# Spot’s journal



## SpotTheCat (Oct 9, 2022)

I have finally started a journal! I don't know how much I will post on it but I will try! 

What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?
I am in the uk! which makes research and getting help a bit hard sometimes, since I can’t get a lot of the things that other users on this site can  

 How many people are in your family? Marital status?
I live with my mother and have 3 brothers. Oldest brother doesn’t live with use. He used to cull our quail for us, sadly we have moved too far away now for him to do that.  Middle brother comes to visit frequently to help  (so does one of his friends) and the youngest has no interest in homesteading and will probably move in with us at some point he is currently living with the oldest. My mother is the main one how wants to be self sufficient


How would you define your farm?
a mess


 Is it a hobby or an occupation?
hobby but we would like the animals to at least pay for them selves (except for the pets!) 

In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?
I have a good grasp of genetics, though I haven’t looked in to livestock genetics much except for rabbits and I don’t remember much about the rabbits any more 


 Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?
My mother and I do a lot of different crafts to varying degrees of skill, such as knitting, crochet, spinning and sewing. I am trying to do bobbin and needle lace, I am finding bobbin ver difficult to learn 


 Can you legally have all forms of livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?
as far as I now we can have all kinds of livestock. We currently have coturnix quail and 2 chickens (planing on getting more chicken!)


Do you like to garden? 
I don’t do gardening but my mother does 


 How much space/land do you have or rent? City farm? Country?
we are in the country and have about 4 acres, only about 3 acres for livestock 

If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?
I don’t know if this is how this question is supposed to be answered but I really want to do canine fitness and dog training. I currently can’t do any because of mental disabilities that will hopefully be diagnosed soon. I know what they probably are, I just need to be officially diagnosed and then hopefully I will be able to take courses 

Are you interested in herbal animal medicine?
Yes! My mother knows quite a bit about herbal remedies though only for humans but it tends to still work for animals. Best thing is I am slightly allergic to plants  I can eat them fine (I think) but I try to avoid eating them


 What skills do you have that help you be more a self sufficient farm?
I don’t have many but we have learnt how to use a scythe , we only got them recently so we probably don’t know how to use them too well! 

Do you process your own meat? 
don’t currently have away and can’t find anywhere that would do it for use 

 Have you ever lived completely off what you produce? Would you like to?
Nope! My mother would like to get as close as possible to being able to


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## SpotTheCat (Oct 9, 2022)

The animals!

we have 4 spoilt indoor cats 


Spoiler: Cat pictures 



Thea




Minou



Pudding 



Koji





3 dogs 
Lulu (15 year) my mother‘s elderly “Pomeranian“

Twiggy (1 year) our guard dog she was originally going to be my assistance dog but she wasn’t a good fit for that. I think she might have some LGD in her 

Fanta (18 week) Labrador cross giant schnauzer who is hopefully going to be my assistance dog. She broke her elbow 10 days ago so is on crate rest at the moment that she is not pleased about 



Spoiler: Dog pictures



Twiggy (most are pictures from a few weeks ago which is why Fanta is fine)






Lulu 




Fanta





7 pet rabbits and 14 guinea pigs 
coturnix quail for eggs and meat if we really need 
2 chickens
A ferret who we are hopefully going to use to get rid of rats 
and African soft fur rats 

we are looking in to getting goats for milk and some sheep at some point!


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## Baymule (Oct 9, 2022)

That’s a good start!


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## SageHill (Oct 9, 2022)

Cute critters!


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## SpotTheCat (Oct 10, 2022)

SageHill said:


> Cute critters!


Thank you!


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## SpotTheCat (Oct 11, 2022)

Scything the field is going slowly, faster then I expected with it being done by hand! But we can’t scythe when is wet and my scything help is leaving soon for a bit  my joints are not handling doing much so I can’t do it my self. We need the field trimmed to get to the fence which is a mess because the previous owners did not take care of it! They just tossed there horse muck on to the fence, burying up to half of the fence in places!

The dogs keep finding hoof trimmings laying around the field that they are very happy about, free dog chewy sticks!


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## Baymule (Oct 11, 2022)

I get that about the joints. Just had knee replacement surgery 2 weeks ago. I squeezed every last bit of good out of that old knee that I could get. LOL I take collagen for my remaining joints. It helps the cartilage. Check it out, it may help you too.  Also take turmeric for inflammation, mixed with a little black pepper. The black pepper increases the bio availability of the turmeric. I was buying it in one pound bags for $8, have moved and can't find it anywhere here. I mix the turmeric with coconut oil to make a paste, sprinkle in a little black pepper, stir and put it in a half pint jar. I take a teaspoon, chew and chase it down with something to drink. 

Doctor prescribed a bunch of pills, 28 hydrocodone, I've taken 5 or 6 in two weeks. I've used Arnicare to rub on the back and sides of my leg (can't get anything near the incision) for pain relief. I've also used the Arnicare pills. Ate them like candy the first week! LOL 

So that's what I do to handle the pain from arthritis before I had the knee replacement and what I continue to use for pain from the surgery. Maybe it will help you too.


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## SpotTheCat (Oct 11, 2022)

Baymule said:


> I get that about the joints. Just had knee replacement surgery 2 weeks ago. I squeezed every last bit of good out of that old knee that I could get. LOL I take collagen for my remaining joints. It helps the cartilage. Check it out, it may help you too.  Also take turmeric for inflammation, mixed with a little black pepper. The black pepper increases the bio availability of the turmeric. I was buying it in one pound bags for $8, have moved and can't find it anywhere here. I mix the turmeric with coconut oil to make a paste, sprinkle in a little black pepper, stir and put it in a half pint jar. I take a teaspoon, chew and chase it down with something to drink.
> 
> Doctor prescribed a bunch of pills, 28 hydrocodone, I've taken 5 or 6 in two weeks. I've used Arnicare to rub on the back and sides of my leg (can't get anything near the incision) for pain relief. I've also used the Arnicare pills. Ate them like candy the first week! LOL
> 
> So that's what I do to handle the pain from arthritis before I had the knee replacement and what I continue to use for pain from the surgery. Maybe it will help you too.


Thank you! I will look in to it!  my issue seem to be in my muscles around my kneecap and hips. Exercise helps at the seem time as making it worse if I do too much


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