I don't pay for my chickens. My chickens pay for me.
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- It's true! Here in April of 2023, I spend about $18/month on feed for my 25-odd chickens, but easily earn that back plus some because of the eggs they provide us. What we would have spent in eggs gets transferred from the "Food" fund in our budget back to the "Homestead" fund!
One of the four things I do is ferment feed- I got great info on how to do that from the @FermentedHomestead and @HomesteadingFamily as well as some great ideas from @theJustinRhodesShow.
Check out my FB page for day-to-day news and updates on the latest projects!
/ curlyhairedcountrygal
Love what we’re doing? You can support our family as we word toward raising a bunch of our own food holistically and sustainably by going here: gofund.me/056f...
I don't have chickens yet, but they are in my plans. I am turning my city center lot (about 120' x 60') into a food forest. I started on July 11, 2021 and have been having an awesome time! I got some squash, and green onions that first year. A couple of other things, but not much.
In the spring I planted trees. Three apple trees from seeds. For root stock to graft known varieties onto. I have 4 fig trees putting on fruit, and a multi-fruit tree that is doing very well. We grew over a hundred Moringa Trees, which was awesome! I love moringa flower tea. Of those trees, 4 of them overwintered. And we had the hardest winter I remember. Tucson, Arizona, and we got snow three times! And, maybe five or six freeze, and hard freeze, warnings?!? Whew!!!
Well, 4 of the toughest Moringa Trees on earth are growing right here on what I like to call Yard Farm. And they were all grown from seed sown in the ground. The S.T.U.N. method really works! Strategic Total Utter Neglect
When I get enough food growing such that I can feed my wife and I, and have enough left over to feed the chickens, we will get some. Their job will be compost production. Eggs will be a bonus! And, they will work until they die a natural death, and get an honorable burial. I'm not opposed to eating animals. It is a business decision.
The way I see it, I started the "Farm" to feed my wife and I. We both follow an OMAD diet with Keto foods. It is loose and sloppy in some respects, but I follow principles more than rules, as in all areas of my life. Since my wife and I eat 5-10 cups of salad (green leafy veggies, the darker the better) as our nutrient foundation, and it keeps us sated. The idea of living from the garden has become, for the first time in my life, a potential reality! Awesome! (Everyone knows how the garden might produce a tomato to slice for a hamburger bought at the store, on a bun bought from the store, with ketchup bought at the store...)
Well, if I can provide lots of green leafy veggies for our base, sweet potatoes and squash for calories, and other things for variety, we have it made in the shade! And, we are growing as many trees as possible to increase that shade! LOL
Well, if I work 40hrs a week to feed us and pay the bills, what if Yard Farm can feed us, and selling to restaurants and farmers markets can pay the bills? What If I can spend 40 hours a week or less working the farm, and it feeds us and pays the bills? That means that my labor, for all practical purposes, is free, with respect to calculations.
For example, the time it takes to care for the chickens is well compensated for by not having to buy compost (and you cannot get top quality without making your own). And, if you grow enough food to feed you and your chickens, they have no feed costs. And, they eat fresh food from the garden!
I could go on, but only if you are truly interested. Nice video!
I love that you started a food forest in the city! It sounds like you have an awesome plan- raise enough for you and then when there's enough for chickens, add them.
Good thoughts on calculating time- that's always a consideration. Is my time worth all this effort? I think it's a huge yes for me!
@@curly-hairedcountrygal1275 Me, too. I spend about ten hours a week in what anyone would call farm work. Mostly, that is puttering and doing projects (digging swales; moving river rocks, making compost sifters, etc).
By the end of this season, I should have enough food growing to feed us our basic diet. I have Kale that is now 2 years old, and growing instead of bolting. It thinks it is a tree. I'm sure it is right!
Plus, we have 10 Tree Collard's growing, and they propagate with cuttings very easily, I have heard.
Have fun!
Very good ideas..chickens like pis are very good at cleaning up scraps..there is no need to waste the amount of produce and meat that stores and restaurants throw out..I used to take a little client to school( I was his home care nurse)..when the children discovered I had a horse they would bring me their apples and carrots that they couldn't eat at lunchtime ..they were so happy to recycle their food ..unfortunately the head of the cafeteria found out and said that was forbidden..ALL uneaten food was to go into the garbage..I found out that there used to be a hog farmer that used to pickup the mountains of wasted food for his hogs until the education department outlawed it..all food was to be picked up by the waste disposal company to go to the landfill..
IN MY EYES WHAT A WASTE..
as always prayers and blessings
That is a huge waste what a shite policy
Agreed- no need to waste so much!!!
I do the same thing. Let the chickens out by 1pm. Plus the predators flew over several times and don't see anything. 👍
I'd also be making free dog food with that free meat.
Good! I hadn't thought of hawks flying by and deciding to go somewhere else! Yes! I was feeding my dog with the meat before she passed and the cats get some now.
How many birds do you have? I like that free range after noon idea!
Some of the chickens have still decided that they enjoy laying their eggs in the late afternoon/early evening, but thankfully in the coop (or at least the ones we find lol).
I have close to 30 chickens (some roosters are in the "bachelor pad" awaiting butchering and the rest (older chicks, juveniles and laying hens are with the head rooster in the coop/free range area). How many do you have??
We get our 9 chicks next week! Three Brahmas, one each of Buff Orfh, RI Red, Mystic Onyx, Black Maran, a Wyandotte and an Easter Egger!
@@northofeight349 so exciting! I'm currently debating which heritage meat bird I want to start breeding... So many options!