings me to today, or tomorrow, rather. Tomorrow, Rumor will go to her new home along with Pumpkin. I never wanted to sell Rumor. She and Ariel were the second two does I added to my herd after Brownie and Sandy. I didn't even have a true "herd" before I added them, actually. Rumor is just the sweetest, most docile little thing and I wanted to keep her around forever... but, after her c-section, I realized that she would be better off in a pet home than living in my herd as a pet. I have two reasons for that. First of all, my herd has always ostracized her and it's only gotten worse as the herd has grown. They are really downright mean to her, and she's so docile that she can hardly stand up for herself. Secondly, the vet was unable to do even a partial hysterectomy on her during the c-section, which means that as long as I have bucks on my property there is a chance of her getting accidentally bred without me noticing in time to terminate the pregnancy, and that could honestly kill her. So, I decided she would be better off in a pet home with a smaller group, no bucks, and no future plans to breed. Luckily I have found just such a home with a very nice lady who will be keeping Rumor and Pumpkin just as pets and lives very near here. Unfortunately, it breaks my heart to see her go. This year is the first in which I have lost goats to death and the first in which I've had to make such a hard decision about letting a favorite go. I am going to miss her sweet, sweet personality terribly.

At times, this year has stressed me to the point that I have contemplated quitting the whole "having animals" thing all together. It doesn't surprise me at all that many people give up on owning goats after their third year. Here it is my third year of owning them, and they have seemingly kicked me in my hindquarters. The learning curve of goats is perhaps the steepest of all animals. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent reading books, magazines, websites, and forums about goats, plus the hands on experience and talking to other seasoned breeders, and yet some days I feel like I don't know much more than I knew starting out. There is always so much to learn with these things! There have definitely been several times I have had to remind myself why I am doing this at all. However, I feel like the trade off is worth it. To know goats is to love them, truly. There is no species on this planet quite like goats and I can't honestly imagine my life without them. The importance of preserving heritage breeds is also still at the back of my mind, and the importance of providing myself and my family with healthy dairy products from a humane source devoid of growth hormones and unnecessary antibiotics is always at the forefront of my thoughts as well. Regardless, I truly love my goats and I think it's probably pretty plain that I wouldn't still own them if I didn't. There is a saying that says, "There are two types of people: Those that can leave the farm and those that can't. If you can leave, you should." That is so true, especially of goats.

Well, now that I have likely sucked the joy right out of you, on to the good news! I have added two lovely does this year. One is Abby, whom I have already told you about, and the other is Tira. Tira is a Minimancha, which is a cross between a LaMancha and a Nigerian Dwarf, and the sweetest thing you will ever meet. Her milk stand manners are to die for, and she is just a joy to be around. I am very excited about delving into the world of MiniManchas. What first truly drove me to them was the issue of Rumor's tiny pelvis. I thought, "Y'know, I bet the MiniManchas have a lower chance of having that problem, since they are crossed with a standard breed." However, after researching the breed, I am truly falling in love with the little "ear-less wonders." (They actually have ears, they are just very small.) Nigerian Dwarves in the mix shrink down the large size of the LaManchas into a more manageable mid-size animal and also add a higher butterfat content to the milk and possible year round breeding. LaManchas add the adorable t-niny ears, a very sweet and docile personality, and higher production yields. Whereas Nigerians produce, on average, between one and two quarts a day, a MiniMancha's average yield should be between 1/2-one gallon of milk a day ideally. LaManchas are also the only dairy breed developed in America. I am currently in the process of re-evaluating my herd toward dairy production, and the addition of the Minis will certainly help that. I also think it will be exciting to be a part of the development of a newish breed.

I am, thankfully, done with kidding for the year (I do not need any more stress this year!). I have plans in my head of which direction I would like my herd to go in next year, but for now, I am done adding animals either through purchase or birth. I intend to conquer my Summer class (which I regret adding more and more each day the closer it gets...but I have sound reasoning for it), and then take the month of July to actually relax and enjoy Summer. My Spring and early Summer has been so hectic that I've just felt an almost constant sense of being overwhelmed and anxious. It will be nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy some homemade ice cream and cajeta (both made of goat milk, of course!) in July before fall classes swoop in to make me crazy again. That is not to mention the sewing, preserving, gardening, and soap making I intend to be doing, of course. =) I also hope to save enough money to afford to buy the used parts and assemble myself a milk machine prior to October, when I have a trip to Alabama planned.

Well, I will leave you all with a Bible verse that I stumbled upon by "chance" (or perhaps divine intervention) while reading my Bible one night that has really stayed close to my heart ever since.




"Not only so, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been proud within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:3-5




Also, before I go, I would like to share a picture of Marli and a picture of Bree in memoriam. They will be sorely missed....






Marli-Roo




Bree.

(I know that's a silly picture, but that was just her personality.)




-Rachel in Wonderland

Wonderful Herbs

    There are any number of negative things that I could post about today. For instance, I could talk about how thoroughly disappointed I am that Rumor had to have an emergency c-section and both babies were lost. I could talk about how the area surrounding mine is flooding, or how many people are likely to lose their belongings due to flooding here and in other areas around the Mississippi River....but, I won't. Not any more than I already have, at least. Why? Because there is still so much to look  forward to, and so much good in life! Yes, bad things happen and this has been a particularly rough year already, but that's okay. Every cloud has a silver lining, and "all things work out for the good of those who love God." 
    So, instead of complaining, I'm going to talk about my garden and how well it is doing! My tomatoes and peppers have all made it through the storm. My onions, cucumbers, and carrots are sprouting. My potatoes, eggplants, and squash are in the ground and doing well. I planted more onion sets today. My herbs are absolutely flourishing. I love their low-maintenance attributes, and I also love their flavorful, aromatic, and - in some cases - medicinal qualities. This year gardening has been more enjoyable than it has ever been for me before. Mountain Rose Herbs is having a giveaway, and part of the requirements to enter was to blog about your most powerful experience in the garden or in the wild....but how can I choose just one? I have had so many wonderful, even moving, experiences in nature and in my garden. Just breathing in the essence of being outdoors is enough to calm the senses and make you feel at one with nature and closer to the Creator than you could ever feel trapped inside of a stuffy, artificially lit building. I encourage anyone reading to go out and start a garden, if you haven't already got one. Try planting herbs! They're so easy and so rewarding, and many of them have another added bonus - attracting pollinators. For example, the larvae of a certain butterfly feed off of dill, and bees and butterflies love bee balm (never would've guessed, would you? Hehe.). Oh, another good one to try is stevia - if you enjoy sweet tea but don't enjoy calories, grow stevia and use it to sweeten your tea. It is a very sweet, very strong, natural sweetener! No calories, no chemicals! Herbs are amazing things. Mountain Rose Herb's website is a great place to go learn about them, too. 
    Also, check out this cool giveaway, and the information about Rootstalk! If you live in that neck of the woods, it would be an awesome thing to attend! Mountain Rose Herb Rootstalk Giveaway
    -Rach in Wonderland 

April Showers Bring May Flowers...And Abigails!

    It has quite literally "come up a flood" in my area this month. In fact, it's been storming like crazy all over this general area. The levee in Poplar Bluff, Mississippi has failed, there are several roads closed in my county in Tennessee due to flooding, and Arkansas and Alabama have been hammered by tornadoes and severe storms. We've had our share of severe weather in West Tennessee, too. Shelby county got it worse than us, however. My grandmother's area has trees down - even on houses - in almost every yard. We did get a large tree on our fence in the back pasture - thank goodness that it wasn't in the goats' area, or they all would have hopped ship!
    All the bad news of storms aside, however, there is good news to be had. I picked up a new doe earlier this month. Her name is McCord Clan Farms Abigail; Abby for short. She is a lovely calico doe, and is very flashy in coloring. I have also been milking her, and she has been very well behaved! She is a darling sweet thing. She was nursing a single prior to coming here, and I can only milk once a day, so her production isn't as much as it could be. I did get 3/4 of a cup today, so it is rising! It was at 1/2 of a cup previously. If she could pick up and give me one cup a day, considering the circumstances and how often I can milk, I would be exceedingly happy. I keep trying to think of how I could milk twice a day, but I just don't know how I can do that along with school. Not without milking in the dark, at least, and I have no milk room and no electricity in the barn, that is not an option. She behaves really well for having never been before! She's put up with my learning curve quite well. At first, I thought I would never get the hang of it, but it eventually clicked. I'd like to pick up more speed, but milking uses new muscles and such; just like beginning a new work out, I have to allow time for the muscles in my hands to strengthen. With time and experience, hopefully I can get my time down under 30 minutes. I am very pleased with the taste of her milk, and I am pleased by the fact that I can make butter simply by shaking her whole milk in a jar until the butter clumps form! How simple! Not to mention the fact that I can now provide wholesome milk for my parents and I, which is what I've wanted and been working toward since the beginning. I didn't expect it to take this long, but at least I have reached my goal! It has certainly lit a fire underneath me, and now I can't wait to be able to milk more does.
    I am also planning on adding a MiniMancha doe sometime in the near future, and branching out into that cross breed (LaManchas X Nigerians) as well as keeping my Nigerians. My mother and I both like LaManchas (I prefer Nigerians above all, but LaManchas are a close second for me), but, with only five acres and having to share that space with horses as well, there simply isn't room here for a herd of full size LaManchas. That's the beauty of MiniManchas; they, on average, produce a bit more and are a bit bigger than Nigerians, but they are still in a smaller package than a full sized LaMancha. I'll keep you posted on my progress in that direction.
   My garden is also coming on nicely, or at least what I have started of it. I have three raised beds containing herbs, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and strawberries and a container with cucumbers that are just starting to sprout. My "old" already established strawberries are blooming (and admittedly a little out of hand!), as well as my blackberries. I have my seed potatoes cut and the ground prepared; they will be planted tomorrow after their cuts have healed completely. It is a little late for potatoes, but weather has not permitted me to get them in the ground before now. I'm hopeful that they will still do well enough. This year I am experimenting with many different gardening practices: Raised beds, lasagna gardening, container veggies, and succession planting. I'm excited and hopeful to see how they work out!
    Until next time!
    Rachel in Wonderland