The Great Disconnect.... The Propaganda Lie

I understand that posting and promoting ideas lead people to follow me in many ways. It is also a powerful tool and comes with rules on how to direct people and share with them, in my case it is about living a more self sufficient life at the level you want to.

Perhaps I am taking this more serous than I should? A man saved $300.00 dollars his first month dehydrating. He started using the food right away and stretched it out over a few months, while buying everything on sale at the peak freshness time he could get it at. With a few directions, my sound advice buy only what you will like and eat, and pick up Mary Bells book found in my recommended reads section. Tweek the recipes that fit your taste buds after you make it her way. He continues his approach and now is putting soups and casseroles up in Mason Jars for long term storage, easy one step meals, and for gifts.

There is a woman living in Houston that took clothes back and bought a dehydrator, started doing some of my recipes, and for the first time in 20 years slept the whole night without wakening up. Her sleep patterns have come back, as stress from feeling helpless herself went away and she found freedom. As she followed some of my recipes, her children liked the food so much that they jumped in and now it is a family event.

Another community member was brought back out of a long term depression when I inspired her to start gardening again this year. As she dug her garden, she had a sense that her lost loved one was there with her encouraging her to move forward with her life.

A second story row house owner in Baltimore Maryland, took her second story balcony that is 3x6 and has turned it into a urban garden. She produced enough tomatoes to can herself seven pints of stewed tomatoes. We know that seven pints isn't going to sustain her very long, but she mastered two skills. Now she has decided to sell her place and looking for a small house with a little bit of land.

Each one of these people have been disconnected, and through me, connected back to who they are. If I only helped these people I have done my job. This is about eating real food, getting close to your food source. Being independent with your own food and understanding how that food needs to be processed. 

People are miles away from their food today, I don't blame the people. I would be a fool to think like that, instead I blame the Government, big food, pharmaceutical, and advertising companies for their role.

Products that feature a family pulls at our idea of wholesome, close focused and caring. Words like Farm Fresh relate to the quality as if it were grown on a wholesome farm. Some people think meat is grown in soil, or it is all a product of the store or man made. Stop laughing at me, I am serous people really do think like this. They are so disconnected from their food that they are completely clueless.

I still use open sites as well as a scope, and I get up close and personal with my wild game food. I raise chickens and process them for food. They taste totally different than what you buy and eat. They are also a different breed other than "broilers". I have three coops, one is a retirement home, one is a laying coop, the last is for chickens that will be eaten for food.

All those pictures and photos of factory farmed food being from a healthy family owned farm are completely misleading. The pictures on packages, wording and commercials paint a obscure picture of how healthy their food is. In fact the very food you eat is sustaining you in the short term while adding pounds of chemicals into your body. In some cases the food you buy is "food like" and I can physically prove that to you. Buy Heirloom tomato seeds, grow a plant in a pot, harvest that fruit, and side by side do your own taste test with a store bought tomato.

Veggies that you eat look perfect and are HUGE due to GMO science, and your body is paying for it, look at how fat we are, look at how many products have corn syrup in them. Why is Juice called juice when it has only 3% concentrated juice? Why are people getting sicker, and for 2000 plus years we didn't have all these problems? What does real corn taste like?

I am not buying what their selling, and at some point I had to say no way, I have had enough. Today I ate a tomato that was organic seed and grown the same. My mind was happy, happy, happy...

The Chicken Strategy, Chickens are Smart!!

Do you remember the story of wrong way Whooten I told you about when I was a child? Basically it was about a duck that was born around our pond, I believe in the end he was left by his familyu and was the only little duck left. Well, the fellow had a bad sense of direction like most men. So he swam backwards but walked forward, yeah go figure right.

So, ok, now I have a new story to tell you happening here on the homestead... LOL... Pretty good one too.

So out of the old flock we have two hens, one is still laying and one continues to peck at the others eggs and breaks them open. I have supplemented their feed and have done everything I know to keep her from doing such a thing. But she continues to carry on her hate until the other day..

The hens were shouting their chicken alarms and so we checked in on them. When the door was opened, there she was in all her glory.......

So she has been pushing the lid off a few times, once we didn't put it back on because we never found any poo in there so figured we would keep it off.

She was safely removed from her troubled position being stuck in the top part of the feeder.... Then, to our amazement she was doing something pretty smart. She was protecting her eggs from the other hen that keeps breaking them open.

By laying her eggs down in the can, the other hen can't reach them to break them open. So, we decided to make a plan to test this theory to see if this was a self taught, survival of the species skill. Now a week later, she continues to lay eggs in there, but if filled up to much she will lay in the nesting box where the other hen continues to break them...... 

Eggtastic Homesteading With Chickens

People talk about the hundred dollar egg when I tell them that I raise chickens for eggs. As you know, there is a lot more to raising chickens than just getting eggs.

To me, anything labeled organic is worth looking into, and anything that the Government says organic or free range isn't really what might be in there. People that raise their own chickens can tell some of you that your eggs that you buy and homegrown eggs taste different, and they do.I know that my chickens eat a very healthy diet and are very happy birds. I know that the egg I am eating is a good quality egg.

I also enjoy having the chickens around as pets, they develop their own personalities as well as teach children about caring and responsibility. When good food goes in a couple good things come out, eggs and poop. We eat the eggs, and I use the poop in my garden.

Chickens will also come to you if your outside and want to see if you have something good for them to eat. My kids have learned to keep a little scratch in their pockets, and like dogs, the chickens will come calling if they see you.

Nested in our hand paint Gourd bowl is our first batch of eggs from our second flock.

....................Click the picture to enlarge it.....................

Real Homesteding For Real People, DANGER! (Graphic PG-13)

For most people here you understand how I live and the reasons why I live the way I do. It is a system that balances on many factors, some I can control, some I can't.

I know I have had ONE egg fried and savored in the last two months. No pancakes, no Souffles, no cakes, nothing that requires a egg. Sadly my old flock is in its senior years, and the girls are beyond their hot flashes and have just about stopped laying. I would cull them, but their are our first flock and I said I would only cull them if it made them live more comfy.

The new flock has had a Rooster, a kind gentle Silkie. I didn't know he had fight in him, but now I know he does, and he is ready to defend the flock.

Growing up on a Farm, you understand sometimes bad things happen. In order to secure the problem you have to look at the evidence and decide how and what happened. Even when you look at what is there before you, it isn't what it seems.

Joshua came in and mentioned he saw a Red-Tail Hawk looming in the trees near the coop and he saw one dead chicken and other stuff. We had just come home from Church and I was cooking lunch, but it was a Homesteaders worst fear, grabbing the gun to defend what is yours. I will defend my way of living and my food including my animals.

Wait... You can't shoot at a Hawk against the law, but my thoughts were different as he said he saw a dead chicken. I knew it wasn't a Hawk, a Hawk would carry its pray off to eat... But I knew that the killer was near and close by. I thought a dog was near by, and if lived by me and your dog entered my property line and killed my chickens, I would kill your dog. I have no relationship with your dog, my dog has been trained to guard the chickens and not harm them.

So as the evidence was there, a dead chicken laid at my feet, I looked at the method of killing and looked around the pen. It was the scene of horror for a chicken, a real reason why they are so skittish by nature. Piles of feathers, each pile near or around the edge of the fence.

I figured if a coon had made the kills, I would find more dead chickens as I had 7 still missing. I ruled out a yottie, and then a weasel was considered. I didn't know so we recovered the live chickens secured them.

After lunch I went out to look around and decided to make my "chicken call" just in case the girls had escaped some how and made a run for it... What do you know, they did, and they were still alive and called back to me!! Scared, but still alive, the Araucana ran to me (we are friends) and so she was happy and settled up in my arms. I called out to Danielle and Jessica to help me, I told Joshua where to go. We got four of them, the other three had been hurt pretty bad by the feathers in the pen. By evening they showed up ready for food and water.

I suspect a young coon came in and the rooster defended the flock while many of the got away. We did loose one chicken, and she was buried as she died unexpected and was honored.

The great news is that the girls have started to lay!!

Re-Claiming and Makng Useful Stuff (Pictures)

There is a lot to be said about keeping things you "might" use in the near future, then comes along the rules of how long to keep it. I know on at least a half dozen times, I have stuck to the rules. But wouldn't you know it in the near future I would need it. Sometimes, that is my luck... So I decided how rare or how many things could I use it for and what was the chance I was going to include it in a project.

I had some manure delivered a couple years ago, and the driver backed into my gate and crushed it, breaking off the post it was attached to. After bartering, I got another load for free and replaced the gate but I held onto the crushed one.

It was a 12 foot gate and too large to store, so I cut it down, did some tree pulling on it to pull out the bends as best I could. I attached a come-a-long with a strap around a large wild cherry tree and the other end to another big tree. Using a nylon industrial/farm strap, I positioned it several times along with the other strap to pull out the kinks. Some I couldn't get out, some I just repaired.

After I repaired them, I stored them away in my out building for a few years. They were out of the way because I hadn't remembered them until I needed them. When I built the new coop pen, I used both of the now two parts for entrance and exit gates as you will see.

 So each gate would have been around $70 retail or more, and the installation went quickly. 

Now the finished product is keeping my Silky Roo in with his girls and the critters out!

Chicken Popsicle Hydrate Them With Water and Scraps

In the hot, dog days of summer, I am canning outside trying to keep the house cool. Nothing says farm work to me like a glass of cold Iced Tea, touch of lemon and just a tad of sugar to take off the bitter edge.

As a child we always had water and goats milk, but goats milk had it's place, and Iced Tea... Come in out of the garden, bailing hay, farm chores or fields, the cool glass of iced tea hit the spot. It still hits my memory buttons like it was yesterday.

Chickens are no different than hard working homesteader or farm hand. They aimlessly wonder to forage for bugs and find cool places to get a good dust and cool off. Their feathers keep the heat in and they need to keep cool.

So, you can keep your veggie scraps, chop them up, and add them with water into a flexible plastic container and freeze. I like to add a little scratch just so they know I love them. From green bean ends, swiss chard, blueberries, blackberries, squash and even tomatoes. Over rip strawberries in the mix makes my girls go nuts....

In Hobby Farms Spring issue, Chickens, Another Freebie, Being Self Sufficient

You know, I supposed it could be self sufficient advertising because it was a freebie. Although it is a hen, I guess it could be a small roo, couldn't it?

As for the big winter storm that has hit many of you, I hope you put your self sufficient skills to work. Sure its cold, but also a good time to make some extra cash by removing snow for folks, and remember use common sense when asking to be paid. Its good for you, and that karma your building now will visit you later in life just when you needed it. Its times like these that put most folks on the spot, there is no doubt, if your reading my blog, you are doing as snug as a bug in a rug!!!

If your just ready this for the first time, join and follow my self sufficient lifestyle and how you can get back to living on the basics. By all means please share your ideas with me as well, I am always interested in learn new or how to do better......

I am kinda shocked to see how popular chickens are becoming, I know they bring a new joy to our lives as well as help us make our breakfast...

So What Is My Self Sufficient Fund?

Well years ago when I started my to live self sufficient (SS) I decided to start out with a fund of 1500.00 and see where that could get me and I would figure the rest out. Buying the 1954 harvester super C and 48 inch box tiller put a huge hit in that amount, and after purchase of more jars for canning, I have since stayed below the 1K mark but with sales of goods from canning, bartering and trading have kept that going.

The funds are to improve my garden and level of planting and producing food to consume or sale/barter with. The eggs are still being sold to friends and that money goes back into their food fund as well as my SS fund. I have raised my prices to just below what the super market are selling their organic eggs locally here. Their selling theirs for 3.69 a carton, so I am selling mine for 3.00 a carton.

Each improvement I make to my property/garden comes from my SS fund, and its doing okay, not as much as I expected. I didn't tap any trees as I was going too, I need to design a cooker to cook the sap down.

An Awesome Useful Book To Have.

I have in many post suggested buying Country Wisdom & Know-How as a tool to use to help you along in your journey of living as self sufficient as you choose to do. Here is a picture of mine, note how well used this book is.
This book is filled with more than how to garden, it has recipes, crafts, elixirs, quilting, canning, soap making, lotions, home repairs, animal assistance/health, meat sectioning for small and large game, chicken/duck rearing and under ground storage. To be honest it's just filled with information that will help the novice self sufficient person. Whether your just starting a self sufficient lifestyle or whatever level your at, this book is a must have.

At a small cost of $12.97 this book is worth its weight in gold. Instead of purchasing several dead tree books (paper books) and spending loads of money, purchase this book first. I have personally cooked several recipes from the book, yum yum pigs bum!!!

If you purchase this book, I look forward o getting some feedback from you here on my blog.

We Have Eggs!!!

They have been up to good since three days ago. I found ten eggs today, checked their combs three days ago, felt like a couple were ready to go. But thought about age.... I missed this one.....

As with all young chickens, the eggs will get better, but another step towards being SS has been rewarded.

Guineas Go Free Range

I put the Guinea fowl in the coop today with the chickens, this is temperary living quarters for them. They aren't big enough to free range yet, or are they? Their 6 weeks old this week. I really want them to be able to fly before I turn them loose, to get away from any preditors on the ground.

Last weekend Danielle noticed that two redtail hawks were flying over the coop, having a look see no doubt. With the guinea being so small, I think that they might fall prey to one of those hawks.

Do you remember that turkey hanging around some weeks ago? Well, she has decided to hang around and I have spotted her roosting just past the woodline from my yard. Judy said she spotted a hen with little ones on the logging road last week.

Since those nesting hawks have moved out year before last, the amount of critters and fowl have been slowly on the rise. I still haven't seen any bunnys yet. I did make to brush piles in the hopes that some might move in.

Today I plan to put up another bat box on the other side of the pond, I am positive it will have new residents in a very short period of time. My bird house guords remain empty and I might place some nesting material in the to encourage birds to move in, any ideas?

Now that the warm weather has returned, the grapes seem to be coming back, but ever so slowly. I am sure I made the correct soil conditions for them, but I am no expert.

Dale and Jodi are having their annual summer get together in a few weeks, where I present a semi-pro fireworks display. Most of my presentations last for 10 minutes or so with something going off every 5 seconds or so. I took a class a few years ago and learned how to rig and time a display.

With the garden in, and nearly weed free, its time to get my fishing gear out and do some fishing. I am really hoping to add some yellow perch to my pond this year. I added some shad last year in hopes they will produce feeder fish to the pond for the bass. It will be a couple more years before I will know they lived.

I finished smoking my own bacon yesterday. I soak it in a brine for a day or so depending how much it weighs. Than I hang it in the smokehouse where I used 80% hickory 20% applewood as the smoke flavoring. I have a small slicer, when I trim the ends, I cut them very thick, a 1/2 inch or so before I start cutting bacon. We use these end pieces for bean soups and such.

Next weekend I plan to start pulling out dead logs/fallen trees from my woods to use as firewood this winter. I took a mosey around a few weeks ago to scout out how much wood there will be, its time to buy firewood now instead of later in the fall. The prices for a full cord right now is $125, in the fall it will rise to $175-$185 depending who and what type of wood.

Chicken Coop Is Done

So here are some pics of my chicken coop.





I have since modified the hen door, I just needed to get them out there, so I got the coop built. The walls are insulted to a R-9 only, and I will get my head around that later as well as venting after I show Pat what I have done.

The run is now attached and is a total of 48 square feet, I need to add wheels to it as well and change the wheel configuration on the coop. I finished the coop first and than went on to build the run. DW helped me transport the chickens from the brooder to the coop, I was hoping to get the brooder cleaned and get the guineas in the brooder.

Chicks In The Brooder

Pics of the girls during their last few days in their brooder. They will be sent off to the big house Sunday, as I plan to build their coop on Saturday.

Chicks/Chickens for eggs

The chicks are so cute, not to mention I have a runt.

They play follow the leader, they run and play, eat, poop, drink... and sleep... Did I mention they run, play, eat, poop and sleep?

I do have a runt, not because the others are picking on her, she seems to be laid back. I handle all the chicks a couple times everyday to make them more social. I put my hand down and she is the first to hop on it.

The other chicks also look out of the brooder now, and seem to know there is a bigger world out there.

They are so tiny, I was scared that I might crush them with my big rough hands. I scooped them up, and just held them without feeling them, and placed them in a box to come home.

In the brooder I built for them last month.



I think they have already doubled in size since noon, lol...

One minute their sleeping, next they are wanting to know why are you eating that? That's mine...

At first they all huddled together, and I was worried about the heat. But once they warmed up, they acted like a heard. Some would stand, fall over when they slept, others just laid there pecking at crumbs. Then when one gets all excited, they all do what that one was doing.

They are all comfy, and stop and rest/sleep when they want, where ever they see fit.

All they seem to do is eat, poop, sleep and drink water.

I can't pick her out yet, but there is one bossy one.

This was a great tension ice breaker for my family today. Even though you might not show stress to to your children, I think they can see/feel it.

Chicks are so cute, look I am not getting all soft and stuff, some of them are going to be good eats one day. Well maybe, they might become guard chickens. When their done laying, it's chicken bootcamp