A look at herds / living post disaster (What are your thoughts?)

[elevan]

Any particular breed of cattle that you think would be best?

Not Holsteins LOL

So, your cattle "supply" would be dependent on working together with your neighbors?

Well, yes, in all sorts of respects, not just bull-sharing

There is just no way to get around it. And heck, even if you DO have the resources to waste on housing/feeding a bull 365 days a year just so it can jump yer cows once a year, what happens when/if something bad happens to that bull, or when you get too much inbreeding? You are not going to have a self-sustaining herd of just a few cattle, can't be done, going to have to involve other people at SOME point no matter HOW you slice it.

Pat

What would your reasons for not choosing Holsteins be?
So then any breed besides them would work, in your opinion?

I completely understand the bull thing, was just asking you to clarify for the other readers of the thread.

Out of curiosity, do you have an idea of what you would offer as trade for the bull's services?

 

[Livinwright Farm]

It does seem a lot of feed per chicken even in winter to me...but then I try to feed "the old way" as much as possible. Free range. Scraps go to the pigs and the chickens.

Free ranging over winter in NH isn't possible... too much snow.

Livinwright - A lot of what you feed seems dependent on buying from the feedmill. What would you feed if you no longer had access to mixed or bagged feed? Do you grow your own BOSS? Layer feed is commercial feed...so what would you substitute? And scratch grains is a mix of 7-10 different grains cracked and mixed...would you grow, crack and mix your own? Or would you switch to something else?

We already grow corn for the chickens and goats... we would switch to drying out and cracking, instead of feeding fresh.

Oyster or egg shell for the chickens supply of calcium.

We are growing our own BOSS this year(VERY selectively hand picking seeds out of the bag {brand that TSC carries}) So far, the test plantings that I started 6 weeks ago are 11.5" tall

The scratch grains we get from TSC(Producers Pride) always seems to only have 2 things in it: corn and some form of micro-barley looking thing.. If I knew what that micro-barley looking thing was, I would grow that too!
I recently found out that my flock LOVES broken up nuts... so I will feed them excess that comes from harvesting the maple nuts too... that is, if Maude LETS the chickens eat the nuts... she is a Maple Nut fanatic!

also, any "excess" goat's milk would be put out for the chickens & barn cat

 

[elevan]

We are growing our own BOSS this year(VERY selectively hand picking seeds out of the bag {brand that TSC carries}) So far, the test plantings that I started 6 weeks ago are 11.5" tall

Now that's something I just might have to try

 

[redtailgal]

..............

 

[elevan]

I buy the 50 gallon sacks of BOSS for my backyard birds, the seeds will grow readily. Just sprinkle them somewhere that you dont want them to grow and they will take over, lol.

I had a large area that grew to maturity a couple years ago with absolutely no attention. We didnt plant them either, the messy cardinals did that for us. I cut the heads off of the 5-6 foot plants and fed them to the chickens over the winter.

We just hang the heads over a "clothesline" made of baling twine in our corn crib.

Cool Thanks for the tips!

 

[Symphony]

Someone started this over on BYC...it's been and interesting read but most of the posters are only familiar with chickens and the picks for other animals seem a little "out there" at times.

So I thought that this forum here at BYH would be able to provide an educational look at what animals and items you would want to have if the world as we know it suddenly changed and we had to fend for ourselves without outside support.

This is purely hypothetical (I don't believe the world is ending tomorrow or anything)...just looking for some different views of life in an off the grid situation.

1. What animals would you choose? Be breed specific and why?
2. What veggies / fruits / herbs would you grow?
3. What supplies would you feel you couldn't live without?

Feel free to give different scenarios based on the type of disaster that you think we might face...(the reason we go off grid)...

Well if were talking the ideal situation, I would like a group of family and friends on a large compound for security, labor and for some social aspect.

Chickens are very popular and easy keepers for even the novice. I would want Black Australorps and Buff Orpingtons, they make good broodies and lay well.

Pigs would be important to have around as me and my family love pork. I think Tamworths would make a good heritage pig.

I suppose if we absolutely needed a source for clothes and couldn't trade for it, we would get some Sheep...as to what kind, I don't know.

Cattle can be multi purpose but I think Shorthorn or a Shorthorn cross maybe a Shortferd, lol. A handful of them would be enough for milk and the calves for meat. The cows could be used for Oxen and for riding if need be.

Horses I would prefer to ride as I would think they get around tight corners better. I would probably pic an Arabian horse for their mobility.

Fruits trees would be a must and they would probably be of the Dwarf variety for reach purposes. Four Apple, {two cooking apple trees and two sweet apple trees}. Apricots, Pear, Peach, Cherry, Lemon and Lime. The Lemon and Lime would be in a greenhouse along with the Banana trees. English Walnuts along with Peanuts.

The Garden really isn't my forte but I would venture to guess, Peas, Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Sun Flower, Cucumbers, Squash, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Rhubarb, Broccoli, Asparagus, another type of Bean, Wheat, Feed Corn, Rye.

Herbs- don't really know my herbs too well so I guess I would leave that up to the cooks.

A few good dogs for guarding the family.

Some Ponds would be nice and a year round spring.

After some reading for Sheep it would be for mainly Wool so Corridale and Shetlands would make a good selection for color, mothering, grass based, and hardy.
I also think trading would become an important aspect eventually.

 

[BrownSheep]

1. Sheep....Ramboulliet-Extremely hardy, good caracas weights, good wool
Polypay. Multiples good mothering ability and plenty of meat
Suffolk...meat....plain and simple
East Fresian...milk
I own two of the breeds. Polypay is an Idaho developed breed and there's a sheep dairy with the fresians down the road.

Cattle.
Yaks, live Elevan said. My only concern is how well they would perform ( work wise) in our 100+ summers. I know they can live in it but working is another worry.
Herfords
Jersey and Gernsey
I own two yaks and a herford yak x. The rest are easy acquisitions.

Chickens
Leghorn
Barred rock
Pigs.
I haven't figured a breed yet.
Horses
Quarter
Clydesdale
Mules aswell
Other poultry
Turkeys ( Narraganset )
Guineas. ( alarms!)
Bees....for honey and wax
Dogs.....What we'll need them
Herding ( border collies and Australian cattle dogs for sheep and cows respectively)
Guarding ( LGds and home) pyranees and ????
Sport( springer spaniels, labs, scent and sight hounds)
Cats....doesn't matter what sort mousers are important.

The rest to come!

 

[autumnprairie]

Thank you Symphony for bringing this thread back to life and Brown Sheep too.

1) I would have chickens, buff Orpingtons and jersey giants and Cochins for eggs and meat Orpingtons are known for going broody.
2) rabbits new Zealand's they are easy to care for . Fertilizer and meat
3) goats kiko/boer for meat and Nubian for milk
4) garden- tomatoes, okra, corn, peppers, peas, beans green and dry beans, onions, garlic, potatoes, squash
5) herb garden- dill, parsley, mullein, basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, mints
6) flowers) roses for vitamin c, calendula, sunflower, arnica, chamomile, st johnwort, sumac penny royal, bee balm, plantain all of these herbs and flowers also have medicinal properties, I would also grow cotton
I live in between to rivers and have stock ponds behind my property.
Cats and dogs for varmints the two footed and 4 footed
7) trees- pine, pecan, apple, plum, pear, willow
Canning jars

 

[Symphony]

Even better we could have a group of compounds. Brownsheep, Elevan, Autumnpraire and My group and some other members. Trading amongst each other and eating those tasty Elevan inventions.

 

[elevan]

Even better we could have a group of compounds. Brownsheep, Elevan, Autumnpraire and My group and some other members. Trading amongst each other and eating those tasty Elevan inventions.

That definitely sounds like a good plan.